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One recent evening after closing time, six young restaurant workers and their families huddled around tables inside a new coffee shop in Northeast DC. They tucked into plates of food while chatting in several languages. Some couldn’t communicate much with one another, but they were in a joyful mood.
These students were just the latest graduates of Emma’s Torch, which opened in DC last winter. For their commencement ceremony, each had cooked a dish that represented their background. Caracas native Alexander Rigaud—a tattoo artist who fled Venezuela under threat of arrest after participating in political protests—made asado negro, a beef stew.
The training at Emma’s Torch can lead to real opportunity. Recent graduates have secured union positions in food service at George Washington University and BWI Airport, for example. But many aren’t actually planning for a long career in the food business. One Afghan refugee—who asked not to be named out of concern for relatives back home—has a master’s degree in journalism and communications and sees restaurant work as a bridge to employment in his own field.
The morning after graduation, Emma’s Torch was back to work as a regular—albeit somewhat overstaffed—cafe for the neighborhood, with a new class of students on the way. To join the program, participants go through interviews and information sessions, just like at any job. They’re all refugees or others here due to forced migration. To apply, potential students must have work authorization and understand some basic kitchen-safety-level English.
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