“Our Biggest Dream”

On a snowy evening in late April 2024, a family of six Rohingya refugees arrived at O’Hare Airport. The oldest of four children, 19-year-old Aiman, remembers he “looked around and went, ‘Oh!’” A jolt of excitement hit as this teen immediately felt “100 percent confident” his family could build a strong future in Chicago. 

They’d traveled from Malaysia—where hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees live after fleeing religious persecution in Myanmar. They arrived with few possessions, but grand plans. “Our goal in coming to the United States is to change our life,” 17-year-old Nisa says, speaking for the family. 

Year one was full of possibility and progress toward that goal. RefugeeOne staff and volunteers welcomed the family at the airport and settled them into a northside apartment. Youth Program staff registered the two older kids, Aimen and Nisa, at Mather High School, where they went on to earn high honors. Twin 12-year-old girls quickly improved their English skills at Clinton Elementary. They also joined RefugeeOne’s After School Program and summer camp, while the older two took advantage of field trips, internships, and college planning workshops. Each child feels they’ve been given an opportunity; one they refuse to waste. “Our biggest dream is to get an education,” Aiman explains. 

Meanwhile, their father, Ramzan Ali, landed a job at the airport with the help of our Employment Program. The mother, Nor Azizah, moved through RefugeeOne English classes and advanced to higher levels at Truman College. She also has become of bit of a TikTok sensation back in Malaysia, posting videos of what it’s like to be resettled in America. People expected to see sprawling refugee camps, but Nor Azizah shows a beautiful city, outings with mentors, and opportunities for her children. “My motive is to let Malaysian people know how refugees get an education, benefits, and a chance for us to get a good future.” 

As the family approached their second anniversary in America, that vision of a good future became a bit cloudier. The current administration has upended the U.S. refugee resettlement program and replaced the country’s welcome mat with a series of barriers for newcomers. 

First, with most new arrivals halted, Nor Azizah’s twin sister is stranded in Malaysia. Green Card processing is paused, and without the ability to receive their Green Card, the family (and many others) are losing crucial SNAP benefits this year and likely will lose Medicaid next year. 

Then there’s the threat of arrest by ICE. Sadly, this family knows what it feels like when men in masks stop you and demand to see your papers—from their life overseas and in America. The father, Ramzan Ali, was pulled over in December on his way to the grocery store. In his limited English, he told ICE he was a refugee, showed his state ID, and let them know he had more documents at home. They eventually let him go, but the family remains traumatized.  

“What ICE is doing now is the same thing we already had in Malaysia,” Nisa explains. “They pick up refugees and take them to jail for a long time.”  

Despite the unsettling echoes of their former home, there are profound differences between being a refugee in Malaysia and the U.S. “In America, we are legal,” Nor Azizah points out. Her husband can work. Her son got a driver’s license. Her daughter went to the city playoffs in badminton. (Prior to resettlement, the kids weren’t legally allowed to play sports.) All four of her children are getting an education, with the goal of going to college. 

“Before coming to the U.S., we couldn’t think about our future because we did not have opportunities,” Nisa explains. “Here, one day we can reach our goal.”   

With the children translating, their father, Ramzan Ali, sums it up. “We are so happy we came here. Thank you so much.”