Participants toured From India to the World: Textiles from the Parpia Collection, which was on view at MFAH from June 22 to Sept. 14, 2025. The exhibition tells stories of culture, craft and global connection through domestic and trade textiles.
“At IM Houston, we believe that building a sense of belonging starts with creating opportunities for connection,” said Sheroo Mukhtiar, president and CEO of IM Houston. “Experiences like this visit to the MFAH allow refugees to not only see themselves reflected in the art, but also to begin weaving their own stories into Houston’s cultural fabric. We are grateful to MFAH for opening its doors and helping us extend this welcome to the communities we serve.”
Deepa Kale, a docent at MFAH, led the tour. “The women who attended my tour have been uprooted from familiar surroundings and yet showed so much resilience and an eagerness to learn about everything in their new home across the ocean,” she said. “They asked detailed questions about fabric weaves, trade and culture. It was heartening to see how keen they were to find personal connections with the exhibits, with me and with each other.”
“While I explained how the fabrics were made and used in India, they shared how they were used in their home towns and how they were special,” Kale said. “One of the women told me that this was her very first outing to a museum and how she hopes to visit again.”
More than resettlement
The visit is one example of how IM Houston’s Refugee Services program helps newcomers do more than resettle. The program provides housing assistance, cultural orientation, employment support and specialized programs for women and youth.
The Refugee Women’s Empowerment Group, which organized the visit, offers safe spaces for refugee women to build community, strengthen their well-being and set goals for the future. Pairing essential services with cultural outings helps refugee families connect, heal and flourish in Houston’s cultural life.
Support Refugee Services
Refugee Services walks with newly arrived families through resettlement, employment, legal services and the first years of building a life here.
