‘Austria: Surviving in the Harshness’ – The Legacy Collection

‘Austria: Surviving in the Harshness’, 2026

Rawan Ita-Diaz of Project TheraPaint

Watercolor on Paper –  10″ x 13″
Framed, Black Metal, Tru Vue Conservation Clear Glass
Certificate of Authenticity Included

Leaving Tunisia, my family knew we were taking a risk as we continued our journey to seek asylum in another country. Austria was meant to be our next stop, but it was not what our tickets originally read.

Our final destination was listed as Russia, with a layover in Austria. But my parents knew Russia was facing its own instability and could not offer a safe or sustainable future for our family. Austria became our only chance.
In Tunisia, we were questioned about why we were traveling to Russia, and after hours of uncertainty, our visas were finally returned, and we were allowed to board the plane.

As we landed in Austria for our layover – it just so happens that the plane to Russia had already taken off. As one plan went accordingly, another failed. Our refugee liaison was supposed to meet us at the airport, but he was no longer able to enter, so we were stuck.

My father chose to seek help directly from airport officials while we waited with no clear direction. At the same time, organizations like Caritas were present and searching for refugees to assist, but my parents did not know who they were at the time, and we did not receive that support.

Later, two large police officers took us on a bus to a refugee camp filled with other Chaldeans, Serbians, and refugees from many other places. There, we settled into the crowded spaces, shared one room with other families, and survived through the aid of church donations.

During this time, my parents applied for a visa to the United States, expecting it could take at least two years before we would be accepted. Life continued in uncertainty. My parents did not want to stall growing our family due to uncertainty, so my mother became pregnant. Since we didn’t get to choose our own meals, she struggled with eating any of the food provided as it was mainly turkey leg. So, she had to pay for separate meals and in true Alqoshi fashion, she ate mostly feta cheese, cucumbers, and tomatoes.

In a place where we were meant to simply survive and wait, my mom once again found peace in the midst of uncertainty through Austria’s landscape. She has always appreciated nature’s beauty and was fascinated by the mountain views of the Alps, where edelweiss endures and blooms even in harsh climates. Similarly, we were simply finding survival in the harshness.

When my mother was three months pregnant, everything changed again. Our family was attacked.

The EKO Cobra tactical police unit entered our living space forcefully, breaking windows and doors during a search for someone who was not there. My mother was terrified. Screaming in fear, she gathered us all together and said that if we were to be harmed, we would at least be together in our final moments.

My father, being the brave protector, addressed the officers directly. He asked them to lower their weapons and made it very clear that they would be held responsible if anything happened to his two children or pregnant wife. After searching every room and realizing there was no threat, the officers eventually left.

That moment changed everything for our family in Austria.

My mother went into shock and fearful for her and the baby, my father took her to the hospital and spoke with the doctors about what had happened. The next day, reporters from the Red Cross News approached my family to report on what took place. My father told our story and the effects it had on us, especially my mother. As he was willing to share, he had to protect our identities since we were seeking asylum – to ultimately protect our family back home still in Iraq.

Over the next ten days, our home was bombarded with press so much so that my father left during the day to avoid the reporters as he could not take one more interview.

As reporters and the public spoke against the unit that attacked us, standing up for a foreign family with a pregnant woman, the government realized the impact of this tremendous mistake.

To make up for their wrongdoing, the embassy apologized and immediately offered us citizenship in Austria! My parents knew that we wouldn’t be welcomed as Iraqi immigrants in Austria and that our permanent home was in the United States.
Our next interview at the embassy was on July 29th – my birthday. The interview was very short and other families waiting even guessed that we did not pass the process. A few moments later, the translator ran after us and gave us the great news! We were finally granted access to America!

To prepare for our new life, we attended a cultural orientation center to learn about American systems and expectations.
Then the day finally came. In October of 1993, we were on our way to our final stop, the United States of America.

Austria National Symbol
Flower: The Edelweiss

Rawan Ita-Diaz is a Detroit-based artist whose paintings reflect the truths of life. A painter with a purpose, she creates art that reveals the good, the bad, and everything in between. Grounded in her Master’s Degree in Architecture & Design from Lawrence Technological University, she approaches her work with both structure and empathy, using her art to tell the stories of joy, sorrow, pride, and grief that we all carry.

Rawan entered the role of artist and advocate after a traumatic accident changed her life. In 2017, she was struck by an SUV while walking to work. Her injuries affected her mobility and introduced her to life with chronic pain. Isolated and hurting, she fell into depression and searched for purpose within new circumstances. It was then that she found therapeutic art.