‘They’re shining here’: Refugees and immigrants celebrated on International Women’s Day

About 300 immigrants, refugees and volunteers gathered at Central Library downtown on Friday to celebrate International Women’s Day.

Tables were set up to offer activities like henna and bracelet making. A group of tables where attendees could craft flower crowns was especially popular.

A donation room gave attendees a place to “shop” for things such as quilts, toys and stuffed animals. Community booths lined the event space, offering resources such as housing assistance and employment opportunities.

“(There is) everything they would need to rebuild here,” said Kimberly Curry, community engagement manager at the International Rescue Committee’s Spokane chapter, which hosted the event.

Jesica Rivera de Portillo, who came with her husband and 2-year-old son. Rivera, from El Salvador, has been in the United States for six months.

“In my previous country, it was very violent,” she said through a translator app on her phone. “We went through a terrible trauma, me and my family, my children; we thank God because we are alive.”

With help from the International Rescue Committee, the Rivera family was able to enter the United States as refugees. The Riveras received housing assistance, and both parents are now employed.

“We have already learned to be independent,” she said.

The organization sent fliers to all of their clients in their own language to get the word out about the event, Curry said. That’s how Rivera found out about it, but it was her children who convinced her to attend.

“My children told me to come, ‘Mommy, you deserve it, it’s your day, you can go share with other people, other women,’ ” she said.

“I didn’t expect to see so many people,” Rivera said, looking around the room. “Unfortunately, my language is not yet 100%, but I like the way the environment looks.”

Rivera said she has struggled to build new friendships because of the language barrier, but she has connected with other immigrants at English classes she attends with her husband.

The women’s day event, she said, “is a very nice start to meeting people.”

Tukuswiga Mwaigomole, from Uganda, was one of a few immigrant women who spoke at the event.

She told the crowd about when she finished primary school at 14. While Mwaigomole was ready to take on secondary school, one of her classmates had completed all the education she would get.

“Her father told her that he cannot be able to support her because she’s a girl, and she will get married and supporting her is a waste of money,” she said.

Mwaigomole is a student studying criminal justice at Eastern Washington University. She still wonders what became of her classmate.

Mwaigomole encouraged parents “to consider their little girls.”

“These girls, when they grow up, they’ll be somebody. They can be lawyers, Realtors, they can be mayors,” she said.

Mayor Lisa Brown also spoke.

“This is an important day to be together, International Women’s Day, and this room represents the power of women coming together and strengthening our families and our community,” she said.

Brown told the room of refugees and immigrants that Spokane welcomes them.

“Your unique backgrounds encompass many talents and new perspectives that our community in Spokane needs, so we’re glad that you work here, and we are lucky to learn from you.”

Wasan Hassan, with the rescue committee, helped translate at the event. She was born in the United States, but her native language is Arabic.

“There’s so much talent from women from different countries and cultures … they’re shining here,” she said in an interview.

Curry agreed.

“It’s really exciting to see the diversity growing in Spokane,” she said.