Breaking Trail: Their Story is Our Story - Liz Jevtic-Somlai
“We had to put a healthy dose of laughter into the situation to make it bearable. Our will to see the good in the hard situation is what helped us make it through the day.”
In early March, Their Story is Our Story Associate Director Elizabeta (Liz) Jevtic-Somlai shared her experience with Lisa Gerber, host of Breaking Trail podcast and Director of Strategy for Their Story is Our Story.
Originally from Yugoslavia, today’s Serbia, Liz now lives in Phoenix, Arizona. As a teenager, she and her family were forced to flee a country she loved to find new roots and a new way in a strange and unwelcoming country. In sharing her experience during the podcast, she expressed hope to make it more approachable to talk about the refugee journey and destigmatize the label.
While she lost a great deal when she escaped her beautiful country, Liz said, she did not lose who she is or where she came from.
“The importance of sharing the personal narrative is in educating,” said Liz during the chat, “We connect to the individual rather than the label itself. With that, people change their thoughts and their actions. Over time, we see an increase in people wanting to help - a crucial element in achieving a wholesome integration into communities.”
The podcast aired on Breaking Trail on March 28, 2022.
My First Asylum Case: An Attorney's Perspective on Asylum in the United States
I took my first asylum case in 2016, when our national dialog on immigration took a decidedly negative turn. As a corporate attorney, I had no experience in immigration law, but my license allowed me to represent individuals fleeing severe persecution and I signed with a local non-profit to offer my help. My first asylum client was a young mother and her two small daughters. I could see myself in Saba.
Their Story is Our Story Applauds the Signing of Virginia House Bill 995 and Continues Efforts to Open Doors for Foreign-trained Medical Professionals in Other States
Their Story is Our Story (TSOS), a non-profit organization that collects and shares the experiences of refugees to deepen understanding and influence action, applauds the signing of Virginia House Bill 995 into law by Governor Glenn Youngkin, after its unanimous passage through the Virginia House of Delegates and Senate. It will create a pathway for foreign-trained doctors who have immigrated to the state, including those whose careers were interrupted by forcible displacement, to fill workforce gaps in medically underserved communities.
Idaho One Refugee Conference
Last fall I was able to attend the 1Refugee Conference in Idaho. The event was well organized and everyone who approached our table was interested in what we did and wanted to know how to get involved. There were at least 100 students majoring in a variety of things who attended the event and we had 20 students give us their contact information. Most were interested in our internship programs.