By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
Immigrants from lands far from Bowling Green gathered at City Park – some new to the U.S., some whose ancestors came decades before.
“Each and every one of us in Bowling Green are some type of immigrant,” said Mojabeng Kamala, coordinator of WelcomeBG. “It’s just that you came 50 years ago, and some of us came today.”
Kamala, from South Africa, has been helping new immigrants navigate Bowling Green through her work with WelcomeBG since 2019. Some are students coming for an education, some are families looking for employment and a place to grow.
She helps them break through language and cultural barriers. She directs them to immunization sites for their children, helps them understand that police here are not like those in some of their home countries, helps them find suitable homes, connects them with driving courses, acts as a liaison with the school district, and shows them where to buy food that tastes like home.
“It is hard when they don’t know who to ask questions to,” Kamala said.
Kamala believes that well-established community members should help newcomers find a “sense of home” in Bowling Green.
“We need to be kind to the next person who comes after us,” she said.
As a step in that direction, WelcomeBG hosted an Immigrant Heritage Celebration in City Park on Friday. New immigrants and long-time residents joined to share a meal and learn about each other.
John and Alice Calderonello wanted to welcome newcomers to their community.
“I’m glad we came. The food smells delicious,” John Calderonello said as he loaded his plate with curry, yellow split peas with red lentils, swiss chard, and pholourie – a deep fried spicy split pea dough.
“I wish we had more diversity in Bowling Green,” he said.
The cuisine took some people to foreign lands, while it took others home.
The food was also a draw for Sakshi Gupta, a graduate student at Bowling Green State University. Gupta, from India, has been in the U.S. for five years.
“I’m very surprised by the food,” she said, listing off her comfort foods of lentils and dal. “I’m so happy about the food. I was about to cry.”
Another BGSU student from Nigeria, Festus Ojedokun, who is majoring in mechanical engineering, said events like Friday’s celebration are “very, very welcoming” to immigrants.
Eulalio Mata-Velasco, president of La Conexion, brought information about the Latinx community organization to share at the celebration – and partook of the meal.
“I’m actually going to go for seconds,” Mata-Velasco said.
Preparing much of the buffet was Vicky Singh, originally from British Guiana. She began the night before, soaking the split peas and cleaning the chicken.
“It’s always tastier the next day,” she said.
She and her husband, Clyde Singh, help meet the needs of international students through St. Mark’s Lutheran Church. The students can only bring two suitcases of belongings to the U.S., which means they often need help with home furnishings.
Also at the celebration, Bowling Green City Council member Bill Herald read a proclamation for Immigrant Heritage Month from Mayor Mike Aspacher.
The proclamation recognized that the U.S. is “a nation of immigrants” in search of freedom and opportunity. And Bowling Green wants to be a “welcoming, safe community for immigrants,” in order to attract and retain a diverse population, build vibrant neighborhoods, and create economic growth.
“It behooves WelcomeBG to use this month for the visibility of this hard to reach population – really encourage them to come out of the shadows,” Kamala said. “So they can be accounted for and be welcomed as contributing members of the community.”
