Immigrants tell their stories

Ten immigrants, participants in a New Americans, New Voices program are sharing their remarkable stories with the public. DP

By Mariana Lamaison Sears, Free Press Staff Writer
burlingtonfreepress.com: It was Hon Ly's turn to read an excerpt of his story Sunday on the second floor of the Firehouse Center for the Visual Arts. Ly, originally from Vietnam, stood up, reached the lectern, looked up at the room full of people, and began to read.

"We arrived on Pulau Bidong Island in Malaysia on the evening of April 17. I felt safe from danger, very tired and hungry for the first time in four days. I ate two bowls of noodles," he said slowly, trying not to cry.

Ly and nine other immigrants and refugees who have been participating in the New Americans, New Voices writing program since late February began a reading tour Sunday to share their stories with the community. At the premiere reading, the program's participants read excerpts from their works, describing powerful and inspirational stories.

"The cleaning and dishwashing can't be described. We used toothbrushes for cleaning window corners and Clorox for washing cooking pots and pans. We stood for over 14 hours a day," Paulina Angory read about the job she had in Cairo, Egypt, in 2000. Angory, 34, of Winooski, became a refugee in Egypt after fleeing from her native Sudan.
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