Episode 8: Meymuna Hussein-Cattan
“I think many refugees believe that they're going to go back home. Now they are realizing that temporary is turning into permanent.”
Meymuna Hussein-Cattan
A Beacon for the Displaced
How do refugees plant roots in unfamiliar ground to mark new beginnings? Their journeys, filled with resilience and hope, often pivot around finding opportunity and community, and one person on that path can make all the difference. Meymuna Hussein-Cattan is a beacon for the displaced.
Meymuna was born in an Ethiopian refugee camp in Somalia and relocated to Southern California with her family when she was three. She turned her early life challenges into a force for change, becoming a grassroots community organizer in Orange County, California. In 2010, she and her mother started the Tiyya Foundation, which means love in their native Oromo language. They help refugees, displaced indigenous people, and low-income immigrant households find housing, livable wages, and connections to the community. Six years ago, Meymuna founded Flavors From Afar, a social enterprise restaurant. It hosts Tiyya's culinary program featuring refugee cooks and celebrates cultural exchange through food. In 2022, Meymuna was named a Top 10 CNN Hero. She has said: "All refugees are alchemists and transform a sense of loss into something beautiful.”
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Transcript
(Edited slightly for clarity)
Melissa Ceria: Meymuna Hussein-Cattan, welcome.
Meymuna Hussein-Cattan: Thank you. Thank you so much for having me.
Melissa Ceria: Meymuna, your work is so deeply connected to your personal history as a refugee. What are some of your earliest memories of how your family settled in California?
Meymuna Hussein-Cattan: This interview actually falls on a special day for me. February 13th is when my mother and I arrived in the United States and reunited with my dad in San Diego, and that was in 1984. So, I'm now celebrating 40 years since leaving the camp. And it's an honor to be here. Although I was really young, you know, during the camp experience, I do know by witnessing my family's journey that it took them a few decades to really feel at home in this country and to feel rooted and grounded. I think many refugees globally really believe that when things are better, they're going to go back home like it's this temporary loss. And I think many now are realizing that temporary is turning into permanent.
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Melissa Ceria [00:02:29] Did you grew up in a neighborhood that welcomed other refugees?
Meymuna Hussein-Cattan [00:02:32] So we were here in 1984, in Orange County. So we, you know, reunited with dad in San Diego, moved to Orange County, and at that time it was just orange groves, pretty rural, quiet neighborhoods and families that all looked like each other. They didn't look like us. We were lucky because prior to our arrival, there was a large influx of refugees from Vietnam. So I think the resources were there to help people who were displaced. But I don't know if it was culturally fitting for my mom, who felt out of place as this young Ethiopian girl, you know, she was early 20s, just trying to navigate, just simple things like figuring out the the public system. You know, she has this very long tale of how she got lost on the bus. And the bus driver was really kind and helped her find her way home. But I can only imagine how terrifying that was.
Melissa Ceria [00:03:26] How many young children did she have at the time?
Meymuna Hussein-Cattan [00:03:29] I'm the oldest. So when we came to the States and I have now three younger sisters. Yeah. And we're all, couldn't be more different from each other.
Melissa Ceria [00:03:40] And did your family maintain traditions from Ethiopia while adapting to life in the U.S.? Do you have memories of cooking, celebrations, traditions that were an important part of your upbringing here?
Meymuna Hussein-Cattan [00:03:54] Yeah, absolutely. So it wasn't easy for my mom to always find the ingredients that she needed, but she always adapted and made sure that she kept and preserved both Ethiopian cuisine and Somali food at home. They were former refugees from Ethiopia. Both my parents fled in 75 as kids and they met on a refugee camp. My dad was probably 15. My mom was 12. So by the time I was born, she was 17-years-old. But there was this sense of, like, adaptability to the local culture. I think Somalia at the time was very accepting of local refugees and just being resourceful with providing, you know, education or temporary employment. But it wasn't a permanent deal. It was through the UNHCR, and it was just understood that people will be resettled. I know average wait time back then was maybe 17 years. Now it's much longer where these spaces have now turned into stateless cities.
Melissa Ceria [00:05:03] And you mentioned just a moment ago that there were not a lot of people like you in your neighborhood. Did you encounter misconceptions about your home culture and how did you address, or did you have to educate others about where you came from?
Meymuna Hussein-Cattan [00:05:19] Even as kids, I think we all know the stories of not understanding each other's names and making fun of people's names, or not understanding food and having commentary about what an immigrant kid will bring in their school box. Yeah, so there was this constant feeling of isolation and then going home and not really knowing how to communicate that with my parents that were also facing the same obstacles in public spaces. It wasn't until maybe the mid or late 90s that other East African families started to arrive to the area. They were already being resettled in San Diego. We know that they were families in LA, but Orange County in particular was unique. My mom was thrilled. That's when she started volunteering and supporting local refugees that needed, you know, help with translation, acquiring basic necessities. She was just a very resourceful woman and, you know, always giving and paying it forward. And what I learned from her and that I really admire is she would just show up to people's homes, you know, knock on their door. Just something you hear about back home. Where here we have to schedule appointments to see each other. She was still able to kind of have like that back-home vibe and relationship with refugees, no matter what country they came from. She would just knock on their door, come inside, sit down, see how they're doing, check in on them, have a cup of tea together. And that was just her style of case management.
Melissa Ceria [00:06:46] I'm sure that people really benefited from her warmth and welcome. I want to go back to something you said a little bit earlier, which is that you would come home and you felt isolated in your own space. Presumably you're talking about school, and then you would go home, but you didn't want to impose that on your parents. What was that like for you sort of leading life on two tracks.
Meymuna Hussein-Cattan [00:07:08] You know, it's so interesting because I thought I was the only one dealing with this. And then I found out later that many immigrant kids were also doing the same thing. But it's this ability to compartmentalize in order to kind of survive your settings around you. And you don't want to impose yourself in any way. And I think for me, I always felt hyper visible as the black girl in the room with the weird name Meymuna, you know? And I remember this. This little boy stood up one day in class, we had a substitute, and he had this whole song about my name, and I was mortified. But everyone else found it funny. It's this feeling of like, you don't want to stand out, but you also want to be seen and valued. It's a really weird space to be in. And I think that's really common for a lot of people who felt like outsiders.
Melissa Ceria [00:08:00] Meymuna, you're the first member in your family to graduate high school. You then earned both a Bachelor's degree and a Master's degree. Did you have a lot of family support as you paved this path for yourself?
Meymuna Hussein-Cattan [00:08:12] Oh, yeah. Absolutely. My parents were very proud of my educational accomplishments. It wasn't always on the timeline that they wanted it to happen. I graduated from UC Irvine, but there was a break that I had to take in between, some courses, but I did the walk for my parents and, you know, did the whole celebration and party and stuff. But I was working three jobs in undergrad, and although my parents were morally supportive and excited for me, they just financially did not have the capacity to help me while I was in school. And there was a point where we had a ton of family that moved in when they were resettled into Orange County, and when they were living at home, I just felt like, okay, if I need to focus on school, you know, maybe I could live with some roommates. But I wasn't prepared for all that living outside of the house and focusing on school. But looking back, I think it really taught me how to be just be really efficient and dedicated and a hard worker. I mean, I was this kid waking up at like 4 in the morning to go work at the gas station. Then I would go do my classwork and take my courses, and then I would go to an afterschool program and then on the weekends work at a coffee shop. And I just got burned out. So I decided I just need one job, 9 to 5. Let me focus and then I'll find my way back to school. So I eventually did and immediately applied for grad school. So from there I went to Antioch, and while I was in grad school, the foundation ended up being my thesis. That was awesome. I think that's what really just changed gears for me and changed my life.
Melissa Ceria [00:09:58] You know, your work ethic is impressive. I mean, it comes through really strongly. And I'm wondering, did you always picture yourself being a leader, an entrepreneur? Did you have an image of your future in your mind?
Meymuna Hussein-Cattan [00:10:12] I am not living the life I thought I was supposed to have, if that makes sense. I just thought that I would get married young. Culturally, I would have kids before I was 30, I'd be at home in our house having dinner parties. I do have dinner parties now, but that was that's just kind of this thing that I imagined. Because culturally, there are these expectations of getting married young, having the kids young, just staying on track and being responsible and all the things. And that wasn't my journey. And, you know, I didn't meet my soulmate, now husband, until I was 30 years old. I now have a one-year-old baby and a six-year-old girl. And I'm really happy. And my friends, they have kids who are graduating from high school right now, very different, very different track from me. And it's so strange because as a child of immigrants, especially the first daughter, I did place a lot of this pressure and expectations on myself to really achieve what they desired for me. But I feel like now, by just following my gut instincts and waiting it out, waiting for that right person and that right moment, and really taking my time with building out my career, I've surpassed their expectations and they're really proud. But it was quite a journey.
Melissa Ceria [00:11:37] It sounds like the cultural threads that you were raised with that ran through your family still played a really important role in your young adult life. And yet at the same time, you were on this fast track doing incredibly well. Meeting expectations of those who believed in you. Then at one point, you came to this crossroads and maybe you had to make a decision.
Meymuna Hussein-Cattan [00:11:57] Yeah. And I think what it was was, do I just follow the traditional path or do I stay economically independent, which is something my parents gave me, as early as age 15 I started working. So between the two, I felt like I wanted to explore my independence more, and that's what I chose. You raised me to be a hard worker, and I've been working since very young, and I can't just, like, give that away. So I think that's something looking back at, I was really proud of myself.
Melissa Ceria [00:12:35] What did you observe in your surroundings that motivated you to start the Tiyya Foundation?
Meymuna Hussein-Cattan [00:12:39] I just noticed when we would go visit people's homes and my mom was dropping off furniture, items and refrigerators, and she's itty bitty, you know, lady-like, climbing stairwells to try to get furniture pieces into people's homes. I felt like she was working really hard, and there had to be a way to help the families have autonomy to buy their own couches. And the kids that are outside playing in courtyards and alleys deserve green spaces. So what could we do? And I remember sitting down and talking to her about some ideas, and we came up with the concept of a soccer program, and that was the first time I was introduced to designing a program. I was always hired to help in nonprofit sectors with programing that already existed. But here I was, with this chance to create a program and did a needs assessment and learned quickly. The kids wanted soccer. The parents wanted the kids to get tutoring. There was this need for like recreational activities. So the very first program my mother launched was called All-Stars Stars Meeting Soccer Tutoring Arts and Recreation. It was really cool. Created in partnership with Soccer Without Borders. They brought out the coaches, we took care of the fields and registering the youth and immediately became popular. And people wanted my mom to be on stages and to talk and tell her story and do Q&As at colleges and do panel discussions. And people wanted to do documentaries of her. By 2012, that triggered her PTSD. Her exact words were, I'm out there, I'm advocating for refugees, and people get to learn from me, and they like my story and they get educated. But then I'm the one that goes home with the nightmares. I'm the one that relives this.
Melissa Ceria [00:14:32] She didn't anticipate having to relive her narrative over and over again. Was this an entirely new feeling for her?
Meymuna Hussein-Cattan [00:14:39] Yeah, I think my mother just always kept it together. Maybe since fleeing war, she's just been on survival mode and didn't want to have one-on-one therapy or group therapy. And she comes from a world where you find therapy through community and through religion and through gardening. But like, you don't want to sit down and talk about it one-on-one. And then it was as she was telling these stories, you can see in her, in her face that she's reliving those moments. But I had no idea what was going on internally until she just couldn't manage it anymore.
Melissa Ceria [00:15:18] Today, you help a number of people in your community. From which countries do most of your community members originate?
Meymuna Hussein-Cattan [00:15:25] Every two years, our demographic changes. Right now, the majority of our families are from Afghanistan. We have families, you know, from different parts of the Middle East, North Africa, Central America, South America, Eastern Europe. We've had an influx right now of families from Ukraine that are registering for our programs. Unfortunately, displacement is a global phenomenon. Because of my family's journey and me being a witness of Mom and Dad's journey, and then seeing how your own story can traumatize you, I try to be very careful with how we market the families journeys and programming and the way we do donor engagement. I think nonprofit for me was a tricky space, especially with working with local refugees. I think it's really easy and inspiring to share messaging and photos of what goes on to people overseas. But I had to be conscious that the families that we work with are also at the grocery store with you. They're in line to hop on that bus. They are applying for that job. They're stuck in traffic with you. So how do you talk about refugees in like, a localized space? That was really tricky. And a promise to myself was if I post anyone's photos, it's going to be images that they want to see on their fridge.
Melissa Ceria [00:16:52] Because to your point, those images of distress are often, I would say, used to elicit empathy in people so that you can really try and make people understand how important this is. But at the same time, you never want to betray somebody's confidence or their desire to rebuild their narrative with a fresh perspective. I imagine you're toggling between those two all the time.
Meymuna Hussein-Cattan [00:17:18] All the time, all the time, even the way that we do our programming now. So I moved away from youth programming. I acquired a government contract to help the families with vocational English classes and job placement, and I learned very early on that government contracts can come and go. So I pivoted and then I created a catering service, Flavors From Afar, that got really popular. And then we opened our brick and mortar restaurant and revitalized the programs because of Covid. And what happened during Covid was this opportunity to see the kids could get all the soccer programming that they want, the families can get all the basic necessities that they want, but the bottom line resources is housing and employment and making sure no one feels isolated. There were families that had no one to call, had no one to call and check in on them if it wasn't for the foundation. That level of isolation, it already exists I think when people resettle into a new country. But then it was heightened. Very much so.
Melissa Ceria [00:18:26] What are some of the other issues that they have to manage when they consider acclimating to life here?
Meymuna Hussein-Cattan [00:18:32] There are nuances in our culture that are hard to explain to someone. I think there's this assumption that you put together your resume and then you submit it, and then you wait, and then you do really good in your interview, and then maybe you get the job. But we tell them that, no, actually, networking is a big part of American culture that no one really talks about. But you need to be out there and you need a network. More than likely, they already knew who they were going to hire before that job was posted. And you want to know someone in that industry beforehand. And by using these tactics, we've helped several people who, you know, back home were pharmacist and didn't know how to transfer over those degrees here, who are back in their industries. And it's by helping them with networking opportunities, inviting them to our donor nights, whatever gatherings that we have. Like it's just it's an open invitation and hopefully you'll show up with your business card or a link to your LinkedIn and you just know how to work the room.
Melissa Ceria [00:19:39] Yeah, because some of the things that we forget or we're not aware of is that there are cultural differences in behavior as well. Right? So for example, in some cultures people don't look elders directly in the eye as a sign of respect. Whereas here in America, if you don't look somebody in the eye that's older than you, let's say in an interview, that comes across as slightly distrustful.
Meymuna Hussein-Cattan [00:20:00] Oh yeah. Or not wanting to shake hands with the opposite gender. There's like little nuances of like the program participants find us rude and then what we find as rude in American culture and then just finding that middle space.
Melissa Ceria [00:20:16] You know, I do want to state that at the end of 2022, a UNHCR report stated that there are about 108.4 million people worldwide forcibly displaced. How many refugees and immigrants do you work with at the Tiyya Foundation?
Meymuna Hussein-Cattan [00:20:33] Currently at the moment, we closed off December 2023. So last year alone we helped 291 families and we're now just over 300. And we're just in February.
Melissa Ceria [00:20:48] And you think that's going to keep climbing?
Meymuna Hussein-Cattan [00:20:50] I think it's going to keep climbing. And I think the numbers we're going to see is going to shift away from traditional refugee journeys into more migrants and asylum seekers. And we've created a program specifically to support migrants and asylum seekers who are starting over in the LA and Orange County area, because there's an uptick in need towards helping this population. Somebody who works in homelessness was telling me that they are anticipating within the next like year or two that maybe like 60% of homelessness will be undocumented immigrants.
Melissa Ceria [00:21:29] That's a very high number. And I'm wondering, how do you navigate the political aspects of refugee support and advocacy, especially in the current climate here in the US?
Meymuna Hussein-Cattan [00:21:42] I think we try our best to stay under the radar. I know there's just like excitement and there's possibility of like scaling and helping more families and educating more people. But then you're also putting yourself at risk with people who are not immigrant-friendly and don't want refugees here and are not welcoming. So we just really work hard at like finding our allies and working closely together and then building trust with the community through word of mouth. Very rarely will you ever see, like a flier made and this announcement to come register for Tiyya's programs. Maybe we'll get there one day, but right now we have to play it smart. And it's unfortunate that I have to say this, but, you know, there's also mass shootings in the United States where people are targeting communities that they feel threatened by. So whenever we have events, we don't announce the address unless this person has confirmed their attendance. We just have to play it smart and really navigate a lot of nuances.
Melissa Ceria [00:22:53] I want to talk about Flavors From Afar, which allows home trained cooks to become chefs and to share their culture with others. Often when refugees come to this country, sometimes it's hard for them to adjust to having a two-person income household. Women who are often mothers have to start working. And so one of the things that is helpful to them is to be able to extend some of their skills as a homemaker into professional opportunities, cooking, being one of them. Can you tell me a little bit about the women in your community?
Meymuna Hussein-Cattan [00:23:28] Yeah, it's wonderful actually. So when we came up with the concept of Flavors From Afar, to be transparent it was not my idea, it was actually guided by local refugees that we worked with, and I was advised to consider food, consider catering. My idea, my concept for a social enterprise would have been like an international tea house or some kind of cafe. You know, keep it simple. You know, it was presented to me. And it's true. It's hard to deny that we work with people from all over the world who have amazing food. And when you came over for case management and visiting, not only did they give you a cup of tea, you had lunch or you had dinner together. And what I love about the flavors of our model is we understand that a lot of these women, we do have men chefs as well, majority women, are the full time caretaker at home. So we asked them to give us the recipes. We do a test kitchen day with them, and the sales are actually their passive income. We're the ones that do the labor on their behalf.
Melissa Ceria [00:24:37] So they can keep caring for their families, while at the same time making some income.
Meymuna Hussein-Cattan [00:24:42] Absolutely.
Melissa Ceria [00:24:43] And I'm sure that you have a lot of people that want to volunteer their recipes, because for the most part, they're very good cooks.
Meymuna Hussein-Cattan [00:24:50] Oh, yeah. You're talking about apprenticeship for generations. You know, you're not only learning your mother's cooking. It's the food that her parents taught her and their parents taught them. Like it's intergenerational. It's indigenous to their regions and cultures. I just love the adaptability part where they come to the States and they realize I don't have all the ingredients I need here, and what could I substitute it with? And it still turns out phenomenal. Really great food.
Melissa Ceria [00:25:21] You said earlier on that your mom had difficulty finding ingredients, but surely it's easier today, right? To find what you need.
Meymuna Hussein-Cattan [00:25:27] It's become easier and not a 100%. I mean, there's a chef we work with right now who's from the DRC, and we cannot find any of these dishes that she grew up with. But we are trying to work around it, trying to be creative, and I'm looking forward to announcing her menu in July.
Melissa Ceria [00:25:49] How does sharing food foster cultural exchange and understanding?
Meymuna Hussein-Cattan [00:25:53] I think that food, it's a neutralizer. I think food, music, art, you know, it really brings people together. It's a space that's neutralizing, but it's also this space that's empowering. You're talking about refugees that we work with who, someone's always translating for them. Sometimes it's their own child, you know, here's your child translating for you at a doctor's appointment. You know, here is your child translating for you at the post office or here is a stranger who's stepping in to help you. But I notice that because it's their recipes, like there's this huge confidence that just beams and shines like, haha, I know something you don't. I get to teach you, and I think because that love that they put into the food, Flavors From Afar became a Michelin Bib Gourmand. And it's been a Top 101 restaurant two years in a row. And I give all the credit to the refugee chefs because it's not our recipes. This is what they presented to us.
Melissa Ceria [00:26:53] You've built this really impressive community through the foundation and through Flavors From Afar. I'm wondering, as a leader, what have you learned and what skills did you need to develop that you didn't yet have?
Meymuna Hussein-Cattan [00:27:09] Oh, wow. I could talk. Present day. I know a big skill that I need is this awareness around just sustaining a trauma informed environment and understanding. You know, I was I was talking to a friend about it who mentioned to me that there's a sense of multi-generational and multicultural trauma that happens. And how do you bring people together and just feel safe. And we've done that by being very, very careful and, taking our time and getting to know the families and building trust. One of our flourishing programs is called Tea and Tots. Before the pandemic, we would do these diaper distributions, and it became very transactional. You know, people would register, they find out we have diapers available for their kids, which, by the way, you can't purchase on EBT cards. So they show up to the office or whatever site, we have to distribute these diapers and then they go home. So we decided, okay, well, you know, people have been quarantined. They've been talking about this sense of loss and disappointment and mental health, seeking mental wellness. How do you help them? So we designed Tea and Tots where the families meet at the park, and the kids could be on a playdate. It's all, you know, supervised families that register for diapers are there. They can pick up the diapers, but they could stay, have have lunch, relax together. And that program has grown. Where now it's its own ecosystem. And you witness this resource sharing and mutual support translation for one another. And that's beautiful. I didn't have that skill or that insight before. I was very, traditional in a sense of we're a nonprofit and we need to help people and let's go help the people and then but then how do you grow that and let the people know each other and interact with another and create trust and friendship and community amongst each other. And it's only taken 14 years, but I see it now very regularly.
Melissa Ceria [00:29:16] As a community leader, I'm wondering if you have a practice that you use, that you rely on to keep building your awareness, to keep becoming an even stronger leader? Is there somebody that mentors you? What's in your toolkit?
Meymuna Hussein-Cattan [00:29:33] My favorite tool in my kit is therapy, so I rely heavily on therapy sometimes, you know, twice a week if I need to. I really advocate for mental wellness and mental health and taking walks and taking breaks. And I'm lucky, you know, I'm very fortunate that I get to work full time with my husband and just having that support system to navigate and game plan each week has been so helpful for me. We've only been working together a couple of years, but it just dramatically changed my wellbeing and the organization in many ways. Just feeling like I don't have to keep work at work like I have someone to talk to at home about these things as well. These are huge, huge issues. You know, you're talking about families that were disappointed when they find out that their degrees didn't transfer over. How do you tell them that money doesn't grow on trees in America? And like, this is a land of opportunity, but you have to make some sacrifices at first or realizing like, okay, you know, we could sign up for these services, but they're not going to help us with diapers. It's constantly humbling. I do my best to not be that leader that's out just taking photos with the people I work with, they're welcome to take pictures of me., but I'm not that person, you know? I like to kind of stay behind the curtains in many ways. And always remember as I'm talking to someone, oh, wow, maybe this is what my dad needed and didn't know how to tell a story. This is what my mom needed and didn't know how to process those feelings. And yeah, I think if I don't do that, I could either burn myself out or I could just stay really sad all day, every day.
Melissa Ceria [00:31:22] It sounds like your personal story is also a tool in your toolkit that allows you to assess and to figure out, am I responding properly? And I would imagine that that requires being a very good listener, observing and as you say, stepping back a little bit so that you notice what's happening around you. Looking to the future, what is your vision for the foundation and the broader landscape of refugee support in our country?
Meymuna Hussein-Cattan [00:31:51] I love that question. I think that what happens to many of us, whether, you know, you were born and raised here for generations or you are newly arrived, you know, maybe 5 or 6 years ago, you just get caught up in life. And then the newer wave of immigrants is always seen as this other, you know, there's this otherness that happens. And I wish that there was more advocacy around how immigrants and immigration is the fabric of the United States. And we have to just acknowledge so many nuances, including indigenous communities, that the foundation does work with as well. And how do you just bring everyone to the table and provide safety? I think we all have the same needs, the same desires that we have for our kids and our families, but it's not always translated as such. The topic of immigration is just, it's not black and white, it's gray. I wish there were more organizations trying to unpack this together.
Melissa Ceria [00:32:58] Meymuna, I wish you much success as you continue to help families put down roots in this country and build strong communities. Thank you for taking the time to talk with me today. I really enjoyed our conversation.
Meymuna Hussein-Cattan [00:33:11] Thank you.