Amineh Ayyad Reporting on the Intercultural and Intergenerational Community Storytelling Festival in Seattle

Transforming the former Chinese Boys detention dormitory at the decommissioned Immigration and Naturalization Services (INS) building created a new space to share profound experiences by local immigrants and refugees and for the diverse communities of the State of Washington to come together and know one another through traditional stories, adapted tales and personal narratives and legacies. Over 30 storytellers and community leaders and members and children told stories, and about 400 attended the festival.  We would like to extend our deepest gratitude to all of our storytellers, volunteers, co-sponsors and children who made the storytelling festival possible and a huge success!  Special thanks to Sam Farazaino, Principal at Inscape for inviting me to participate in Passages (the kick-off celebration of the building) and for dedicating this historic building for art and cultural programs. Such dedication is indeed the most meaningful for this old federal Immigration and Naturalization Services building. This past weekend, on October 16th and 17th, the INS building was reopened and rechristened as an arts and culture center called Inscape.  

I (Amineh), my family and friends, and many of the festival's storytellers, including Buddhist Reverend Guo Cheen, Mohammad Fani, Sheikh Jamal Rahman and Dieu-Hien Hoang are immigrants who have had direct experiences in this building.  I became an American citizen in this building. This has opened new doors and brought new possibilities into my life, also new challenges.  I have also been an advocate for many immigrants and re-settled refugees who were detained for months in the room where we held the storytelling festival, which used to be the old detention dorm.  

Here is a short article with fabulous Photos from Passages at Inscape and "You Who Stand in the Doorway, Come in" community storytelling festival.

More photo albums:

Day One

Day One & Two

Preparation

Rebecca Mabanglo-Mayor tells stories about immigrants from the Philippines

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Kelvin Saxton

Dough Banner, Festival Host Amineh Ayyad, Rebecca Mabaanglo-Mayor and Kelvin Saxton

Reverend Steven Greenebaum and Elizabeth Dunham

 

 

Mohammad Fani shares the story of Camp Brotherhood

Dr. B. J. Prashantham brings his global work in healing trauma and traditional tales from Vellore, India locally

Raja Atallah, Founder of the Arab Center of Washington recalls his experiences at the INS building

Masaru Kibukawa

Rabbi James Louis Mirel brings lessons from the story of Yusuf to the present and speaks about greed and truth

Reverend Guo Cheen on compassion and healing

Compassionist Jon Ramer

 

Sam Farazaino, Inscape Principal removes the door to the detention dormitory where the festival was held.

Enjoy.  Amineh