Named in honor of the brave interpreters and translators who received Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs) for their service alongside U.S. troops in Iraq or Afghanistan, SIV Sips show new Americans that they are part of a community, and veterans that their work isn't done just because they've taken off their uniforms.
Mansoor served as a political and cultural advisor for the U.S. military, and then as a program officer for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and other civil projects in Afghanistan. As a result of his work with the United States, he received death threats from the Taliban. Fearing for his life, he applied for a Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) and arrived in the United States with his wife in September 2017.
Mansoor first found Vets for American Ideals through a career fair, and then attended an SIV Sip to connect with other SIV recipients and veterans. As he and his wife have moved and changed jobs in the Washington, D.C. area, Mansoor continues to come to Sips for the community experience they offer. Through Sips, he built friendships and a stronger network, received career advice and support as he assumed his current role as a program officer for an international nonprofit based in northern Virginia, and found opportunities to tell his story—for example, through Vets for American Ideals’ Service to Stage storytelling event.
Shno is a Kurdish Iraqi who came to the United States in October 2016 through the Iraqi Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program, which supports Iraqis who are in danger as a result of their work with the U.S. military. Shno’s husband had been a translator for the U.S. military, while she served on State Department Reconciliation Projects in Kurdistan Iraq as well as on refugee and internally displaced people assistance projects with the United Nations.
Shno attended the very first SIV Sip in Falls Church, Virginia and continues to be one of the project’s most regular attendees, often bringing her husband and their 15-year-old daughter with her. Shno has come out of her shell since the first Sip, openly talking about her life in Iraq, networking with other attendees, and engaging with VFAI in other projects, for example, by participating in an MLK Jr. Day event featuring veterans and refugees talking about the importance of service.
Shno currently works in project management for a health company, providing Arabic content for the culturally diverse organization. She hopes to also volunteer with Human Rights First by offering translation services in translation in the hopes of gaining experience in project management.
I participated in two SIV Sips events in Richmond, and plan to attend more in the future. The Starbucks district manager who hosted us has been absolutely supportive and went out of her way to make the events successful. While I have advocated for the SIV program for a number of years, I had only met a few SIV recipients—until these Sips. Unknown to me, Richmond has a significant number of SIV recipients, some are fairly new Americans and some have been here for over 4 years. Gatherings like these allow me to join a very diverse group of people who advocate and support each other in one way or another. In addition, starting conversations with those who I likely would not have had the opportunity to meet allows me to support those who have provided support to this country. It also lets me establish new contacts with other like-minded organizations such as the International Rescue Committee and ReEstablish Richmond.
-- Tony Clapp, US Navy Veteran
Atlanta has truly vibrant refugee and veteran communities. So, events like SIV Sips are great opportunities for the two to come together and learn more about each other. It’s in these shared spaces that we grow together and learn to overcome any misunderstandings or stereotypes we may of have the other. I’m so grateful that Starbucks has partnered with Veterans for American Ideals on this project and I know that the more we events we do, the more divides we’ll be able to conquer.
Starbucks has been absolutely amazing and has welcomed us with open arms. At first we weren’t sure how it would turn out, whether anyone would show up, but with Starbucks help, we organized something really special. We held severals Sips over last year, and dozens of veterans, refugees, and Special Immigrant Visa holders came together and bonded over cups of coffee.
