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Abdulkadir "Lee" Abdi: Answering a call to help other refugees
Abdulkadir "Lee" Abdi
Photo: Brandon Tarrant/Refugee Services of Texas
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He came to the United States as a refugee himself. Now the head of a Church World Service resettlement affiliate, Abdulkadir "Lee" Abdi is helping other refugees build new lives in their new community.
Lee is one of six former refugees who now head CWS refugee resettlement offices in Fort Worth, Texas; Columbia, South Carolina; Portland, Oregon; Harrisonburg, Virginia; Lincoln, Nebraska, and Denver, Colorado. Here is his profile.
Abdulkadir "Lee" Abdi
Sub-Office Director
Refugee Services of Texas (RST)
Fort Worth, Texas
Nationality: Somali Benadir.
Education: Associate degree in information technology support, now studying toward a bachelor's degree in IT support and a certificate in nonprofit management.
Refugee story: Was 11 years old in 1991 when the civil war started in his home city, Mogadishu. He, his parents, grandmother, and six siblings fled by car, first to one town, then another. "The war kept pushing us farther away to a point of no return. At least we were fortunate not to see dead bodies, destruction." Finally able to cross into Kenya, the family had to leave the car and most possessions at the border and walk five hours to the Liboye refugee camp.
Abdi and his older brother worked as luggage porters, earning $1 a day total for supplementary food for the family. After several months, the family was moved to Mombasa, where he resumed studies and began learning English. He and his brother sold oil, soap, and other items in the market, netting about $8 a day.
Arrived in the United States: June 11, 1996, to Dallas, Texas, with his parents, grandmother, and siblings.
Sponsor: U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, through Catholic Charities.
Congregational cosponsor: "None, but you never forget who met you at the airport. For us it was Wendy, a volunteer from the local university. You arrive 'blind;' this person guides you."
First big surprise: "Living next door to an American white family. We were used to living close to other refugees, and to going outside – especially us boys. Our new neighbors stayed inside at their window, pointing fingers at us and wondering who we were."
Most challenging: "The American accent, especially hard to understand over the phone. Also, we kept getting lost."
First U.S. job: Assembly line at Dallas Semiconductor (September 1996).
Jobs with RST: Part-time translator and Somali Bantu case manager, full-time case manager and U.S. Refugee Program orientation, and Match Grant program coordinator, all in Dallas; current position.
Languages: Somali, Arabic, Mai Mai, some Swahili, English.
Countries visited: Canada.
Countries you most want to visit next: Brazil and England, "because of my passion for soccer."
Hero: Caliph Al-Walid I, who in the 8th century built a united, flourishing Hispania.
Favorite book: Leaders Who Make a Difference, by Burt Nanus and Stephen M. Dobbs.
Favorite movie: The Shawshank Redemption.
Favorite music: Isley Brothers, Chi-Lites.
Interests outside of work: Cultural anthropology.
Why should the United States welcome refugees? "Because they contribute economically and culturally. And it's a learning experience." For example, an RST volunteer's 15-year-old son used to associate Asians only with kung fu. Now he is "asking them where they are from, what they eat, what languages they speak."
How is it different for refugees resettling to the U.S. now than it was for you? "When we came, people hardly knew where Somalia was, or what Muslims believe. Now people know more about refugees." But there also is more stereotyping now, "especially religious," and some people confuse refugee resettlement with "helping 'illegals' cross the border."
Why do you help other refugees? "I appreciate what God has given me, and to come out alive and perfectly fine. Working with people is challenging when they are angry or frustrated, and I have that ability. I am answering a call – people need my help."
What is your first counsel to a newly arrived refugee? "Don't think that because you are from a big tribe or a prominent family, everything will be fine. Work hard. Give 110 percent effort. Obey the American laws, because here your record will always follow you. Focus on your new life. Still, be who you are. Find a balance between your cultural traditions and beliefs and your new land, culture, neighbors and friends."
Second in a series of articles profiling former refugees who now head CWS resettlement affiliates.
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