First hour: Afghani interpreters who served the U.S. military share their stories
Second hour: Discussing challenges faced by veterans in the workforce after active duty
On this Veterans Day, we talk with refugees who served the U.S. military as interpreters in Afghanistan and Iraq, and who have come to America on Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs). By law, the SIV process should take no more than nine months, but bureaucracy and backlogs have forced candidates to wait for years. For many interpreters, an SIV is a matter of life and death: interpreters who served with U.S. forces are considered traitors by the Taliban. This hour, our guests share the challenges they and their families have faced in coming to America. We also preview a film about SIVs called "The Interpreters" that will air tonight on WXXI-TV. In studio:
- Mujtaba Haidar , Afghani interpreter for the U.S. military who came to America on a Special Immigrant Visa
- Javayd Samadie, Afghani interpreter for the U.S. military who came to America on a Special Immigrant Visa
- Ellen Smith, director of Keeping Our Promise, a program of Refugees Helping Refugees
Then in our second hour, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, the veteran unemployment rate has been on the decline, but veterans report hurdles in reentering the work force. We talk with local veterans who discuss their experiences with the job market. Our guests:
- Laura Stradley, veteran, and executive director of the Veterans Outreach Center in Rochester
- Terry Winslow, veteran, and security manager for del Lago Resort and Casino
- Blair Morgan, veteran, and vice president of human resources at del Lago Resort and Casino
