America’s 20-year war in Afghanistan has come to an abrupt close, with the Taliban swiftly taking control of Kabul, the country’s largest city. Photos and videos of desperate Afghans clinging to military cargo planes and clamoring into the airport flooded social media. The images have triggered an outpouring of interest in assisting the Afghan people displaced by the turbulence.
On Aug. 31, the L.A. County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to create an Afghan Refugee Task Force to provide support for Afghans arriving in L.A. County. Even for those lucky enough to make it onto a plane chartered for America, resettling in the United States requires more than alighting on American soil. Refugees face the tall order of finding housing, a job, and other resources, often while navigating a language and cultural barrier.
