Abdullah Mahmood is only 16 years old, but he has lived a life far different from the average New Jersey teen. He has lived in Iraq and Syria for most of his young life, and he is a refugee. When asked what drives the conflict in the countries he called home as a child, his answer is simple: “Hate.”

But Abdullah is not giving up. After living in America for just over a year, he has completed all of his ESL classes and has integrated into the traditional English courses at Elizabeth High School. And unlike the typical high schooler, Abdullah doesn’t place much value on things like social media, sports or hanging out with friends. What does he like most about America? His answer comes without hesitation: “The education, of course.”
Abdullah visited WHS on Nov. 2 along with his parents, siblings and another refugee family, as part of the Diversity Committee’s book discussion for Outcasts United (see description in story below). The two families were joined by Ms. Wafa Esposito, a Lebanese refugee who lives in Summit and works to support newly arrived refugee families.
There are a lot more refugees in America than one might think. Simply look at surrounding towns where refugees resettle, such as Camden, Jersey City and nearby Elizabeth. Just eight miles away from Westfield, Elizabeth is “one of America’s realities,” Esposito said.
Refugees are not synonymous with immigrants. According to Ms. Catherine Picker, an immigration program manager for the International Rescue Committee, a refugee is someone who has experienced past persecution or has reason to believe that they will experience future persecution based on race, religion, nationality or political affiliation.
Refugees have little say in where they are relocated. “If a refugee has a family member in a particular country, then they can ask to be referred to that country,” Picker said. “The country has to agree to take them, though.”
There are programs in place to help refugees once they do come to the United States. For example, WHS moms Ms. Alissa Berger and Ms. Jenny Tananbaum are co-coordinators of the Saturday morning Fun Club at Temple Emanu-El in Westfield. This program is in place to help refugees learn English, write a resume, socialize and play games. Abdullah’s mother, Reem Alkhalidi, said the club is like family to the refugees who attend.
Mohamad Al Jahmani is a father of four who attends the Fun Club and also visited WHS on Nov. 2. He is originally from Aleppo, Syria, but left because of air raids, rockets and a government roundup of men. After getting injured by an al-Qaeda car bomb, he fled to Jordan, and four years later made it to America through the United Nations refugee program.
Mohamad is currently in school and does small jobs on the side, such as painting houses and construction. His family has been living in America for 14 months.
Abdullah’s father, Ammar Ahmed, has found a full-time job with Amazon and works a night shift from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m., leaving him only five hours of sleep per day. This is very different from his job in Iraq, where he was an accountant.
Even though Ammar has been through school and has a job, life is still not easy for him or his family. On a recent morning, his family of six stepped out of their home for 30 minutes, then returned to find their cash and gold stolen from the small, two-room apartment they share. “Doors were broken and they stole everything,” Reem said. “They searched through everything.”
Ammar noted that he had a nice home and car in Baghdad, Iraq, then started “from zero” again after he fled the violence there and moved to Syria. His family then left Syria when civil war broke out, and lived in northern Iraq before attaining refugee status and moving to New Jersey. “I started from zero four times,” he said.
Leaving behind a violent past is not easy for adults or children. “It takes a long time to heal from hate,” Esposito said.
Abdullah was one of three refugee teens who visited WHS on Nov. 2, joining Sara Al Jahmani (15 years old) and Zaina Al Jahmani (13). The three said they value school projects and work. The American educational system is very different than that of their home countries.
“In [Iraq], if you don’t do any homework, you get hit by your teacher, and here, they forgive you and give you another chance to do the work,” Abdullah said. “They help you.”
Although it was difficult to make friends when they first moved to the United States, the teenage refugees like being here. Many of their new friends are from other parts of the world, and speak languages ranging from Japanese to Spanish to Creole. While there are a lot of new opportunities socially and educationally, Sara said: “Sometimes you miss your friends or the language you speak in school. I cannot write in Arabic very well because I forget some of it.”
The refugees are getting their shot at the American Dream. “In our country, you can’t get your goals and you can’t succeed,” said Abdullah. “The USA is the country of opportunities. All of the students like to help each other.”
Refugees suffer from traumatic experiences like war, persecution and religious oppression. But by gaining the opportunity to live in a safe haven, hope is restored.
“I have something to fight for,” Abdullah said. “And that is my future.”