OLYMPIA — Daviana Ramos Yanez took a boat to Trinidad and Tobago in 2019. She left behind her life in Venezuela amid adverse political and economic conditions. But after arriving at her new home, she faced even more uncertainty.
Rather than stay, she applied to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees for resettlement in 2020. To her great surprise, the United States accepted her case in 2022 and she was on a plane to Washington state in July.
“When they told me the news, that I was going to Seattle, you couldn’t imagine the emotion I felt,” Yanez said. “I cried with happiness.”
Yanez landed at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport where Natalie Teabo welcomed her. Teabo is the Thurston County Resettlement Manager for World Relief Western Washington, a non-profit Christian organization that opened a Thurston County office in March.
WRWW helped Yanez, 25, settle in Olympia. Nowadays, she works as a cook at Cynara Restaurant and Lounge on Columbia Street. The Olympian spoke with Yanez in Spanish and translated her quotes for this article.
Teabo said Yanez is one of over 40 people her office has resettled in Thurston County through September. About 75 more are expected in the current fiscal year, which began in October, she added.
“It’s been a challenge and yet it’s also a very welcoming community,” Teabo said. “Because we’re smaller, we have a more hands on approach with our families and that’s been a great benefit to us and to them.”
WRWW has two other offices, a larger one in Kent and another in Bellingham that opened in 2021. Executive Director Medard Ngueita said WRWW expanded into Thurston County because they saw an opportunity to bring immigrants to another part of the state.
“We see in Thurston County a community that is welcoming, that wants to grow and be much more diverse,” Ngueita said. “A community that is willing to have other people come over and to be together.”
The decision to open an office in Olympia also had a political element. Ngueita said WRWW believes in advocating for the people they serve no matter what their status.
“Being in the backyard of elected officials to continue this advocacy work is a key strategic point of making the decision to be in Olympia,” Ngueita said.
Yanez’s journey to Olympia
Yanez said she left Venezuela at a time when inflation was especially high and the government threatened dissidents. She chose to go to Trinidad and Tobago to be with a now ex-partner who she met online.
The arrangement did not last. Yanez said her ex-partner assaulted her and prevented her from contacting her family. One day, she saw an opportunity to flee.
“Thank god that day he left the back door open, and that’s how I could escape,” Yanez said.
Though she escaped, Yanez said she still felt afraid. She said she hid from her ex-partner as well as the local authorities who were arresting undocumented immigrants.
She waited three years in Trinidad and Tobago while her resettlement application was being processed, first by UNHCR and then the United States. During that time, she went through numerous interviews and even found a husband she hopes can join her in Olympia.
“Every day, I asked God to help me in this process,” Yanez said. “I did not want to bring my relatives to Trinidad and Tobago because it was too dangerous… I chose to come here, to go through this alone, but always with God.”
For now, she continues to cook for Cynara and sends money back to her family in Venezuela. She said she dreams of one day opening her own restaurant with an international menu.
“I’ve always wanted to be an international chef,” Yanez said. “I love my job and I want to continue studying this career at (South Puget Sound Community College).”
How does WRWW support refugees and asylees?
Once Yanez was selected for resettlement in Thurston County, the WRWW office in Olympia got to work. Yanez said Teabo and her office helped her get an apartment, enroll in English language classes, apply for a job and more.
“I have no complaints,” Yanez said. “They were always there. Whenever I had a question, they answered me. It was incredible.”
Teabo said her office must comply with various requirements from the federal government, such as securing housing and providing culturally appropriate meals for new arrivals.
“The two things for sure we have to have is a meal and a safe place for them to stay that’s already been checked,” Teabo said.
In the first few months, WRWW helps them get their social security cards, enroll their children in schools, set up medical appointments among various other things, Teabo said.
Ngueita knows what that process is like as well. He and his family were granted political asylum in the United States after moving from Chad.
World Relief helped them get their footing in 2007. After reflecting on that experience, he chose to work for the organization and climb its ranks so he could walk alongside other participants like him.
“I see it as a humbling opportunity to be part of the organization and to speak encouraging words to those who are building a new life in the community,” Ngueita.
As a Christian organization, Ngueita said their faith informs their values, but it does not dictate who they support.
“We see people from all backgrounds, all religious beliefs” Ngueita said. “We respect it. We want to take them to places where they can pray.”
What can the community do to help?
Refugees and asylees are eager to integrate into their local community but often face many barriers, said Annie Frisbie, Director of Strategic Advancement at WRWW.
“They’re simply striving to secure employment as swiftly as they can, all in the hopes of rebuilding their family’s foundation as fast as possible.” Frisbie said.
For example, those who don’t know English can struggle to get hired even if they have more than enough education and experience, she said. Finding affordable housing for participants can be difficult too, she added.
Frisbie said WRWW needs local partners to help overcome those barriers as well as volunteers and donations. Potential partners can include individuals, local real estate managers, landlords, banks, businesses, schools and more.
“We are steadfastly dedicated to establishing communities where the moment a refugee arrives, there’s someone well-acquainted with the area, eager to guide them to grocery stores, bus lines, parks, libraries, and other community spaces,” Frisbie said. “It’s within these connections that we bridge the gaps.”
Refugees and asylees are more than just their labels, Ngueita said. He stressed that they are all human beings with the ability to give back to their new communities. Walking alongside them, he added, leads to a “mutually transformative relationship.”
“As we build relationships with them, we get transformed and they get transformed because we learn something from each other,” Ngueita said. “It’s a two-way street.”
Yanez echoed that sentiment. She said she hopes others can see the humanity in refugees and asylees such as herself.
“If we left our country, it is because our lives were at risk and we want to continue moving forward into the future,” Yanez said.
