>>> I GOT MY MALAD.

I'M FROM AFGHANISTAN.

I WORK WITH THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT MANAGER.

AS A COMMUNITY PRACTITIONER I COULD TRAVEL ALL OVER AFGHANISTAN.

WORK AT THE GRASSROOTS THERE WITH RURAL COMMUNITIES.

WITH THE RURAL PEOPLE, RURAL COMMUNITIES AND HAVING A CUP OF TEA AND TALKING TO THEM.

THEY WERE MY BEST MOMENTS OF AFGHANISTAN.

I WAS JUST SPEAKING WITH MY FRIENDS A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO IF SOME DAYS COME AND I HAVE A CHANCE TO GO BACK TO AFGHANISTAN I WOULD MAKE DENVER A CITY OF -- THE LANDSCAPE IS THE SAME.

THE CLIMATE, THE TEMPERATURE IS THE SAME.

WE GOT SNOW AND IN DENVER AS WELL.

WE HAVE A THING IT CAN BE WOULD GOLD BUT NOT WITHOUT SNOW.

THAT IS A FAMOUS SAYING IN AFGHANISTAN.

I FEEL LIKE DENVER LIKE HOME.

THE SAME AFGHAN POPULATION.

WE DO HAVE PEOPLE FROM OTHER COUNTRIES.

THEY BRING THEIR OWN CULTURE INTO THIS COMMUNITY.

INTO THIS CITY.

WHICH MAKES THIS CITY MORE BEAUTIFUL, EVERYBODY BEFORE COMING TO THE U.S., THEY HAVE SOME THOUGHTS THAT THE U.S. LAND OF OPPORTUNITIES WHERE DREAMS COME TRUE.

BUT WHEN THEY LAND IN THIS COUNTRY THE GROUND REALITY IS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT.

IT HAPPENED TO ME AS WELL.

FOR ME, I THOUGHT MAYBE LIFE MAYBE EASIER IN THE U.S.

BUT THEN WHEN I ARRIVED IN THE U.S.

I FOUND IT TOTALLY DIFFERENT.

FIRST, I HAD TO START EVERYTHING.

NAVIGATING THIS PROCESS.

THE VERY COMPLEX AND DIFFICULT PROCESS.

STARTING FROM HOW TO DRIVE TO WORK TO NAVIGATE THE COMPLEX SYSTEMS BUREAUCRATIC SYSTEMS IN THIS COUNTRY.

THEY WERE A BIG SURPRISE FOR ME.

ON THE OTHER PARTY A WELCOME COMMUNITY IN DENVER METRO.

THAT'S THE BIG -- THAT SURPRISED ME.

WE HAVE A WELCOME COMMUNITY WHO IS WILLING TO HELP.

WHO IS WILLING TO SUPPORT YOU.

AND THERE IS A WILLINGNESS FOR THAT.

THAT WAS ALWAYS SURPRISING THAT THE POSITIVE SURPRISE FOR ME.

ASYLUM SEEKERS THEY BRING MORE THAN THEY CAN.

THEY CARRY ONE BACKPACK BUT CARRY MANY CAPACITIES.

THAT IS WHAT PEOPLE WANT TO KNOW.

WHEN THE PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT IT, THEY WELCOME.

AND I WILL SAY THAT IT IS ALL ABOUT THE NARRATIVE, IT IS ALL ABOUT THE EDUCATION, IT IS ALL ABOUT THE LEARNING.

ALL MY KIDS GET GOOD EDUCATION BECAUSE THAT IS THE BASE AND FOUNDATION FOR THE THINGS WE WANT FOR OUR FAMILIES.

THIS IS NOT ONLY FOR MY KIDS, MY FAMILY BUT EVERY NEWCOMER TO THIS COUNTRY.

FIRST GET GOOD EDUCATION.

SO EDUCATION IS THE VERY FUNDAMENTAL AND FOUNDATIONAL WISH AND HOPE NOT ONLY FOR MY FAMILY, FOR MY KIDS, BUT FOR EVERY NEWCOMER IN THIS COUNTRY.

U.S. IS A COUNTRY WITH A DIVERSE CULTURE.

A VERY RICH DIVERSE CULTURE, DIVERSITY.

ONCE THE PEOPLE ARE EDUCATED AND LEARN ABOUT IT IS NOT A LIABILITY, THEY ARE AN ASSET.

THEY EMBRACE WITH OPEN HEARTS, THEY OPEN THEIR DOORS, I FELT THAT.

I EXPERIENCE THAT.

WHEN I FIRST STARTED WITH INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY AS THE COMMUNITY SPONSORSHIP COORDINATOR I STARTED WITH ONE PERSON.

WITH ONE-ON-ONE CHATTING ABOUT HOW THE PROGRAM WOULD LOOK LIKE.

NOW AFTER TWO YEARS, I GOT ALMOST SEVEN TO EIGHT GROUPS IN COMMUNITY WITH 90 PEOPLE AND THEY ARE ALL CORRELATED SOMEHOW INTO THE COMMUNITIES.

WE GO TO THE COMMUNITIES, TALK TO THE COMMUNITY, TALK TO THE PEOPLE AND TELL THEM ABOUT THE NEWCOMERS ABOUT THE CHALLENGES.

USUALLY IT IS EASIER FOR THE KIDS.

THEY CAN EASILY ADJUST THEMSELVES.

MAYBE FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS THEY GO TO SCHOOL.

HAVE LANGUAGE BARRIERS AND IT WILL BE CHALLENGING.

BUT LATER ON EASIER FOR THE KIDS.

MY KIDS IT WAS EASIER FOR THEM TO NAVIGATE THE NEW KIND OF EDUCATION ENVIRONMENT.

BUT IT IS DIFFICULT FOR MY GENERATION ACTUALLY TO ADJUST MYSELF QUICKLY INTO THE NEW COMMUNITY AND NEW LIFE.

IMMIGRANTS AND REFUGEES THEY BRING AS YOU MENTIONED THE HEART AND SOUL.

THEY BRING A SOCIAL CONNECTEDNESS.

AND EXAMPLE OF THE SOCIAL CONNECTEDNESS.

AN EXAMPLE OF THE SOCIAL LONGINGS.

RIGHT NOW ACROSS THE DENVER METRO.

ALMOST 4500 AFGHAN FAMILIES ARE LEAVING.

THESE FAMILIES SOME HOW CONNECTED IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER WAY.

WHEN WE SEE THIS SOCIAL CONNECTEDNESS AND OTHERS ARE LEARNING FROM THESE GOOD EXAMPLES.

THIS IS CALLED THE GDP OF HEART AND SOUL.

>> I'M RODRIGO I'M A FIREFIGHTER.

I'VE BEEN IN THE U.S. FOR THE BETTER PART OF MY LIFE.

I WAS BORN IN CHILE.

I CAME HERE WHEN I WAS SIX YEARS OLD.

SPENT MOST OF MY CAREER IN WIDE LAND FIRE IN ONE FACET OR ANOTHER.

I ENJOY MOUNTAIN BIKING, SKIING, EVERYTHING ELSE COLORADO HAS TO OFFER.

THIS COUNTRY IS HUGE.

AND I THINK ABOUT HOW DIFFICULT IT MUST BE WHEN YOU CAN'T SPEAK THE LANGUAGE TO GET THROUGH JUST THE BASIC BUREAUCRACY.

EVEN IF YOU WERE ABLE TO COME HERE WITH -- HAVE THE ABILITY TO GET THE PAPERWORK ET CETERA, IT IS MIND-BOGGLING.

BOTH OF MY PARENTS WERE PROFESSIONALS.

WE WERE ABLE TO COME HERE WITH WORK VISAS AND GREEN CARDS AND NOT HAVE TO STRUGGLE ON THAT END OF THINGS.

I FEEL A LOT OF COMPASSION.

I UNDERSTAND WHAT IT IS TO COME TO A NEW COUNTRY AND START A NEW LIFE, I MEAN, IT IS A LOT.

PEOPLE DON'T DO IT LIGHTLY.

BECAUSE IT IS THE AMERICAN DREAM.

MY MOTHER WAS, IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, SHE WAS IN NURSING SCHOOL OR ALREADY A NURSE.

SHE HAD COME TO A CONFERENCE, I WANT TO SAY NEW YORK.

SHE CAME BACK, I GUESS, AND YOU KNOW HAD THAT DISCUSSION WITH MY FATHER.

WE SHOULD MOVE TO THE U.S. MY FATHER WASN'T AS BIG ON IT.

I DON'T THINK -- HE WAS HAPPY HERE.

I THINK HE ALWAYS MISSED HOME.

I REMEMBER THAT, YOU KNOW, I WAS SAYING THIS YOU NEEDED TO ASEMILATE.

IMMIGRANTS IN THE '70s WERE ENCOURAGED TO ASSIMILATE.

WE DIDN'T HOLD ON TO OUR CULTURE.

YOU WANTED TO AS QUICKLY AS YOU COULD SPEAK ENGLISH AND FIT IN.

IT WASN'T AS ACCEPTING AS IT IS NOW.

EVERYONE HAS THEIR ORIGIN WITH THEM AND CELEBRATE THEM.

THERE WERE A LOT OF OTHER LATINOS.

BUT EVEN THOUGH, OBVIOUSLY, WE WOULD FIND EACH OTHER.

EVERYONE WAS TRYING TO LEARN ENGLISH AND TRYING TO FIT IN.

THE SCHOOLS WEREN'T -- THEY DIDN'T HAVE ACCOMMODATIONS FOR PEOPLE THAT SPOKE OTHER LANGUAGES.

IT WAS A BIT OF AN URGENCY TO LEARN ENGLISH TO GO TO SCHOOL AND UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING.

I DON'T THINK I HAD REALLY ANY OPEN RACISM PER SE.

KIDS WOULD MAKE FUN OF ME.

LITTLE KIDS MAKE FUN OF YOU SOMETIMES FOR YOUR ACCENT AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

IT WASN'T LIKE HORRIBLE.

IT WAS DEFINITELY OBVIOUS THAT WE WERE IMMIGRANTS.

MY MOTHER I GIVE A LOT OF CREDIT TO.

SHE NEVER ALLOWED US HOW TO SPEAK SPANISH.

AS WE WERE LEARNING ENGLISH SHE WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE KEPT OUR SPANISH.

ENCOURAGED US TO USE IT AROUND THE HOUSE AND SO ON.

CHILE WAS A SMALL COUNTRY TO BEGIN WITH.

WE WOULD FIND EACH OTHER.

THERE IS A SIGN IF YOU ARE CHILEAN HERE IS THIS ADDRESS.

I REMEMBER COMING TO THE HOUSE CONSTANTLY.

HOW DO WE KNOW THEM?

THEY ARE CHILEAN.

WE MOVED TO JERSEY AND I WAS IN NEW JERSEY -- I GRADUATED AT 24 YEARS.

NEVER BEEN OUT WEST.

I HAD INTERNSHIP OUT HERE IN COLORADO.

WAS BLOWN AWAY BY THE WEST AND COLORADO SPECIFICALLY.

I WENT BACK FINISHED MY LAST EXAM.

PACKED MY TRUCK AND MOVED HERE AND THAT WAS 35 YEARS AGO.

INTERESTINGLY, A CULTURAL THING WE TRAVELLED IN VACATIONS.

WE NEVER TRAVELLED IN THE U.S.

I DIDN'T SEE THE WEST UNTIL I CAME OUT BY MYSELF.

I HAD NEVER SEE THE VASTNESS OF THIS AREA.

I COULDN'T GET IT TO MY HEAD THIS ROAD GOES ON FOREVER NOWHERE.

THAT IS AMAZING.

ONCE I SAW THIS, IT IS HARD TO GO BACK.

WHEN I GOT TO BOULDER AND THERE WAS A JOB OPENING, THE FACT I WAS BILINGUAL HELPED ME TO GET THE JOB.

IT WORKED IN MY FAVOR.

THE FIRST JOB I GOT HERE WAS A RANGER IN BOULDER.

THEY USED TO USE ME FOR CALLS FOR THE POLICE.

WE DIDN'T HAVE SPANISH SPEAKING OFFICERS OR NOT HAVE MANY.

THEY DIDN'T HAVE THEM ON EVERY SHIFT.

I WOULD GET CALLED WHERE I'M SUPPOSED TO BE IN THE PARKS I WOULD GET CALLS TO THE CITY TO HELP THE OFFICERS COMMUNICATE.

IT IS THERE IN A SENSE IT WAS A POSITIVE IN MY MIND.

WE ADOPTED MY SON FROM GUATEMALA.

HE HAS HIS OWN STORY.

HE IS CURIOUS ABOUT WHERE I'M FROM AS WE TRY TO TEACH HIM ABOUT IT HIS COUNTRY AS WELL.

OUR ORIGINAL PLAN WAS TO NOT HAVE CHILDREN BUT THEN THAT CHANGED.

I WAS ALREADY 40 AND I SAID, IF WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A CHILD, I FEEL WE SHOULD ADOPT A CHILD.

WE KNEW A COUPLE THAT ADOPTED TWO KIDS FROM GUATEMALA AND TAKEN BY THEM AND GOT INFORMATION FROM THEM ON HOW THEY DID IT AND WENT THROUGH THE PROCESS.

IT TOOK ALMOST TWO YEARS OR SO.

I ALWAYS JOKE THEY FORCE YOU TO GO TO CLASSES WHEN YOU ARE ADOPTING ON CHILD CARE AND CHILD REARING.

THEY SHOULD BE DOING THIS TO EVERYONE.

IT WAS SOMETHING WITH THE PAPERWORK.

YOU COME IN WITH A GUATEMALA PASSPORT.

THEY ASSURE YOU HE WILL BE AN AMERICAN CITIZEN.

UNTIL I HAVE THIS U.S. PASSPORT IN HAND IT IS UNNERVING.

I THINK PEOPLE SHOULD HAVE THAT GRATITUDE AND REALIZE NOT TAKE FOR GRANTED WHAT WE HAVE HERE IN THIS COUNTRY.

THAT IS IMPORTANT.

THAT'S WHY ALL THESE IMMIGRANTS WANT TO BE HERE.

THE FACT PEOPLE IN THIS COUNTRY CAN'T BOTHER TO VOTE IS HARD FOR ME TO ACCEPT.

IN MY COUNTRY AS IN SO MANY COUNTRIES PEOPLE LITERALLY DIE FOR THEIR BELIEF.

AND TO HAVE SUCH APATHY IN THIS COUNTRY ABOUT VOTING POLITICAL PROCESS.

YOU HAVE TO REMIND YOURSELF WE HAVE A STABLE DEMOCRACY IN THIS COUNTRY.

THERE IS AN INCREDIBLE OPPORTUNITIES IN THIS COUNTRY IN WAYS I DON'T SEE ANYWHERE ELSE.

IT IS NOT EASY.

DON'T BE AFRAID TO ASK FOR HELP.

THERE ARE OTHER PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT HAVE GONE THROUGH IT.

MOST OF THEM WOULD BE GLAD TO HELP YOU GET THERE.

>> [ SPEAKING IN SPANISH ] [ SPEAKING IN SPANISH ] [ SPEAKING IN SPANISH ] [ SPEAKING IN SPANISH ] [ SPEAKING IN SPANISH ] [ SPEAKING IN SPANISH ] \M\M \M\M [ CAPTIONS PROVIDED BY VZP DIGITAL ] >>> WE HOPE HUMANIZED HAS INSPIRED YOU.

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