Refugee Stories

  Start by giving us a little background. Who are you? Where did you come from? Why did you come? When did you come? With whom? How did you get here and was the trip long? My name is Khadija Ali, and I’m a mom. I have two beautiful daughters of whom I am so proud. I’m also a businesswoman. I started my own company, Global Language Connections, in 2015, where I currently serve as CEO. I’m a friend. I’m a daughter. I live in Edina, Minnesota. I love my community and I love what I do. I’m also a...

My name is Vayong Moua. I was part of an early wave of Hmong refugees. I came to this country when I was just one-year-old 1976. I came to this country with no shoes on my feet. I didn't have shoes. You can see me my brother without shoes, my mother with my sister in the womb, just stepping off a plane. We were the first family in Eau Claire Wisconsin. Hmong people were nomadic Hill tribe in the mountains of Laos. We had no nation-state. We had no citizenship, but because of where we resided along a critical Supply...

Hi, my name is Tishitaa Tufaa. I was born and raised in Ethiopia. I came to Minneapolis in 1992. I was a schoolteacher back home for about two years after finishing college in Zimbabwe. After that, I went to graduate school here at the University of Minnesota The political climate in Ethiopia wasn't very positive at all; it was not a good time. The communist government was overthrown, and they were forming a new government. It was a very difficult time. I arrived in the United States in my early 20s. Everybody was always very welcoming, so, for me to...

now it's like recently the Syrian refugees now, there are serious. Is there a lot of students right? I am not so I mean because I work as an interpreter. I run into couple of them. Okay, but I didn't I don't know if they are coming as much as we used to come here. because we use like every day that was one of of people coming to u.s. [00:00:23] Minnesota is. At the beginning when we came in. Should we start the questions and yeah, okay do it. Okay, you just so yeah, just give us a little...

my name is Kaziah Josiah. I came to the United States in 2004. my parents were originally from Burma and then I was born in Thailand. I grew up in Thailand until I was nine years old and I moved here. It was a bit of a cultural shot. When I was in Thailand, I learned English a little bit, but it wasn't to the point where I can come here and speak in a full sentence. It was just basic stuff. But when I first came here, I was the only Karin student in the entire Elementary school. I...