Sharing Our Cultures event showcases cultural diversity in N.L.

Young immigrantsto Newfoundland and Labrador came together this past weekend in St. John's and shared stories about what it's been like to findanother home.

The18thannual Sharing Our Cultures event at The Rooms gave studentsfrom countries likeSyria, Ethiopia, and Iraq the opportunity tohighlightproud moments from their culture and talk about new experiences that come with living in this province.

Tarah Salah came to St. John's from Iraq over seven years ago. She will graduate this year fromHoly Heart of Mary High School.

She used the event to battle misconceptions about her countrythat have spread through policies like the now-reversed travel ban on Iraq initiated by U.S.President Donald Trump.

"I feltbetrayed [by the ban], in a certain way, but it made me feel really happy knowing that Canada wasn't part of it," saidSalah

Shesaid she appreciated the support of people in Canada whospoke out against the ban and is glad tolive in a place that preaches tolerance.

"I always say this to every single person who comes to Newfoundland ... when you come to Newfoundland, you've probably found your home."

New refugees adapting to life in N.L.

While Salah has been in Canada for much of the last decade, manyimmigrants who participated inthe eventhaveonly come to the country in recent years.

Syrian refugeeAhmedAl-Sheikh, 17, arrived here last June and is quickly getting adjusted to his new surroundings.

"St. John's is a very, very beautiful place to live and I like it so much," he said.

Al-Sheikh hopes to finish high school and enroll in university to study somethinghe couldn't pursue back home in Syria journalism.

"I'm doing some courses to [help] me have the opportunity to be able to be a journalist in the future," he said.

"I want to cover the truth ... because sometimes something happens and [people] don't know about that. "

With fellowrefugeesIbrahimAless and Mohamad Alsharif, Al-Sheikhused his burgeoning journalism skills to highlight the story of another displacedcountrymen Syria's first astronautMuhammedFaris.

Looking around his booth, as fellow immigrants from places like Iraq, Eritrea, and France kicked around a soccer ball and got acquainted with each other, Al-Sheikh remarked on the staggering diversity on display at the event.

"It's amazing to see all [these]cultures in one place."