Immigrant family in Washington welcomes Afghan refugees into their home
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Kenneth and Adi Martinez immigrated to the United States from Mexico in 2011, and when given the opportunity to help a family of four who recently fled Afghanistan, they jumped at the chance.
"We know exactly what it feels like to come to a brand new county with no family or anything," Kenneth told Good Morning America. "We know it can be difficult, and in the case [of Afghan refugees], it's very difficult."
The government expects tens of thousands of Afghan refugees will come to the United States over the next year, and resettlement agencies are working with organizations and individuals like Kenneth and Adi to help the refugees find housing, jobs, schools, and medical care.
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Kenneth, Adi, and their two small children live in the Seattle area, and offered their spare bedroom to the family from Afghanistan. Over the last month, they have been getting to know one another and their respective cultures, with the adults cooking and the kids playing together. Kenneth and Adi are helping the family get adjusted to life in the U.S., and bought them shoes and coats to prepare for the winter.
"Even though we may think we don't have a lot, we have an extra bedroom, we have the means and the resources and the ability to help," Kenneth told GMA. "We are happy that we can help."
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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
