Krish O'Mara Vignarajah, President and CEO of Global Refuge, speaks to the benefits of welcoming immigrants during her TEDx talk in Apex, North Carolina
It’s something no other nation has on the scale that we do. Our superpower as a Superpower is immigration.— Krish O'Mara Vignarajah
BALTIMORE, MD, UNITED STATES, November 1, 2024 /
EINPresswire.com/ -- What’s the superpower behind a global superpower?
Global Refuge President & CEO
Krish O’Mara Vignarajah recently took the stage at TEDxApex Women in Apex, North Carolina to make the case that the United States owes its preeminence on the global stage to one key asset: immigration.
Though our divisive political environment often demonizes immigrants through hateful rhetoric, she argues, the hard work, determination, and creativity of our immigrant population has helped us through the hardest times in our nation’s history and helped facilitate some of the best.
“While we –– like other nations –– have the drive, the grit, the spirit from those born in our country to innovate, grow, and achieve great things, we also have another gift,” she says. “It’s something no other nation has on the scale that we do, a superpower, unique to our nation’s DNA and central to the notion of the American Dream. Our superpower as a Superpower is immigration.”
In the talk, Vignarajah shares her own immigration story and how that experience informs her work leading Global Refuge,
the nation’s largest faith-based nonprofit dedicated exclusively to serving children, refugees, and other immigrants. She also speaks to the critical role immigrants play and the potential they offer to transform the United States for the better.
“America has an aging population and the lowest birth rate since the census started tracking it,” she shares. “We have a federal debt north of $35 trillion. And we face a climate crisis that is estimated to cost us tens of trillions of dollars per year in the next couple of decades. We need every tool in our toolkit to combat those challenges. That means we need our superpower.”
Her complete TEDx talk was released on October 30, 2024 and is available on
YouTube. Watch the talk and share it on Facebook, X, and Instagram.
About us:
Global Refuge, formerly Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, is a nonprofit serving newcomers seeking safety, support, and a share in the American dream. For 85 years, we have welcomed those seeking refuge, upholding a legacy of compassion and grace for people in crisis. We walk alongside individuals, families, and children as they begin their new lives in the United States through our work in refugee resettlement, welcome and respite services for asylum seekers, economic empowerment and employment, and family unification for unaccompanied children. To date, we have served over 750,000 people from around the globe. At Global Refuge, welcoming newcomers isn’t just our duty—it’s an inherent part of our identity, rooted in our Lutheran heritage and inspired values, and serving as a testament to our unwavering commitment to those in search of refuge.
Timothy Young
Global Refuge
+1 443-257-6310
timothy.young@globalrefuge.org
What is America’s Superpower | Global Refuge's Krish O'Mara Vignarajah at TEDxApexWomen