New Haven Register (New Haven, CT)
Saddened by reality of life as a refugee in this country
My family and I came to the United States seeking freedom from persecution from the ongoing unrest and wars in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. After living in a refugee camp in Uganda for almost two decades and going through the resettlement process for over five years, I was overjoyed when we received our visas to come here. We were glad to leave behind the insecurity we had endured for so long, with no hope of returning to our home country or of being accorded the rights of citizenship in Uganda. And I can say that we’ve experienced the generosity of many Americans who welcomed us to this country. But even though these experiences stand out, and refugees like me initially go through “cultural orientation” before coming to the U.S., we are often not thoroughly prepared for the racism, poverty and violence we confront here.
And after what I’ve seen in recent weeks including the videos that show the tragic killings of George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery, I’m worried that my children will grow up in a country where being Black is a risk to their safety, and racism that makes them feel less human and alien even though the reason we came to this country in the first place was to escape this kind of violence and persecution.
As a Black man, I worry about becoming the next Floyd or Arbery: I don’t want to make a last prayer when I see a police officer in my rearview mirror. I don’t want to have to lecture my children how to conduct themselves when a police officer stops them to have to give them “the talk” that so many African-American families have done with their children for generations or to prepare them for the racism they might encounter almost anywhere they go. But as America and the world expresses outrage at the killing of Floyd, I’m struggling to take in what is happening in the here with police brutality, racism and gun violence. Along with the countless stories of African Americans who’ve died in racist acts of violence, there are too many stories of Black refugees and immigrants being brutally assaulted and even being killed. I worry about my own safety and the safety of my family in a way that I couldn’t have imagined when I came to this country.
It’s been more than a century since American slavery ended, and decades since legal segregation ended, yet Americans still grapple with racism and segregation in so many walks of life. It’s shocking to learn this when you come from abroad, expecting America to be the land of freedom and peace.
And to anyone from almost any other society, it’s confusing that in such a wealthy, powerful country, Americans seem helpless to prevent the almost routine mass shootings at schools, churches, streets and workplaces that have become a feature of life here in recent years.
In April 2018, I heard about Dorika Uwimana, a Congolese refugee teen who was brutally attacked by Terry Wayne King II while she was waiting for her school bus in Texas. Looking at the photos of her in a hospital bed, fighting for her life, awaiting a heart transplant as a result of injuries sustained during the assault, broke my heart.
In June, a 17-year-old Black refugee was killed in Cleveland. Eric Hakizimana was coming home from playing soccer when he was shot and left him on the street. He later died in the hospital.
A few years ago, I sat down with my 7-year-old daughter to ask how her day went, and what she learned at school, and she said: “Daddy, why is it that after we shook hands in church as a sign of peace and love, this girl cleaned her hand on her dress after shaking mine?” It's been almost four years, but her question still rotates in my head, and I’m not sure I had a good answer. I consoled her by telling her that no matter how other people perceive or treat us, we should never treat them the same way or feel inferior. But at her young age, I could not explain why, in a country that warmly welcomes immigrants like me and her, has such a long history of racial strife, and still struggles with racism now. Most refugees do not know that all these issues exist in the U.S., and when they get here, they find themselves in the middle of these issues they have no idea how to approach.
The death of George Floyd, Arbery, as well as Eric and Dorika’s assaults, have caused a lot of fear in me and many other refugees who come to the U.S without expecting their lives to be in danger. I worry about my children and every person of color. This is too much to take in. It is my hope that our leaders will come up with policies and laws to address all these injustices.
Along with the countless stories of African Americans who’ve died in racist acts of violence, there are too many stories of Black refugees and immigrants being brutally assaulted and even being killed.