The University of Northern Iowa is hosting a forum tonight to emphasize the contributions made by refugees to the state’s economy. The organizers hope it will help clear up some misunderstandings.
The open forum will include a panel made up of a sociologist, legal expert, someone from the Iowa Department of Human Services, and advocates for refugees. One of its organizers is a professor of international economics at UNI, Shahina Amin. She says it’s designed to help remove some stereotypes.
“Sometimes I have seen that students and others have some misconception as to who the refugees are and how they impact our community,” Amin says.
Amin says she hopes attendees walk away with a better understanding of refugees
“I would hope that people would understand who the refugees are and why they left their home country and how the U.S. hosts the refugees,” she says.