#RefugeesWelcome: From Civil War to Success

June 20, 2016

By: Joseph Lewis, Beltsville, Maryland

Summary:

Refugees come to America with a lot to offer this nation. We have a lot of scars. All refugees are asking is just to embrace us.

I spent most of my childhood in Liberia, West Africa. Then, in 1989, the civil war began. My mother cared for my four siblings and me, and for any other children who needed a home. Our house was a house of refuge.

My mother’s last name was Doe, the same as the Liberian president at the time, so she became a target for the rebels. She was incarcerated by the rebels for about a week; she’s never talked about what happened, but when she got out, she decided it was time for us to leave Liberia.

We left in the middle of the night and traveled on an iron ore train. We ended up in the Côte d'Ivoire, in tents. We had one meal a day and walked 15 to 20 miles each day for school.

We baked and sold bread and pastries. I worked at a farm, planting rice in the swamp. I still have scars on my foot from the leeches. They are a reminder to me about where I’ve come from and why I’m propelled to do even greater things to help others.

After about nine years in the Côte d'Ivoire, we went through the immigration process, including many interviews and medical examinations. Three of my siblings and I were resettled in Maryland with my father who was already there. My mother didn’t come until 2007—we were separated for about eight years.

After being a refugee for so long and dealing with the heat, and the constant walking, and the difficult life, coming to America for me was a dream come true. When I got here, I received some financial assistance as a refugee to help me get started in America. I thought things would just fall into place, but it didn’t happen that way.

My mother became seriously ill, so I had to give up a scholarship at Howard University because I needed to work to pay for my mother’s medical care. I couldn’t afford an apartment, so I started to sleep in my car. I would go to McDonald’s in the morning and get cleaned up for work.

I worked at a CVS and then a car dealership, but no one knew I was homeless. I eventually became friends with a gentleman from Freedom Christian Fellowship, and he invited me into his home. That’s how I met a Lutheran pastor who encouraged me, and the church members embraced me.

I decided to follow my dream to go into law enforcement and I ended up with the Metro Transit Police, where I’ve worked my way up to being a sergeant.

I've been blessed with two wonderful children, and I have a wife who’s very supportive.

Joseph Lewis poses for a photograph with his family.

Americans are very welcoming. I’m grateful to this country because nowhere else in the world would my life have been a success story. I volunteer now to help other refugees learn how the system works and how to find the resources they need to make the transition to becoming independent. There are helping hands everywhere, but you have to know where to find them.

Refugees come to America with a lot to offer this nation. We have a lot of scars. All refugees are asking is just to embrace us.

Being an American gives me a sense of protection.

I count my blessings daily.

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.