A FRIEND’S FRANTIC MESSAGE HELPED US MOVE MOUNTAINS
“Please grant my last wish and help my family get back to San Diego.”
It was August of last year, and I sobbed at my desk in Clairemont for my friend Lucky Manan. As I contemplated the urgent message he’d sent from atop a mountain in Afghanistan, eight hours but essentially a world away from his family in Kabul, all I could think about was the great injustice that was occurring.
I thought that surely the U.S. government would send the cavalry to help people like Manan. He was an American resident, and his work with the U.S. in Afghanistan qualified him for an Special Immigrant Visa. He had immigrated to the United States years before, but he had returned in May 2021 to help his family travel to the U.S. safely. People like him, who had come to the U.S. with special immigrant visas to start their lives anew, and tens of thousands of others still waiting for their Special Immigrant Visa applications to be approved, were being left behind.
I thought there must be a plan to help these people who had been awaiting processing for their visa applications for years. I thought that our military and diplomatic leaders must have, somewhere in a classified secure room, the plan for ensuring a swift exit for all Afghans whose lives were now at risk because of action they took in support of our mission there, which was ending after 20 years with a military withdrawal.
I was wrong. There was no cavalry. As the days passed in August, it became apparent that there was no infrastructure or capacity for such a mission, and my friend Lucky’s story was not unique. Americans all over the nation were receiving frantic messages like the one Lucky sent me.
How could my country be leaving behind so many people who faithfully and honorably served beside us? How could we, the most powerful nation in the history of the world, be making liars of every veteran, diplomat, intelligence community professional and aid worker who had put their lives at risk to stand beside us in our mission? To be clear, there was an extraordinary effort underway by both the departments of State and Defense. It just was not enough. After two decades of conflict in Afghanistan, a decimated infrastructure was near helpless in the face of such extreme demand for help. However, in the most American fashion, folks all across the country stood up to help in a grassroots movement with no political agenda to fulfill a collective promise we made as a nation.
That’s how this all started. Almost a year ago, on Aug. 16, the #AfghanEvac Coalition was born.
My friend had been left behind, and I made a promise to help him, and his family, make it safely to San Diego. All over the country, others like me were making similar promises to their friends and family left behind in Afghanistan. A massive volunteer effort was underway. But volunteers were working in isolation, independently. Confusion, duplication of effort and unclear lines of communication all stymied relief efforts even as coordination among the folks who insisted on keeping their word to these individuals was necessary.
That mission, to combine our efforts, in order to make good on our promises was how #AfghanEvac was brought to life.
It started with seven groups on a coordination call, twice daily, and grew swiftly. Today, we are 200 organizations strong, with hundreds of volunteers across the country, with concentrations in California and Washington, D.C.
Over the past year, we built partnerships across the federal government and earned a seat at the table with the decision makers contemplating the best path forward for U.S. policy in Afghanistan. Working hand-in-hand, we’ve helped thousands of Afghans relocate from Afghanistan and resettle here in the U.S. and abroad.
Every couple of weeks, the coalition still gathers to share information as well as community. The people have been the most remarkable part of this work. We’ve had a lot of wins, but the great need remains. There are still thousands of Afghans who need help. So what can we San Diegans do to help?
We need to welcome the more than 3,000 Afghans who have recently arrived here, in the San Diego region, into our neighborhoods. These recent arrivals face difficulties finding affordable housing and employment resources, and adjusting to life in a city far different than what they’ve ever known. I’m confident that Afghan arrivals, like other immigrant communities throughout American history, will work hard, adjust and thrive. As a city, we can help be part of their success story.
We need to make sure our city councils, our county Board of Supervisors and our state legislators are passing resolutions in support of the recently introduced Afghan Adjustment Act, co-sponsored by Rep. Scott Peters, D-San Diego.
New arrivals have been resilient in the face of unimaginable struggles, and they are eager to make a positive difference in their new communities. #AfghanEvac would never have been possible without the selfless work of volunteers. The integration of Afghan individuals into our communities will not be either. We need to show up. Just like Lucky and so many Afghans like him showed up for us. We need to be the good guys.