#SEENAmericanDream: Haji Muya
Haji Muya, 26, currently resides in the North Side with his wife, Zahra Sheikh, and son, Omari Mugaza, 2. He is originally from Somalia but grew up in a refugee camp in Dadaab, Kenya.
“I was in the camp for 12 years. It was awful. Everyone was trying to seek asylum and get out. It was very difficult times for my family.”
In 1991, the year he was born, a civil war erupted in Somalia and Bantus were forced out.
“Our people lived in villages and the rebels would come and rape our women and kill men,” he said. “Our people were the last of their kind and we had to leave.”
Just 1 month old, he was yanked from his mother’s back, breaking his collarbone. It never properly healed, stunting his growth. Yet they managed to escape to Kenya and eventually, the United States.
“In order to come to America, you have to take a bunch of tests to make sure you are not a terrorist. You don’t pick where to go. We ended up in Pittsburgh in 2004.”
While his family was happy to be in America, this was not the place of his dreams.
“We were placed in Homewood, with vacant houses all around us and gunshots outside of our door. This wasn’t the America they promised. This just felt like a different part of Africa. We came from a war zone and came to another war zone.”
It was hard at first, Mr. Muyasaid, but eventually he began to see opportunities.
“In Kenya, school wasn’t a priority because you were worried when or if you would eat. Here I had opportunities to become educated and follow dreams.”
Yet he also struggled with racism.
“The white people in Africa would come and do missionary work and were very welcoming to us, so I didn’t expect so much racism. Where I come from, everyone is black, so the word didn’t exist for me until I got here. It crushed my heart.”
He attended Frick International Academy. After it closed, he moved to Schenley High School. After Schenley closed, he finished high school at Allderdice. He adapted and learned to love his new home.
“My dad told me once, ‘You have to be ready at all times,’ so change doesn’t bother me. As the years passed, things got better.... I like the hills, the spring and summer and it’s very green. I like that.”
His older sister, Amina, drew attention for wearing a Muslim head covering at Schenley.
“They had a controversy thing about not wearing a hijab. I think I was jealous that she was getting so much attention,” he said, laughing.
After graduation, Mr. Muya attended the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, majoring in film making and video production. “I knew that I would be something one day. I started with film making. I always wanted to do something that nobody did before. I am a storyteller.”
Currently, he teaches film-making classes for the Steeltown Entertainment Project and is a freelance videographer. He also works at Pittsburgh Soccer in the Community as a field manager and volunteers as a coach for children’s soccer ages 5-11.
“I love soccer. It is a universal sport. No matter where you come from, when you get on the field, we all speak the same language.”
Mr. Muya became a U.S. citizen in 2010. “I felt like I finally belonged somewhere. I have never seen what Somalia looked like, and I can’t say that’s my country. I grew up in Kenya, but they don’t feel that I’m one of them, so becoming a US citizen made me feel protected. I felt like here I can have my freedom and opportunity to grow.”
He said everyone seeks the American Dream, especially refugees.
“To me, the American dream is having a nice family, a job, a house and being able to help others to their full potential. We are all given opportunities to chase our dreams and I want to do the same thing for somebody else.
“We bring our cultures, our ideas, and our hard work, too. This country was built on our dreams, too.”