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  1. Jul 2019
    1. The U.S. has proudly played a leading role in welcoming people in need. Refugees like former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, Google co-founder Seregy Brin, and Nobel Prize-winning physicist and IRC founder Albert Einstein came to the U.S. to rebuild their lives.

      And this is why the U.S. is the greatest nation in the world. No matter what, these refugees are still people, and we still want to help them. When refugees come to America, we make an investment in them, and then they are able to get jobs and pay back that investment. That's the biggest difference from Europe. They don't care, they're more interested in the money aspect of the problem, and they don't take a chance to invest in the future of the refugees and their country.

    2. Myth: Refugees are all Muslim.

      Do people actually think that? That is ridiculous and so ignorant. People shouldn't stereotype like that. Does the general public really believe that all refugees are from the middle east and are Muslim? I wonder if they know that there are thousands of Christians in the middle east."Christians now make up approximately 5% of the Middle Eastern population, down from 20% in the early 20th century" That's part of the problem. It's a war on freedom. Religious freedom, basic human rights, and personal desires. Sheesh!

    3. Refugees leave their country because they have no other choice.

      Enough said in just this one line. Refugees leave because they have to, and immigrants leave because they want to. Most refugees once had good lives, they loved their homeland, just like we love America. Their family, friends, neighbors, and culture are all there. Why would they want to leave all that with no hope of coming back unless they had to? I experience a little bit of that when I moved to Italy two years ago. Of course, I knew that I would be back and see all of my loved ones again, but I still had a hard time. I also knew where I was going, and what it would be like. I can't imagine being a refugee.

    4. Fears that most refugees are young men who support terrorism are unfounded. More than half of the world’s refugees are children under the age of 18

      This is a common myth in Italy as well. While in Italy, I think it is a bit different, because the only refugees the Italians see are men, begging on the streets, or doing odd jobs. They just don't see the families as these men are separated from in other parts of the country or world. They too are refugees. Busting this myth is especially important for Americans to understand. There are women and children who need the opportunities that America offers just as much as your own children. There is absolutely no reason why they shouldn't enjoy those basic rights.

    5. Contrary to conventional wisdom, refugees welcomed to the United States come from all over the world, represent a diversity of religions, and are invariably hard-working and successful.

      I think this is definitely the truth. Most Americans think of refugees as immigrants. There is a lack of education about the difference between refugees and immigrants. Both are important, hard-working people. Even those that are illegal should not be treated badly or persecuted. The more educated Americans become, the better we will be equipped to make educated decisions about immigration and refugee policies. I think this article is a great place for everyone to start, to really learn the truths about Refugees.