Lutheran Social Services New Americans

New American shares story

WDAY-TV, Fargo
Posted: June 22, 2012

By Kevin Wallevand

A story tonight about a Fargo man who has turned a "life and death” struggle in Iraq, into a success story in Fargo Moorhead. Today is World Refugee Day. The metro has welcomed 4,400 New Americans the last 15 years. Many are becoming volunteers, leaders and professionals in our community.

Every day, you can find Amar Hussein at Lutheran Social Services in Fargo, helping new Americans find jobs at local hotels and restaurants in town. He works as an interpreter here, but the journey here to Fargo started with a close brush with death. Terrorists in Iraq who wanted him dead.

Amar Hussein: “They put a bomb under my car.”

In the town of Turkrit the home of Sadam Hussein, Amar left his job one day and walked to his car.

Amar Hussein: “A big explosion under my car, a sticky bomb.”

The blast seriously injured him, and he was airlifted out of the country.

Amar Hussein: “They did seven surgeries.”

Since 2007, he has been in Fargo; now with a family, including three children, one very new.

Today he told his story to those attending the World Refugee Day in West Fargo -- How welcome he and other new Americans feel coming to the valley as refugees.

Amar Hussein: “We have feelings that we are attached to this area, because of the people.”

Most impressive, his drive and determination to get his master’s degree in architecture from NDSU. He has just one year left. A grueling program that has brought out the genius in Amar; work that has won him national honors. All because of a dream he had as a boy. War changed his life. He never thought he would become a refugee or a new American. Now, he is one of the success stories. The freedoms and accomplishments no one can take from him.

The Fargo-West Fargo area has welcomed 348-New Americans this year.

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