Vision
Noun | Ref·u·gee : a person who has been forced to leave their country in order to escape war, persecution, or natural disaster.
"Break the Silence" envisions a society that is compassionate and understanding of refugee experiences in America.
“Break the Silence” is a collaborative campus-wide awareness campaign about refugee awareness & displacement, bringing together speakers, panelists, and critical discussions to UC Irvine in order to inspire social action. A portion of the proceeds raised will help fund scholarships for local refugee youth and help to sustain programming led by the community-based 501c3, The Tiyya Foundation.
"Break the Silence" envisions a society that is compassionate and understanding of refugee experiences in America.
“Break the Silence” is a collaborative campus-wide awareness campaign about refugee awareness & displacement, bringing together speakers, panelists, and critical discussions to UC Irvine in order to inspire social action. A portion of the proceeds raised will help fund scholarships for local refugee youth and help to sustain programming led by the community-based 501c3, The Tiyya Foundation.
The Team
Stella Liu backpacked through Cambodia and was impacted by the stories told first hand by the local people there about the Khmer Rouge’s violent rule over the country. Upon returning home, she was inspired to raise awareness about such destructive events that happen around the world. This campaign is the seed idea of a larger ambition to make “Break the Silence” an annual program where multiple student organizations come and break the silence about social issues and marginalized communities that are often overlooked. This year, partnering with Fresh START, will be focused on bringing to light the refugee story.
My name is Jessenia Garcia. I am a Student at UCI studying Psychology and Social Behavior. I joined Break the Silence after becoming inspired by Stella's vision about raising awareness for refugees. I have been involved with fundraising for Fresh START and have recently become a family mentor for Tiyya. I anticipate that together we can raise awareness about topics concerning the refugee population in Orange County and around the world. |
My name is Hoang-Ly Do, but my friends know me by my nickname, Lili. I am the first generation born in America to Vietnamese refugees. My parents and their families came to the United States at the end of the Vietnam War in 1975 and have lived here ever since. I am currently a third-year studying Psychology at UC Irvine. After listening to Stella’s idea for this awareness campaign, I knew I felt very strongly about this topic because my parents had gone through the same situation as many of the refugees today. In my own way, I try to help as much as I can by being a tutor and a volunteer for Fresh S.T.A.R.T. at UCI and Tiyya. I think Break The Silence is spreading an important message and raises awareness about people’s stories that are invisible or unknown to the public. By bringing them to the forefront, we portray the life and experience of a refugee and hopefully ignite change and action in our community.
My name is Cathy Roe, and I come from a family of resilient refugees. Having graduated last June, I currently work for Osterkamp Transportation, Inc. and regularly volunteer with The Tiyya Foundation in Santa Ana. I discovered my passion for the refugee experience two years ago, while studying as an English major at UCLA. Through what seemed like a beautiful twist of fate, I was fortunate enough to land an internship with Tiyya in the summer of 2013. From this experience, I fell in love with community-based work helping refugees. At the beginning of this year, I discovered Stella Liu's refreshing awareness campaign, Break the Silence, through my connection with Tiyya's student organization, Fresh Start at UCI. Immediately, I knew this was a crucial movement that I wanted to be a part of. Now an Outreach Coordinator for Break the Silence, I am so excited to bring awareness about refugee issues to my local community in Orange County.
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My name is Sri Ravipati and I am a Tiyya Social Media Intern. I study Literary Journalism at the University of California, Irvine, where I am also an editor for the New University, the campus newspaper. As a writer and humanitarian, I am passionate about fostering a community that is inclusive of people from all backgrounds. Before Tiyya, I was unaware of how many refugees exist in Orange County. Since joining Tiyya's team, my eyes and heart have opened to the refugee experience. I have seen the resilience and persistence refugees possess firsthand and hope to raise awareness of their stories. I heard about the "Break the Silence," an incredibly important refugee awareness campaign, and help with the website.
My name is Elizabeth Koppe and I am an undergraduate at the University of California, Irvine studying Philosophy and Psychology. I am a member of the Olive Tree Initiative (a conflict analysis program), I am a Dalai Lama Fellow, and I volunteer with the Tiyya Foundation. I am passionate about ethical leadership, and social innovation. I have met many refugees and I have seen how traumatic it is to have to leave their home in a crisis. The Tiyya foundation eases their transition to flourish in their new home. “Break the Silence” is a series of events fostering community around refugee families living in Orange County. The refugee experience brings global conflicts right to our front door, and it is a wonderful opportunity to engage with a community of incredible individuals who have had humbling and even traumatic experiences. The OC community can support them as they serve as an inspiration to us all.
"Break the Silence" is sponsored by the Tiyya Foundation and the Pollination Project. Fresh START (Students Together Aiding Refugees Today), the Cambodia Awareness Organization, the Cross-Cultural Center, Students for Global Peacebuilding and ASUCI's Speakers and Debate Commission have all taken action to become a part of the week. For more information, check out the organizations below.
With a name derived from the Oromo word for “My Dear” or “My Love,” the Tiyya Foundation (Tiyya) is a grassroots 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to providing refugees of all backgrounds with the basic material, educational, and emotional support required to integrate into the communities of Orange County, California. Tiyya currently assists more than 575 refugees from 162 families, many of them escaping persecution in Central America, Burma, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan and Somalia. Tiyya uses a holistic approach to provide transitional assistance for families with the goal of empowering refugee youth to overcome the obstacles associated with social integration by building social support systems among refugee youth and working with parents to provide a healthy environment for their children. For more information: www.tiyya.org