Recently-arrived refugees and immigrants from the far corners of the globe will be the focus of the last Flavors of Aurora: Stirred, Not Shaken to be opened with a reception on Friday, November 2, 2012 from 5-8pm at the Pierce Art and History Center, 20 E. Downer Place, 60505.
Hailing from such countries as Nepal, Bhutan, Burma (Myanmar), other lands such as Iran and Iraq, and nations such as Eritrea, Democratic Republic of Congo, Somali, Liberia, Burundi and Rwanda these new arrivals have suffered ethnic, political or religious oppression in their native lands. They are helped by the U.N. to seek peace and opportunity in any country that will welcome them with law and justice. Many come to the United States and over the last decade, thanks to sponsorship by local churches and the organization World Relief, hundreds have learned to call Aurora home.
“The Thanksgiving season is the perfect time for us to consider the good fortune we have to be Americans, and to learn about these new citizens who had to give up their homelands in order to find the blessings that we take for granted every day,” says Roald Haase, who serves on the board of the Aurora Historical Society and is coordinating the event. “They are the Puritans of today. We should also remember that, even after 175 years, Aurora is still being built up by the new blood and strength of people from far-away places who see The City of Lights as a beacon to happiness.”
The reception on November 2 is free (donations appreciated), with a cash bar. The exhibit will be up through November 24 during regular Pierce Center hours, Wednesdays through Saturdays from noon – 4:00pm. Group tours can be arranged by calling .
More groups are scheduled to be spotlighted in 2013, including African-American, Irish and Italian. Seewww.aurorahistory.net or www.facebook.com/aurorahistory for details. For a short video which features a Burmese and a Bhutanese woman who now call Aurora home, go to http://vimeo.com/42710195.
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