Ṣawt صوت – For Refugees, By Refugees, About Refugees
Ṣawt: An Oral History of Resettlement Campuses (Ṣawt) is an oral history project that seeks to record, share, and amplify the voices and experiences of refugees hosted by colleges and universities under unique circumstances – not as students, but as community members.
Ṣawt means “voice” in Arabic.
Comix
Some of the oral histories have been creatively adapted into a comix format, bring stories to life through powerful visuals and storytelling.
Comix by Josh Neufeld.
In Their Own Words
With the informed consent of participants, interview transcripts have been adapted here in narrative form for clarity and efficiency with a commitment to retaining the intended meaning. Artwork by Zakia Anwar.
Read the individual interviews below or find the combined PDF version here.
Tip Sheets
Throughout its various stages, Ṣawt was guided by an Advisory Group composed of individuals in the higher education and refugee resettlement spaces as well as refugees formerly hosted by colleges and universities. Together, the group developed three tip sheets that offer heartfelt advice from interviewed refugees to new arrivals as well as hosting campuses, and a tip sheet for individuals embarking on similar oral history projects.
Participating Campuses
The refugees interviewed for Ṣawt were hosted by ten campuses across the US.
- Agnes Scott College in Decatur, Georgia
- Guilford College in Greensboro, North Carolina
- James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia
- Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania
- Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Oklahoma
- Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia
- Russell Sage College in Troy, New York
- University of Tulsa in Tulsa, Oklahoma
- Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
- Washington State University in Pullman, Washington

Ṣawt Interviewers
For this project, a team of three former refugees interviewed eighteen (18) refugees who are diverse in age, country of origin, gender, and spoken language.

Zakia Anwar
Zakia Anwar, originally from Afghanistan, arrived in Arizona in 2021 and is currently an undergraduate computer science student at Arizona State University. She works as an IT technician at ASU, applying her technical skills while pursuing her studies. Passionate about art and graphic design, she enjoys drawing in her free time.
As a co-community researcher with ECAR, Zakia conducted interviews, ensured accurate English-Dari translations, and engaged deeply with refugee experiences. Through this work, she built meaningful connections, gained insights into the challenges refugees face, and saw firsthand the impact of ECAR’s support in cultural orientation, mentorship, and community-building. Her experience reinforced the importance of providing not just financial aid but also educational opportunities and professional networks for refugees striving to rebuild their lives.

Noor Ghazi
Noor holds two Master’s degrees—one in Arabic Language and Linguistics from California University of Pennsylvania and another in Peace and Conflict Studies from UNC-Greensboro. She has also taught Arabic and Humanities at institutions including UNCG, UNC-Chapel Hill, and Durham.
As a former refugee from Iraq, Noor’s passion for refugee advocacy is deeply personal. She and her family fled persecution, spending two years in Syria before resettling in High Point, North Carolina, in 2008. Through her work with ECAR, she has conducted interviews in Arabic, helping document refugee experiences. This project has been a powerful reminder of the challenges refugees face and the importance of community support in their resettlement journey. Noor believes that listening to refugees’ stories is just as crucial as providing services, ensuring a holistic understanding of their experiences and needs.

Blaise Pascal
Blaise Pascal, a refugee from Burundi, was an interviewer for the Ṣawt Oral History Project, conducting interviews in both English and Spanish. He also shared his own experiences, offering a unique perspective on the refugee journey.
For Blaise, the project was an eye-opening experience, allowing him to see different sides of the stories he had lived. He believes in the power of giving voice to those who might not otherwise have a platform, amplifying their experiences to reach a wider audience. His work reinforced the importance of acknowledging the often-unseen supporters in a refugee’s journey and highlighted the deep gratitude many feel for programs like ECAR. Through these conversations, he recognized the shared challenges among refugees and the need to expand support systems to better meet their diverse needs.
Ṣawt Project Members
Ṣawt is funded by an Emerson Collective Fellowship