TOLEDO, Ohio — As the U.S. prepares to leave Afghanistan, a number of Afghan citizens are fleeing the country and seeking asylum in countries like Europe and the United States.
And as the refugees settle into their new homes, one of the biggest challenges will be learning the language.
"They're having to leave their homes. This has all been happening in less than 10 days; this kind of trauma, trying to take your family and move elsewhere outside of your home, your comfort. So you're also dealing with that trauma while trying to learn a new language," said Sara Dastagir, the executive director of the Islamic Center of Toledo.
Locally, the Islamic Center of Toledo and Water for Ishmael, an English-as-a- second-language school, are ready to help refugees begin the process of acclimating into American life and culture.
"We're prepared to help anyone who moves to Toledo from another country and needs help either improving their English language or just learning English from the beginning," said Janelle Metzger, the executive director of Water for Ishmael.
While the United States has no official language, according to the 2021 U.S. Census nearly 78% of citizens speak English. Local leaders emphasize the importance of helping these refugees learn the language, allowing them to function in society.
"It's the gateway and the doorway to everything; to being able to help your children succeed in school, to being able to navigate the different social systems, to build community, to get a job," said Metzger.
For the Farsi-speaking Afghan population, learning English will be especially challenging.
"It's not like one of the romance languages like French, Spanish and Italian, it's going to be a completely different script they're going to have to learn, and some of them may not be literate in their language in the sense that they might not know how to write it or they might not know how to read it but they know how to speak it," said Dastagir.
But leaders from Water for Ishmael say they're prepared to start from zero when it comes to English comprehension. Things that native English speakers take for granted, like the English alphabet, will have to be taught from scratch.
Struggles in communication won't be their only issue.
"They're gonna face challenges like discrimination and Islamophobia, I don't think in some spaces they won't be welcomed, but fortunately here in Toledo we have organizations like Welcome TLC who are focused on trying to help refugees who are coming and that they are welcomed," said Dastagir.
And as the refugees work to develop their skills in a new language, the greater Toledo community can help as well.
"As Americans living here in the States, I think it's important for us to kind of be understanding when we come across people for whom English is their second language, I think it's our duty to kind of help them and guide them to the right path," said Dastagir.
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