Ariam Weldeab Araya heals immigrants through storytelling

In one of the most difficult eras for immigrants in modern history, Oakland’s Ariam Weldeab Araya is making a difference. The Eritrean native, who immigrated to the U.S. in 2027, was named one of eight 2026 Arts Leadership Award recipients by the Alameda County Board of Supervisors for her art and advocacy work with nonprofits the Center for Empowering Refugees and Immigrants (CERI) and ARTogether.

Eritrea, with a population of 3.7 million, is located on the Horn of Africa and bordered by Sudan, Dijbouti and Ethiopia, of which it was once a part. President Isaias Afwerki, who has been in power since 1993 when the country obtained its independence, has not held elections since that time and is known to disdain “Western-style” democracy.

Araya’s work in film, literature and media arts has been recognized with numerous national and international awards. In 2014, she published a bestselling book in Eritrea, and became the first Eritrean to launch an independent talk show in the country, according to an interview on KALW.

Araya describes herself as an “author, filmmaker, storyteller and art trainer.” She said in a phone interview that although she was aware she was being considered for the award, she was surprised to be selected as one of two recipients in District 5, Supervisor Nikki Fortunato Bas’ district.

In her work with CERI, she said, she creates videos in which immigrants and refugees tell their stories, programs events to screen the videos and collaborates with other organizations as part of the civic engagement department.

According to CERI, “Cambodian, Burmese, Vietnamese, Nepali, Tibetan, Eritrean, Afghan, and Iranian voices find recognition and care at CERI.” The nonprofit serves approximately 1,200 refugees and immigrants each year across the Bay Area region. Thirty percent of its clients are asylum seekers, and it also works with individuals at risk of deportation and their families.

“The focus is on healing and wellness,” Araya said. “Storytelling is one of the mechanisms for healing.” As part of this, she founded Storytelling for Healing. “Immigrants and refugees experience a lot of culture shock. They need a safe environment to tell their stories.”

CERI supports the power of the arts to heal, according to its materials. “At CERI, arts and culture are woven into every aspect of our work, from the design of our physical space to the ways we gather over food, music, stories, and shared rituals,” states its website.

Those coming from various parts of the world find community in sharing common experiences of trying to adjust to a very different space. Araya spoke about two projects that epitomize what she does: the two-minute video, Taking Me Home, and the short film, She’s Doing Well.

The film, which has been screened in multiple festivals, depicts an Eritrean woman struggling to resettle in the U.S. “Her family [back in Eritrea] think she is doing well,” Araya said, “but they don’t really ask her. [They don’t understand] the pain of her journey.” Back home, families imagine there is no poverty and no persecution in the United States. But immigrants and refugees experience a different reality.

Araya agreed that this is, in many ways, similar to the experience of veterans, who often feel no one can understand their traumas and shocks except other vets, which is why veterans’ support groups are so vital.

Araya has also worked extensively with Oakland’s ARTogther, whose mission “is to provide art programs that foster compassionate communities where refugees and immigrants can flourish,” according to its website. She met founder Leva Zand in 2018 while tutoring art lit, and began collaborating with the organization.

As a Tigrinya literature trainer, Araya developed programs and training syllabi for the community center, which served as a baseline training manual for newly arrived Eritrean refugees and asylum seekers.

Also at ARTogther, she screened her movies, and led writing and storytelling workshops. “Art and storytelling are powerful ways to share ourselves with others, helping us to understand each other at a deeper level,” she said. “There is a beauty, relaxation and love in art.”

Araya is in the midst of planning multiple upcoming events. On Oct. 31, she will participate in a storytelling event at the Nepali Community Center in Richmond where, she said, she looks forward to serving Eritrean coffee in a traditional ceremony.

She is also, she said, prepping for a big storytelling event in Oakland in December, in which she hopes to bring together as many as 10 Bay Area organizations. In addition she is preparing to make a new film, set in Oakland.

For more information about Ariam Weldeab Araya’s projects and events, follow her on Facebook.