REFUGEE AND IMMIGRANT CULTURAL HUB MODEL TO BE UNVEILED DECEMBER 7

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: screenshot from video by the Aja Project on the Refugee and Immigrant Cultural Hub

December 3, 2024 (San Diego) – A 3-D model of a planned Refugee and Immigrant Cultural Hub (RICH) will be unveiled on December 7 at 5555 University Avenue in San Diego’s mid-city community to serve the diverse needs of San Diego’s large refugee population.

“Together we are building a first-of-its kind refuge of housing and services that honors our culture. To build a better future for the next generations, we have to start today,” says Ramia Sahid, executive director of Partnership for the Advancement of New Americans (PANA), which purchased 2.2 acres of land for the center that will include housing, support services, offices, food, arts, wellness, plus areas for gathering.

“This effort shows what is possible when we unite to welcome each other with dignity,” adds Sahid, a former refugee who fled civil war in Somalia as a child with her family. “As we look toward International Human Rights Day, San Diego can offer lessons to border towns on how best to support and welcome refugees and immigrants.”

The announcement comes just before International Human Rights Day on December 7, providing a beacon of light at a time when refugees and immigrant communities are bracing for intolerant policies form the incoming Trump administration.

PANA purchase 2.2 acres in April 2023, which will be developed alongside a 10-acre parcel set to become a public park. In December 2023,over 300 community members and 13 nonprofit partners joined a visioning process with democratic decision-making and interpretation in seven languages.

The project was made possible with support from the California Endowment for the Arts, the Kataly Foundation, California Arts Council, Senate President Pro Tempore Toni Atkins, and San Diego County Supervisors, along with PANA.

The December 7 unveiling ceremony will include Sahid from PANA, San Diego City Council President Sean Elo Rivera, and many community partners who participated in the year-long visioning process for the Refugee and Immigrant Cultural Hub.

Watch a video to learn more about the Refugee and Immigrant Culture Hub and the unique way it was conceptualized with community input. 

To learn how you can support the project, visit https://www.panasd.org.