Excerpt
Fadi1 was a surgeon for 15 years before he and his family were resettled from Syria to Chicago. Since arriving here, he’s been able to take work as CNA in a nursing home and has been trying to figure out what of his education may be able to transfer so that he can enroll in nursing school. His wife, formerly a CPA, has had more success with gig economy jobs, but her choppy English has led to several failed interviews for full time work. “She’s absolutely fluent in French, but alas we did not arrive there,” (Haarman, 2020). His daughter has been adjusting well, partially because her English has been improving fast, but her failing grades in history courses (of a country she did not grow up in) meant she was not tracked into other AP courses and likely will not be eligible for some scholarships, as there is little time to turn her GPA around before she will graduate from high school next year. Conversations with their neighbors have been awkward since they called the police to Fadi’s apartment, claiming their Eid celebration was too loud. “They tell me I am so blessed to be here,” Fadi shared with a smirk. “I tell them being alive is good and end the conversation.
