Basma Alawee: Need greater than ever for U.S. to raise cap on refugee admissions
Every year since the early 1980s, the president of the United States decides on the number of refugees to admit. As a refugee in Florida who fled Iraq in 2010 after my husband received death threats for working with an American company, I know how important it is that the "Presidential Determination" matches the global need — which is now the highest level in history.
When the president announced the number at the end of last week, however, it wasn’t as high as I’d hoped it would be. We can do more to restore our global reputation for holding out a hand to people most in need.
I came here with only a pocket Quran in my hand, given to me by my mother. When I first arrived in Florida, I was not welcomed. I'm a Muslim woman and I wear a hijab, so people made assumptions based on their own stereotypes and limited world view. But I love America and I always have.
As a child growing up in Baghdad, I loved to watch Hollywood movies. There was a sense of optimism and abundance that inspired me. It’s what made me want to learn English. I also loved Baghdad. I built a successful career there as a chemical engineer and I didn't want to leave. We had to be persuaded by my parents to get on the plane because the risk to our family was all too real.
People make other assumptions about you when you tell them you're a refugee. They often assume you're powerless or a victim, and that you have nothing to contribute. But not everyone thinks that. And it's something to celebrate, that nuance. There's a quiet story about coming to America that gets lost in the noise. It's about the welcome this country is able to provide.
Yes, when we first arrived in Florida, I wanted to contribute as an engineer. But my skills and education weren't recognized and I was crestfallen. I was instead offered jobs in the hospitality sector. It wasn’t easy at first, but after a year I was teaching math and science to high schoolers. My husband also found a job at the same school. Then we found our path to connecting with more and more people.
Now we're established in Jacksonville, where my family and I are happy to help other new families.
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I love Florida's beaches, rivers and bridges. I live close to the Atlantic Ocean and I feel connected to the universe as I look out on the sea. I also love seafood, so Florida is perfect for me. I'm so proud that it is our adopted home.
The world, right now, faces the largest displacement and refugee crisis in history. As the global humanitarian leader, America must lead the way in the global response. We have done a lot to help people fleeing Afghanistan and Ukraine over the last year. But there are people from all over the world that also face dire challenges. We can welcome them and help them, too.
Whether a person is from Ethiopia, Syria, Haiti, Venezuela or Cameroon, they deserve welcome. They deserve to have dignified and welcoming treatment, as my family and I received from community organizations and resettlement agencies when we came here while running for our lives.
Refugees also helped America through the pandemic. We served as health care workers on the frontlines. We served as teachers and tutors. We provided food and made essential goods. We kept people alive and we kept communities going. Many refugees who stepped up to serve in health care even did so as volunteers.
When I was a child and first heard the song “This Land Is Your Land,” I found the idea of the U.S. amazing. I always wondered how a country could have such amazing diversity and possibilities for everyone. I remember a sense that America was a beacon of freedom. When we were fleeing persecution in Baghdad, it was America that held out its hand.
America has always aspired to be a place of welcome, safety and freedom. Let’s remember that as we move forward together over the year ahead.
Basma Alawee is an Iraqi-born advocate on refugee issues with the National Partnership for New Americans. She is based in Jacksonville.
This guest column is the opinion of the author and does not necessarily represent the views of the Times-Union. We welcome a diversity of opinions.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Basma Alawee: U.S. should raise cap on refugee admissions
