By Kaila Snyder, Staff Writer
Associate Professor of Anthropology Shari Jacobson hosted a discussion recounting what she witnessed when she volunteered with asylum seekers at the border in Texas. Jacobson critically analyzed migration and the border itself on Feb. 26 in the Shearer Dining Rooms.
Jacobson shared that she chose to create this conversation for a number of different personal reasons.
“I have been troubled by the plight of migrants in the world today. I decided to spend my winter break, along with my 15-year old daughter, volunteering at the Humanitarian Respite Center, working directly with asylum-seekers,” she said.
“I did this because I wanted to help, and also because I wanted to get the word out here in central Pennsylvania. I thought people here would be more receptive to hearing about what is going on at the border in the Rio Grande Valley if they heard directly from someone who had been there,” Jacobson continued.
During the discussion, Jacobson explained how the refugees were dropped off at the Humanitarian Respite Center at the border in bus loads, ranging from 150-500 people daily.
“Many refugees come into the center with children. In fact, almost all of the families I saw at the center during my time there had children,” Jacobson stated.
These people, who often arrived in tattered clothes, sick and famished, were given basic kindnesses, such as clean clothes, a meal, and a shower upon arrival at the center.
Many of these refugees had been on the road for a month prior, desperately attempting to escape from the horror in their past, according to Jacobson.
“I hope students develop a deeper understanding of who asylum-seekers are, why they are migrating and what their experiences are like,” Jacobson said.
This is only one of multiple talks that Jacobson has given in the area, along with television interviews, a radio appearance and an op-ed in the Sunbury Daily Item.
“My hope is that our Susquehanna community is concerned about the humanitarian crisis at the border. This will inform people and give them a way to think critically about it,” Jacobson said,