I am about to start my third week of my internship tomorrow, and I cannot believe how fast time is going by. I have definitely started to become more accustomed to Spanish mannerisms and transportation, especially since we rely on the metro for almost everything. I sincerely lack navigational skills so I get lost sometimes when I am walking but at least I get to walk more during my day. I have definitely gotten closer with my coworkers, in which we all feel comfortable with each other and they try to integrate me into Spanish culture by teaching me words used specifically in Spain. I have also come to know some of the refugees staying at the center much better, which makes me feel much better about the work I am doing. Last weekend we went to Valencia, and this weekend we stayed in Madrid, shopping, walking through the plazas, eating, and more. We walked eight miles alone on Saturday so my legs hurt quite a bit.

Anyway, my internship has become increasingly more interesting, especially as I have come to learn and get used to how the center itself works. I know more of the refugees, the issues that we have to deal with and how. It is still often times very overwhelming since there is so much to do but we do our best to manage everything. There are many instances where I feel as if there is ambiguity in the internship, especially in terms of all the legal proceedings we have to go through. Although my main tasks at the center are to attend to the refugees, I still have to understand Spanish and European Union immigration politics, in which each refugee has a certain status as an immigrant. For example, one can be in a vulnerable position and escaping circumstances of war, which makes them one kind of refugee, while the other may be in a less vulnerable position, which means they are categorized under a different status of immigration.

Besides this there are just so many procedures that we have to go through which honestly confuses me a lot of the time, but I try to ask as many questions as I can so I can understand them better. All the refugees need to apply for and get many kinds of papers including residential cards, medical cards, economic aid, and more. I have definitely learned to get used to it and understand it more, but because every case is different, it is sometimes difficult to keep track of everything and why certain papers are needed and others are not. This week, however, I was able to fill out some paperwork that needed to be done and although I was nervous, since this was paperwork that could affect the lives of people, I managed to succeed and get what needed to done.

Another major point of uncertainty in my internship has to do with the language and cultural barrier. The refugees at the center speak multiple languages, ranging from Arabic, to Russian, to Igbo and more. So, often times its rather difficult to navigate these and make sure everything is being translated properly. For very important matters, such as medical appointments or economic aid, the refugees are provided a translator, but for day to day activities, they are not. In this case, it is very difficult to manage the translation. I try my best by using my hands to signal to things or even using Google Translate. However, it is also difficult to give refugees everything they need, which makes it even more difficult for me to understand and for them to understand. However, I think this particular challenge is very helpful and necessary. Not only am I learning about Spanish culture, but I am also learning about the culture of all the people that come to the center, especially as I grow fonder of many of them the longer I spend at the center. In addition, I have noticed that it has definitely made me a more patient person. I genuinely want to be able to listen to residents and help them however I can so I have definitely learned to be more patient.

Although there are many ambiguities in my internship, I have found that the best way for me to navigate these is by asking many questions. I often times ask my supervisor and coworkers how certain things work, especially since I work closely with all of them, so whenever something happens that I don’t understand, I just ask and they are very nice about explaining it to me. The same thing happens with the refugees, in which I simply have to ask and be patient with the translation. I am looking forward to be given new responsibilities, in which I hope to be able to contribute more to the center and to be able to learn about the complex processes of immigration.