Today’s blog
Lynn Murphy Mark
Sacrificing for safety
Most of yesterday afternoon was spent in the Robert Young Federal Building where US Immigration services takes up a corner of the second floor. I was there to accompany a client from Iraq who is petitioning for citizenship. I knew going in that his chances were slim at best, but, long story short, he will have a second chance after we jump through some medical hoops.
His knowledge of English and his ability to answer the civics questions are both very limited. He had a massive brain tumor removed a couple of years ago. The tumor was located in the part of the brain that controls memory and new learning, so he is not able to retain new information. In order to be exempt from the English language and US civics exam he needed a statement from a physician explaining his “deficits”. USCIS is very strict about granting the exemption, so I had prepared him that it was possible they would not accept the statement from his doctor. I had contracted with an Arabic interpreter to help me talk to my client.
At the appointed time, a young woman arrived and introduced herself. Our appointment with Immigration was clearly going to be delayed, as usual, so after a flurry of English to Arabic and back to English, we sat patiently in the waiting room. I couldn’t guess her age and I didn’t ask. Eventually I found out that she is a US Citizen, having emigrated here from Iraq as a refugee. The refugee process is rigorous and requires a lot of vetting by several US agencies before this status is granted to anyone. Upon arriving in the USA, a refugee must wait a year to apply for a Green Card. Then after 5 years as a Lawful Permanent Resident a person can apply for citizenship. She had done all of this and is now a citizen.
I asked about her life in Iraq. I learned that she was a dentist with her own practice and her husband was a licensed engineer with his own business as well. Their political views were too liberal to suit the policies of their country. Their lives were threatened and a dangerous outcome was looming when they made the decision to apply for refugee status. They quickly sold what they could, packed what little they were allowed to take, and left their country in a hurry.
Where a refugee ends up is like a roulette game. A person is treated like the little ball that goes around the wheel and eventually lands in a spot. The toss in their case landed them in downtown Saint Louis, in a neighborhood that was far different from the one they left. Their children were enrolled in schools that were mediocre at best. Her kids were good students, but they experienced a lot of bullying and name calling and very little learning.
When she was eligible for a Green Card she had permission to work. Being a translator is just one of her three jobs. She works in order to earn enough money for her kids to go to private school, where they are treated with respect and learning is encouraged. I asked about her status as a dentist. Of course, her dental degree and license are not recognized here. She would have to train as a hygienist, work in that capacity for a while, and then apply for a 2 or 3 year program, then take the exam to get a license that would allow her to practice her profession. She has not done that, and doesn’t know if she ever will. Her goal is to make sure her children get the best education possible.
As a result of putting her professional life on hold indefinitely, she now has a daughter who is a registered pharmacist working for a major insurance company. Her son has started college with the hope of becoming an engineer like his father – who now drives for Uber. She said if anyone were to ask if she is happy here, she would have a hard time answering. Her elderly mother is still in Iraq. Well, her whole former life is lost in Iraq. She commented that leaving home was a traumatic experience that still haunts her. I told her about a quote that I came across once: “No one leaves home willingly, unless home is in the mouth of a shark.”
My client’s medical document was denied on the spot. We will be back at USCIS with a new statement and a hopeful attitude. I will ask to have the same woman assigned as our translator. I learned a lot from her. Inshallah.