Eugene is now home to almost three dozen Afghan refugees who have arrived since U.S. military forces exited their homeland. Some speak English well because they interpreted for our soldiers, but many do not. Most have suffered trauma before, during, or after their escape. All wish to be reunited with family members who stayed behind.
Today is the vernal equinox, the first day of spring. Afghans celebrate the day as Naurez, the Hijri Shamsi calendar’s equivalent of New Year’s Day. It’s a good day to reflect on the challenges faced by our new neighbors. There are three different calendars used in Afghanistan, depending on your location, status, and family history.
Most official documents like passports or anything connected with foreign embassies in Afghanistan use our Christian calendar. Hijri Shamsi differs in two ways. The new year starts on the first day of spring and the years are counted from the prophet Muhammad’s arrival in Medina after leaving Mecca. Today begins Year 1401.
But the Afghans’ third calendar is the one most commonly used for everyday life. All religious holidays derive from the Hijre Qamari calendar, which is lunar and not solar. Hijre Qamari counts 354 days in a year, 11 days fewer than our solar calendar. Complications ensue.
A 35-year-old Afghan may be in our calculations only 34 years old, because his years were counted on the 354-day lunar calendar. This can become a real problem. Many Afghans have literally no idea when their birthdate was. Afghanistan has no centralized record-keeping or a single calendar for every use. Many new arrivals fled their homeland with no official documents. A birthdate was assigned to them — usually January 1.
One of the refugees who recently arrived has four different birthdates on four different government documents. One of her birthdates is listed as February 31. Immigration procedures require that those dates be corrected before their application can be reviewed. It’s usually the passport date that sticks, but only because revising passport credentials is the most onerous task.
Understand this as we begin our spring season of renewal. We have some now among us who are renewing their very selves. They have been assigned a birthdate and a transliterated name that may vary from the Pashto or Dari spelling or pronunciation. Their WhatsApp handle is for some the most stable form of self-identification they have.
They want to learn English, get a job, find permanent housing, and begin building a network of friends and supporters. They often begin sending money back home as soon as they can because they want nothing more than to be reunited with their families. That process can take years, for many of the same reasons detailed above.
Their basic needs are being met by government support at every level to ease the transition. But they face significant challenges every day. Some of those gaps were expected. Affordable housing is severely constricted for everyone, but more so for those without rental history or a single birthdate!
Medical screening was a significant part of the intake process before they arrived in Eugene, but dental care is an unexpected gap. Most have never seen a dentist in their life.
What can you do to ease their adjustment? You can volunteer in a dozen different ways at www.rrclc.org/volunteer. If you know of landlords or dentists who are kind and generous, raise your hand. Or simply be patient if you find yourself behind one of them at the store. They are learning to navigate our systems.
Enjoy spring. The seasons show that change is vital and renewal is always possible.
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Don Kahle (fridays@dksez.com) writes a column each Friday for The Register-Guard and archives past columns at www.dksez.com. Kahle helps coordinate the cultural orientation curriculum for the Refugee Resettlement Coalition of Lane County.
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