Refugee Stories

Content Warning: Gang Violence, Sexual Assault My name is Natalia, I’m 21 years old, a student, and a refugee from Central America*. This is my story. I came here in 2009 with my family. There was a lot of violence in our country and the abuse we had to endure, including at the hands of my mother’s sister, caused significant delay. It took over a year to make the journey to America. Shortly before we left, the gangs were starting to take over the town. They start recruiting kids as soon as possible, around 12 or 13 years old. If...

My name is Halima Aden and I’m 20 years old. I live in St. Cloud, MN. I model, I talk at schools, and I spread the message of being inclusive. Last November, I participated in the Miss Minnesota USA pageant and was the first person to ever wear a hijab and a burkini. This year, I’m very happy to say that there were seven girls wearing the hijab. It was so exciting for me to see this progression. I want to provide the opportunity for other people to get to know a Somali American girl, a Muslim, someone who wears...

My name is Tu Lor Eh Paw, I am a senior at Como Park Senior High, a refugee, and a mentee with the Dream Refugee mentorship program. Seventeen years ago, on March 9, 2000, I was brought into this world. I was born in the Southeast Asian nation of Burma, now known as Myanmar. I was my parent's youngest child of nine. Our family lived in a small village where only ten families settled; mostly our relatives. My family used the slash and burn technique for farming. It was the only way we could grow food to sustain ourselves.            ...

I’m an IT professional by trade for over 16 years and a community organizer by passion. I’ve been on the Saint Paul city council since 2013. My family came here as refugees in 1983, an action that made all of these experiences possible. In the refugee camps, we were extremely poor. I remember following people through the marketplace, just in case they threw away a chicken bone which would become our meal for the night. During our exile, I lost two sisters and a younger brother. I saw my sister die in front of me. I always thought the U.S....

My parents met as refugees in Italy. They didn’t believe in the American dream so they wanted to see what the Canadian dream had to offer. I was raised in Toronto, a product of the Toronto community housing system. I started writing out of sheer boredom. Living in poverty, we didn’t have a computer or TV so I started writing. You know how people in class doodle in class when they’re bored? That was me with writing poetry. I had a thing for acting so spoken word came naturally to me in high school. I knew that, had my parents...