Immigrant and Refugee Art to be Featured at The Stories that Connect Us on June 29

By Sarah Anderson on June 25, 2024

Photo courtesy of Jhonaikel Vielma Belandria

OC Residents are invited to attend The Stories that Connect Us, a free community event of celebration and awareness presented by the Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs (OIRA) and Orange County Resettlement Agencies.

OIRA and Orange County Resettlement Agencies will host the event from 1-3 p.m. Saturday, June 29, at the Anaheim Central Library, 500 W. Broadway, Anaheim, CA 92805.

“For OIRA’s first official community event, I want to welcome and celebrate the rich talent, culture, and experiences that our refugee and immigrant neighbors knit into the fabric of our Orange County community,” said OIRA Director Jose Serrano.

Festivities will kick off with an art walk featuring work from Colombian American artist Andres Felipe Rivera, Venezuelan American artist Jhonaikel Vielma Belandria, Syrian Emmy award-winning video journalist Samer Alchikh Kouider, and other featured artists. A Dabke performance by Western High School’s Arabic class will follow. Noorzad Productions, an Afghan family-owned event and party planning business, will cater the event with light appetizers featuring flavors from Afghanistan.

Attendees will have the opportunity to engage with artists and artwork, as well as the opportunity to share their own talent during Open Mic and Poetry Reading hour.

The event aims to bring together people from various cultures and backgrounds to celebrate the unique characteristics, stories, and contributions of refugee and immigrant residents in Orange County. All are welcome.

For questions, please email OIRA at OIRA@ssa.ocgov.com.

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The County of Orange Social Services Agency (SSA) connects residents to public assistance benefits and resources, including buying healthy food and low- or no-cost health insurance, provides protective services for children, and older and dependent adults, and supports families as they become self-sufficient. SSA employs over 4,500 staff across Orange County. For more information, visit ssa.ocgov.com.