New York: After fleeing war in Syria and arriving in America with her family four months ago, for one day Mona Hafez is not a refugee. She is a tourist seeing the sights of New York.
“Coming to the park was really fun. Riding the subway was awesome. I love all of New York City,” says the 10-year-old, words tumbling out of her mouth in delight.
Hafez was one of 150 refugees last week treated to free tours of the US cultural capital, complete with a pizza lunch, in a charity drive organised by a New York guide desperate to make refugees feel welcome at a time when President Donald Trump wants them banned.
For five days over spring break, he took mostly Syrians but also some Iraqis around the city, treating groups of children, teenagers and parents to stories about New York’s history, fun facts and indelible memories.
Strolling through Central Park, past lush grass, tulips and blossoms, a busker played “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” on the saxophone, and the children pose at the bronze Balto dog statue.
Their parents filmed or took pictures on their phones or selfie sticks. Teenagers were already chomping on gum, US-style.
“This has been the most wonderful day I’ve spent in America. It’s been beautiful, it’s been amazing,” says Mona’s mother Rawda, beaming under a white headscarf and dressed in a sweater to fend off the April chill.
The family lived through the first year of the war in Homs before fleeing to Damascus and onto Jordan where they lived for four years before their visas came through for the United States.
In Syria her husband owned a shoe store. But like other refugees in the group they have yet to find jobs, first trying to learn English.
But the children are flourishing. Mona, a beautiful child with long brown hair tucked into a bun, loves math and science at school in New Jersey. She wants to be a doctor when she grows up.
“Now that they’re picking up more and more of the language, I get very happy when they’re able to communicate,” says her proud mother.
So ugly and so polarised is today’s US debate around immigration that organiser Luke Miller received death threats on Facebook while raising money to cover the cost of the daylong tours.
“People wrote just really vitriolic, nasty, nasty things,” said the 48-year-old, who owns family business Real New York Tours. “Overall the response has just been incredible.”
For one day, the refugees could put aside worries about overcoming the language barrier and finding work, and just enjoy themselves after years of living in fear and uncertainty.
