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 Our latest guest blogger is Kimberly Henricks, who is currently Secretary/Treasurer of I-Squared, the Young Friends Network of the International Institute. She has her own blog called Everybody Loves Cheese, where she discusses her culinary adventures.

¡Provecho! 

Each month, the i-Squared Dinner Club makes a pilgrimage to an international restaurant in St. Louis to experience cuisines and cultures from around the world, educate ourselves about the happenings of the International Institute, and serve by making a small donation to help welcome new Americans to our fair city.   

We recently visited Mango, a very lovely Peruvian restaurant in Shrewsbury. Awaiting us on the table were “cancha & chifles.” We learned that cancha are salty, fried corn kernels, and chifles are salty chips made from plantain. They were served with a very tasty creamy pesto and spinach dipping sauce. Everyone enjoyed them and wished we could have eaten them all night.  From there, many interesting and tasty Peruvian dishes were ordered, and everyone agreed that the food — all made from fresh ingredients and served with spicy, sweet, and imaginative sauces — was excellent. Of course, a Peruvian meal isn’t complete without a Pisco Sour, a popular drink in Peru, made with pisco (a liquor distilled from grapes), sugar, syrup, key lime juice, and a whipped egg white. Many of us were a bit leery of the egg white, but it worked very well … we all agreed that this was a great cocktail!   

Aside from learning about (and enjoying!) Peruvian cuisine, the i-Squared Dinner Clubbers also learned about the new International Institute community garden from Paul Costigan, Vice President and Director of Employment at the Institute. This new project aims to promote self-sufficiency, build community, and promote healthy eating among the refugees and their families. A select group of refugees from various nations will be responsible for the maintenance and growth of the garden, but of course, volunteers are always needed to help ensure that this project succeeds. 

All in all, it was a great meal, and any time you’re with the i-Squared Dinner Club, you’ll learn something new. Maybe you can join us next month?

This post is from a guest blogger, Bree DeGraw, who is I-Squared’s Social Committee Co-chair.

Since I moved to St. Louis almost 10 months ago, the main thing which has impressed me the most are the number of non-profits and their involvement with the community. The one with which I had the most interest right from the start is the International Institute of St. Louis. I was introduced to the Institute by one of my first friends in the city, who happened to be from the Czech Republic. We attended Immigration 101 where I met many other wonderful people who I now consider to be close friends. What I learned that night opened my eyes immensely.  

Immediately after attending Immigration 101, I became involved with the Young Friends Group of the Institute. I jumped right in by helping on an immigrant fishing field trip. I met people from around the world and by far it has been one of my favorite lifetime experiences.  

Last week, I was able to help out at the Institute’s annual Thanksgiving Dinner for immigrants and their families. 

Seeing the faces of these new Americans and their joy as they expressed the phrase “Happy Thanksgiving” to one another got me thinking. Why are we not as thankful as these people? Why do we not appreciate our freedoms as they do? 

Through these experiences and in the interactions I have had with the immigrants I see a whole new side to immigration, their side. I doubt I will ever have to hide in a bunker below my house while missiles are exploding overhead, or be walking to the store and as I top the next hill here rolls a tank, or be sent away from my home at a tender age because my parents want to protect me from war and invest in my future and perhaps even be told to “never return”.  

Some people think they are coming here to steal our jobs, ruin our schools, ruin our economy, and raise crime rates in our cities. But for the most part, these people undergo a very lengthy process to enter our country because they are fleeing the persecution they are facing in their “home”. Some have lost their families, some have lost their dignity, and others are trying to find something better to “invest in their future”.  

Get involved, support immigrant owned businesses, experience other cultures, and meet immigrants.

Many people in the community ask me how they can help make life better for immigrants and refugees in St. Louis. My answer always is - there are lots of ways to help! You can, of course, volunteer at the International Institute. There are many opportunities available for all skill levels. Also, there are many ways you can help in your everyday life. First of all, you can educate yourself on immigration issues, including finding out if what you hear is fact or fiction. You can also tell others about what you learn. You can write a blog, like this one, and encourage discussion between your peers about the issues. By helping your new American neighbors, you make our entire community better.

Ghandi said, “We must be the change we wish to see in the world.” Be a myth-buster for immigrants, write a letter to your elected officials, teach English to newcomers – whatever you do – BE the change!

So, let’s talk about you… what are you doing to make life better for immigrants and refugees in St. Louis?