#RefugeesWelcome: Doing Her Civic Duty in Memory of her Dad

I’m from Mozambique in southeast Africa. When I was 8 years old, I left Mozambique with my parents because they were involved in helping people escape the country to join the liberation movement to topple the colonial government.

My dad was arrested, but he managed to escape. The bishop in our province warned him that government forces were searching for him and our lives were in danger. My aunt and her children had already been murdered by an opposing political party.

We were refugees for almost 20 years. We lived in Zambia briefly and three years in a refugee camp in Tanzania. My parents became disillusioned with the liberation movement, so we fled again, this time to Kenya, where we applied in 1969 for refugee status and protection under the United Nations.

We applied for resettlement in 1987, and didn’t leave Kenya for the United States for almost a year. It took a long time to get here, but it’s all worth it. It was hard for us to adjust to life in a refugee camp. We were considered upper class in Mozambique and assimilated into Portuguese culture. But in the camp, we lived in a house without a roof, so when it rained when we were sleeping, we got wet. The food ration we got from international agencies lasted only two days. At the age of 8, I had to find babysitting jobs to help feed my family.

I remember a lady from the U.S. State Department asking us all sorts of questions to determine if we had any criminal background.  

After resettling in the U.S., I was better able than many other refugees to maneuver my way around because I could read and speak English. I had experience as a beautician, a model and a secretary, but I couldn’t find employment within my area of training. I didn’t mind sweeping and cleaning. I wanted just to be self-sufficient right away. That was my American dream.

Once I got here, I enrolled in university and earned two college degrees in political science-history and then in social work.  I was able to work in the Sioux Falls school district for 16 years, helping immigrant or refugee families become acculturated.

I now work at the Center for New Americans, where new refugees get employment, learn English, and learn other job skills. I also teach citizenship classes and how important it is to be part of this community.  I help them understand that volunteerism is huge in this city, and when they have free time, they should give that time back in their community in any way they can. 

I make sure I participate in every election. You have a civic duty in making this country better with that one vote. I do this in memory of my dad.

I am happy and proud to be an American, because I have the right to vote, I have the right to choose whatever professional path I want, and I have opportunities to share my experience with newly arriving refugees and other community members. Had I gone back to my country, I would not be alive now.

I’m honored to share my story in recognition of World Refugee Day. I encourage you to join the conversation online and share your story using #RefugeesWelcome.

The HHS Office of Refugee Resettlement was established by the Refugee Act of 1980 to help refugees integrate into their new communities in the United States and become self-sufficient.