Name: Armant L’Heureux

Social Justice Group: Refugees

Date of Fieldwork: December 6, 2017

Name of Organization:

Person (people) with whom I met and their job titles: Ahmed Al Rubaye

Type of Fieldwork: Interview

What I did:

We interviewed Mr. Al Rubaye, a former civil engineer from Iraq who was forced to flee when he was targeted.

What I learned:

We learned about the horrible experience of being forced to flee from your home and country. Although Mr. Al Rubaye did not go into detail about his origins, we know that he was a civil engineer who was targeted by a gang and forced to flee with his family. The gang threatened to kill them if they didn’t leave, so Mr. Al Rubaye left for Egypt in 2003 when he was 43 and gained refugee status 2 years later, which is fast compared to others. When he got to America, he wanted to help others so he became a translator for American program helping.

What I learned about Social Justice “work” and/or Civil and Human rights “work” from this fieldwork:

I learned how difficult some peoples’ experiences can be, Al Rubaye had to leave his brother in Iraq, and many people have to go through the same or worse. Al Rubaye’s brother was not in danger, but many are and are stuck in their country. Only 1% of people seeking asylum can get approved, and the other 99% are left having trouble with their escape and are hit with mental issues such as PTSD.