On today’s episode of The Confluence:
What it takes for Jewish Family and Community Services to resettle families in Pittsburgh
(0:00 - 9:16)
Last week, the Biden Administration announced a new policy where everyday Americans will be able to sponsor refugees intent on coming to the United States.
Jewish Family and Community Services (JFCS) in Pittsburgh, and other nonprofits around the globe, have been helping resettle new immigrants for years.
“It is a lot of work and it starts before refugee families even arrive to Pittsburgh,” says Ivonne Smith-Tapia, director of refugee and immigrant services at JFCS. “Sometimes the notification that we received gives us enough time, three weeks to get ready. Sometimes, like this week, we had only one week to prepare to welcome a family.”
Smith-Tapia says it’s a big lift to bring someone to the country and set them up for success, from setting up medical care to finding and furnishing housing. She says she’s seen much generosity and compassion from Pittsburghers.
Lunar New Year celebrations in Pittsburgh are continuing
(9:21 - 18:01)
Yesterday was Lunar New Year, a holiday celebrating the first new moon of the lunar calendar in Asian countries and cultures, including China, Korea, and Vietnam. In Pittsburgh, there were celebratory events over the weekend and more coming up.
However, a shooting in the Southern California suburb of Monterey Park has shaken the Asian, Asian American and Pacific Islander community. A gunman killed 10 and wounded 10 others after a popular festival to celebrate Lunar New Year’s eve Saturday.
“It's so easy, right? To retreat into those corners… as immigrant communities, we've sacrificed and done so much hardship to get to where we are,” says Marian Lien, president of the Organization of Chinese Americans in Pittsburgh (OCA). “But [at] the same time, I want us to remember that life goes on, and to be sitting in homes instead of out there, participating and drinking in life would be the opposite of why we're all still alive today.”
Lien is also director of education for inclusion and global awareness with St. Edmund’s Academy, and celebrated Lunar New Year on Friday with students. They made “longevity noodles,” which represents a long life, and discussed the meaning of the Year of the Rabbit, which stands for longevity, peace and prosperity.
On Feb. 11, the OCA will hold its annual banquet gala, a 12-course, Mandarin style meal with performances to recognize the new year.
Renters of the downtown Roosevelt Building are struggling to find affordable housing
(18:08 - 22:30)
After a deadly fire in December, tenants at the Roosevelt Building downtown learned they would have to leave their apartments so the property’s owner could make repairs. Some tenants have been fighting for more time to look for other housing, and the matter has gone to court.
90.5 WESA’s Jillian Forstadt and Kate Giammarise have been reporting on the obstacles these residents are facing.
Attorneys for the tenants and the building’s owner are scheduled to talk in court later this week.
The Confluence, where the news comes together, is 90.5 WESA’s daily news program. Tune in Monday to Thursday at 9 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. to hear newsmakers and innovators take an in-depth look at stories important to the Pittsburgh region. Find more episodes of The Confluence here or wherever you get your podcasts.
