A celebration of cultures: World Refugee Day offers info, music, food from around the globe

Celebrate the many cultures that make up Albuquerque during World Refugee Day at Civic Plaza.

The event will take place from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, June 22, at 1 Civic Plaza NW. Admission is free. More information is available at cabq.gov/office-of-equity-inclusion/events.

The event is in recognition of World Refugee Day, celebrated annually on June 20. The Albuquerque event was planned for Saturday so the community can attend.

A celebration of cultures: World Refugee Day offers info, music, food from around the globe

“This event is celebrated all around the world,” said Beatriz Valencia, liaison for the city’s Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs. “And because we have a very representative number of refugees living in Albuquerque, it’s our way to honor them, to celebrate diversity inclusion, and also to have a sense of belonging, a place where everyone is welcome, where peace can be manifested and embraced in just one place, in one event.”

World Refugee Day at Civic Plaza will feature multicultural pavilions, resources, vendors, a naturalization ceremony, performances, music, art, activities and food.

“Artists that we’re going to display in the pavilions, for example, one pavilion is the continent of Africa, so we’re going to have Congo, Tanzania and other countries from Africa who have refugees,” Valencia said. “We’re going to have the continent of Asia. We have Afghanistan, we have Syria, Uzbekistan and other countries. We have the continent of Europe. We have Ukraine, where Ukraine is going to be in (the) Europe (pavilion). And then we want to put together Central and South America as one of the pavilions, where we want to showcase beautiful artwork done by our Central and South American asylum seekers and refugees.”

There will be individuals providing information and discussing their home countries at each of the pavilions. Twelve interpreters who speak various languages including Vietnamese, Chinese, Arabic, Swahili and more will be on hand so eventgoers can learn more about each of the represented countries without there being a language barrier.

A naturalization ceremony will be held during the first hour of the event.

“We partner with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services,” Valencia said. “(It) is a federal agency. They are the one who does all the documents for people to become residents, to become American citizens, to have a work permit ... Every year, when we have this, we partner with them and they are able to bring not only people who are going to become naturalized American citizens, but the relatives, and it’s a beautiful experience.”

Gabriela Patricia Pinzón Sánchez, who serves as consul of Mexico in Albuquerque, and others will speak at the event. Billystrom Jivetti, race and equity data analyst with the city’s Office of Equity and Inclusion, will share his story of being an immigrant and refugee in Albuquerque. Performances from Ukraine, Congo and other countries in Africa, Afghanistan and Iraq will be part of the event. A multicultural fashion show where participants will be dressed in traditional garments from their home country will also be part of the festivities.

“We are going to have students who are refugees, who are going to share their stories of success, getting into really good schools, etc.,” Valencia said.

Attendees will also be able to enjoy foods from some countries represented at the event.

“We also are going to have food from at least four different continents,” Valencia said. “... When you want to learn about culture, you have to feel, sense, smell, (see) the dances, it is how you understand the history. So all of these parts and pieces are going to take place at the event.”