Philadelphia Celebrates World Refugee Day
by Dan Wing
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Philadelphia marked World Refugee Day with a celebration at City Hall Saturday afternoon.
Celebrating with song, dance, arts, and crafts - groups of refugees from around the world that now call the Philadelphia area home got to share their experience and culture.
A group of Syrian Refugees were among the groups celebrating, and through an interpreter, Ennis says the festival is very comforting.
"I feel extremely happy today. It's very nice to see people from all over, and also I feel very happy that I'm with my family. I never felt I'm a stranger here. I feel I'm a part of this big community. I'm a part of this city," he said.
Matouse is a Congolese refugee, and he says the festival is a nice change of pace.
"We are smiling, we are laughing, which is not the usual," said Matouse.
Juliane Romic with the Nationalities Service Center says the festival is designed to help build relationships between Americans and the refugees.
"We've had people who have taken photos with refugees, and to learn more about the refugee experience, and to learn more about who they are," she said.
More than 100,000-refugees have made Pennsylvania their home in the past 40-years according to the Pennsylvania Immigration and Citizenship Center.