“I grew up with a lot of Islamophobic remarks and even anti-black remarks, but I’m proud of who I am and I try not to let that bother me,” said 19-year-old Gudon Abdi, who lives in Utah. Abdi’s family fled from war-torn Somalia before she was born. She came to World Refugee Day at Big Cottonwood Park on Friday evening sporting a stunning turquoise green Somali Baati Dress with symmetrical sun patterns.
19-year-old Gudon Abdi on World Refugee Day “I’ve come here like, I think four years in a row at this point,” she said. “I love seeing the different cultures and just how they all come together.” World Refugee Day is an annual celebration that features the diverse refugee communities in Utah.
The event includes food trucks, water slides and concerts that showcase the different cultures. This year’s two-day event, held on Friday and Saturday, celebrated its 20th anniversary. (Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Kids play with soap bubbles as they join the celebration for the 20th anniversary of World Refugee Day at Big Cottonwood Park on Friday, June 21, 2024.
“What you’ll see is a representation of more than 30 different refugee communities here in Utah,” said Mario Kljajo, the director of refugee services for the Utah Department of Workforce Services and the main organizer of the event. Kljajo was a refugee himself when he first landed in Utah at about 15 years old. His family sought safety away from their home in Bosnia, which was wrought by .
