DALLAS — Each table in the fellowship hall, adorned with Thanksgiving napkins and holiday fare, represented a different country and different stories of survival.
“We had an underground church in Iran,” said Arash Behzadzadeh, 35. “The Iranian government has a problem with Christians.”
He arrived in Texas seven months ago to be with his wife, Niusha Behzadzadeh, who got here seven years ago.
“Because we changed religion, we cannot find a job, we cannot go to university,” Niusha Behzadzadeh explained.
They were forced to flee Iran because they converted from Islam to Christianity. If they stayed, they risked imprisonment, she said.
Refugees in this room understand what it means to give thanks.
Many experienced this holiday for the first time and tasted uniquely American dishes.
“The mac and cheese, and turkey, yeah,” said Arash with approval.
For 13 years, Samira Page and her husband, Dennis Page, have introduced Thanksgiving to hundreds of immigrants from around the world.
“When we welcome them, when they have no family, no hope, it helps them overcome their struggles and it gives them hope and joy,” said Samira.
The Pages run an organization called Gateway of Grace in Dallas, helping refugees settle in North Texas.
“I pray that no child would know what it’s like to become a refugee and lose everything, but the reality is we live in a broken world. Our response is what makes a difference in their lives,” she added.
Each dining table has a different story.
Two teachers from Venezuela fled with their family because they criticized the government for paying them $10 a day.
A newly-arrived Russian family uses Google Translate to communicate until they learn English.
And a group of U.S.-born children who colored “Happy Thanksgiving” sheets will never know what their parents escaped in Afghanistan.
Refugees here also represent Pakistan, Cuba, Bangladesh, Ghana, Iran and Iraq.
All of them, like the Behzadzadehs, are thankful to have a new home this year.
“I like [the United States] because I can go to church, I can worship God. In my country, I cannot. Here we feel freedom,” Niusha Behzadzadeh said.
These stories are a reminder that, no matter how divided U.S. politics become, people around the world still see this country with hope.