As the Syrian war rages on, the Rohingya's ethnic cleansing continues, the war in Yemen drags on, the conflict in South Sudan shows no sign of stopping, many refugees have been left with little to nowhere to go.
There have been debates on whether America should open its doors to more refugees, with one side arguing that we have more than enough non-citizens in the country already, and the other side recommending the U.S. show a little solidarity.
One charity, Oxfam, is showing its solidarity in a unique way: by opening up the doors of President Donald Trump’s childhood home to refugees. Of course, this move is a super loaded one given Trump’s infamous Muslim ban and his stance on DACA.
How did Oxfam go about getting the house ready?
Why, Airbnb, of course!
According to the Huffington Post, the nonprofit rented the five-bedroom Tudor-style property in Queens, New York via the popular home-sharing app.
Oxfam furnished the home with a “Refugees Welcome” doormat, which sat alongside Trump memorabilia.
The home currently is providing a safe space to four people who fled conflict and persecution in Syria, Vietnam and Somalia. Trump reportedly lived in the home until he was four years old, according to the New York Times.
#Trump's childhood home becomes showcase for refugees: https://t.co/HZvLEjoQzO#RefugeesWelcome pic.twitter.com/1oR8Ochlvj— Oxfam International (@Oxfam) September 18, 2017
Oxfam posted a YouTube video to create awareness around the ongoing refugee crisis, which featured the Queens home's visitors sharing their definition on “the American dream.”
The video was posted just in time for this week’s United Nations General Assembly.
Oxfam America’s humanitarian department director, Shannon Scribner, said the video was made to “send a message to Trump but also world leaders that they need to do more to help refugees.”
“A cornerstone of the founding values of the U.S. was to offer oppressed people refuge from violence and persecution,” Oxfam’s said in a statement on their website. “Now as Americans, we must open our minds, hearts and communities to vulnerable refugees who are seeking a safe place to call home.”
