Berkeley's 1951 Coffee Company, Where the Baristas Are Refugees
As the global community reacts to President Trump's new travel bans on refugees and immigrants from seven Muslim-majority nations, we're featuring stories from several refugees and exploring the history of refugee policy and public attitudes about these newcomers through a California lens. First, we visit a brand new cafe in Berkeley. The baristas are all refugees, and the name -- 1951 Coffee Company -- refers to the 1951 Refugee Convention. It defines who refugees are and the protections nations must give them. It was signed by 145 nations in the aftermath of World War II.
Syrian Family Puts Down New Roots in Oakland
One of the baristas at the cafe is a recent arrival. Batool has been in the United States just under two years. She's learning about coffee, but also about customer service and California culture. We went to her family's home in Oakland, to talk with her parents and get the story behind their 7,000-mile journey from Syria to the San Francisco Bay Area.
Vietnamese Author Shares Stories of Southeast Asian Refugee Families, Including His Own
Viet Thanh Nguyen was four years old when he fled his home country. He is among the hundreds of thousands of refugees who came to the United States after the Vietnam War. The Southern California author won the 2016 Pulitzer prize for his novel "The Sympathizer." He talks with host Sasha Khokha about his newest book, a collection of short stories called "The Refugees."
Jewish Man Who Fled Nazis Reflects on Layered History of U.S. Refugee Policy
In December, 1945, President Harry Truman issued a directive allowing displaced people from Europe to come to the United States. But it wasn't only for humanitarian reasons. The U.S. was concerned about geo-political stability in Europe. Truman's decision to accept those refugees came just in time for 95-year-old Ben Stern of Berkeley. He was one of the passengers on the SS Marine Flasher, the very first ship carrying Holocaust survivors to arrive in the U.S. after the war.
