Meghan Markle Hosts Heartwarming Holiday Dinner for Afghan Women Starting New Lives in the U.S.
Holiday traditions often bring families together, whether it’s cooking together in the kitchen or sharing stories by the fire. But for a group of Afghan women resettled in California—many separated from their families for years—new memories are being created with a community that understands both the joy and the sadness of celebrating far from home. For Meghan Markle, this gathering was about empowering these women through a shared space that honors both their heritage and their new beginnings.
On a Saturday night in Venice Beach, California, I joined the Duchess of Sussex and the women of Mina's List, an organization dedicated to empowering women in politics and human rights, for a dinner hosted by the Archewell Foundation’s Welcome Project.
Launched in 2023, the Welcome Project supports women who have resettled in the U.S. from Afghanistan. There are now 11 branches across the country, including one in San Antonio, which Meghan and Prince Harry visited earlier this year.
The duchess first met many of these women during a cooking event in February. As we gathered around lantern-lit tables in the garden at Our Place, a woman- and immigrant-owned cookware company, conversations flowed easily. We enjoyed delicious Middle Eastern-inspired dishes, prepared by Soho House chef Shane Fatemian, an Iranian immigrant. Throughout the evening, poetry was read, and the theme of connection stood out.
As Meghan addressed the group, she spoke of how the holidays can stir up emotions. “You miss home, you miss your country, but also find comfort in the new community that you have here,” she shared, expressing gratitude for being part of that community.
Dressed in her signature neutral tones, Meghan moved around the table, checking in with each woman and recalling conversations from earlier in the year. Her warmth and ability to make others feel comfortable were evident.
The atmosphere became even more poignant when two guests read beautiful poetry, written as part of a Mina’s List storytelling project. Meghan was visibly moved, telling the group, “All of you have stories to tell... and sharing them with each other will help propel the change we dream of.”
Since the collapse of the Afghan government, Mina’s List has helped evacuate and resettle over 2,000 women leaders. Teresa Casale, the organization’s executive director, shared how their partnership with the Welcome Project has been transformative.
Many of the women I spoke to at the dinner were accomplished professionals in government and journalism back in Afghanistan. Now, they face the dual challenges of isolation and the trauma of seeing their progress in women’s rights erased.
While the situation for women in Afghanistan remains dire, with restrictions on jobs, education, and freedom of movement, these women are finding new opportunities in California. One woman shared her experience of teaching soldiers language skills after arriving in the U.S. post-9/11, while another spoke of helping newly resettled families navigate housing and paperwork in California's expensive real estate market.
Thanks to Mina’s List and the Welcome Project, these women have found a sense of community and belonging, with one attendee describing her first gathering with the group as a "lovely feeling" she would never forget.
The Duchess of Sussex tells me that the Welcome Project is a perfect example of seeing an immediate need and turning it into a long-term vision. “It’s not just about fixing the problem for the moment, but about creating a lasting solution,” she explains.
She expresses how rewarding it’s been to see women on the other side of difficult journeys. “For many of them, it’s been a really hard time—harder than most can imagine.” We talk about a woman at our table who had just been reunited with her mother after bringing her to the U.S. from Afghanistan, and another woman who had been separated from her son for years. Meghan says their stories really touched her. “As a mom, can you imagine not being able to see your child?” she asks.
When it comes to welcoming new neighbors, the Duchess says, “No matter how different our cultures or traditions may seem, we actually have so much in common.” She adds, “There’s so much joy in discovering each other’s rituals,” a sentiment many of us shared as we sampled new foods and listened to poetry. Even though some of us didn’t understand the language, Meghan says she could still feel the emotion in the words, sensing their hopes for a better future.
“You find comfort in things you know, but there’s so much community in things you don’t know as well,” Meghan shares, drawing on her experience with the women of the Hubb Community Kitchen in London, a group that came together after the tragic Grenfell Tower fire in 2017.
Together, they created *Together: Our Community Cookbook*, which was published in 2018. Shauna Nep, co-executive director of Archewell, mentioned the Hubb group during her welcome remarks at the dinner, surprising Meghan. “I just thought, wow, she gets it,” says Shauna of Meghan’s work with the kitchen. “They get it—the power of women coming together.”
Meghan recalls, “With Hubb, we had women from 13 different countries. We were constantly learning from each other.” She points out that while some of the foods she was used to were quite different for the women in the kitchen, they all enjoyed talking about those differences.
“It’s a great icebreaker,” the Duchess says. “And through that, you build a much deeper connection.” She notes that other groups might bond over activities like sewing or board games, but cooking creates connections based on what really matters.
As for the women of the Welcome Project, Meghan expresses her admiration for their resilience. “For so many of them, it would be easy to feel like their life is over, that everything they knew is gone,” she says. “But these moments of togetherness, like those with the Welcome Project, remind them that their life is just beginning. It’s a new chapter, and one where they’ve taken steps they never thought they would.”
The Duchess of Sussex Reflects on Family, Traditions, and Welcoming Newcomers
As the holidays approach, conversation turns to Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet and the family traditions that mean the most to the Duchess of Sussex. I mention that my son no longer believes in Santa, and we share a moment of nostalgia over the fleeting magic of Christmas.
“I love the holidays,” Meghan says, smiling. “Archie and Lilibet are three and five now, so each year just gets better.”
She reflects, “At first, as a mom with little ones, you’re just happy to have them there, even if they don’t quite understand everything that’s happening yet. But now, I can’t wait to see the holidays through their eyes.”
When it comes to Thanksgiving, Meghan explains that the Sussexes keep things low-key. “Being close to my mom is great,” she says, referring to her mother, Doria, who lives nearby in California.
“I always make sure there’s room at the table for friends who don’t have family nearby,” she shares, mentioning that feminist icon Gloria Steinem joined them for Thanksgiving one year.
For the Sussexes, their holiday traditions are much like any other American family’s. “We always make sure we have something fun to do,” the Duchess says. “We eat, play games, and someone will bring out a guitar. It’s the same stuff.”
She emphasizes how important it is for her that Archie and Lilibet experience the “magic” of traditions, like enjoying special recipes that will become fond memories and leaving “carrots for the reindeer” at Christmas.
As our conversation winds down, the women of Mina’s List continue to dance, chat, and clap around us. One of the women later tells me that Meghan is “a center of energy.” She admits that while she followed the Duchess’s wedding and career, she was surprised by how “cool and humble” Meghan is, adding, “She cares about what happens to us—this is important.”
I watch as laughter fills the room and pictures are taken. The women share their thoughts on the beautiful cookware, gifted by store owner Shiza Shahid. In a tender moment, Meghan poses for a photo with a little girl who had been peacefully sleeping in her mother’s carrier all evening.
As the evening wraps up, I ask the Duchess what Americans can do to help women like the ones we met feel more at home. Her answer is simple: “It’s really easy. Just think about how you’d want someone to treat you… how would you want someone to open their arms to you?”
