Amirah Anisah Samad, 35, had been living in Malaysia for more than three decades. Born in Kelantan, she moved to Penang at the age of 17 and has been working as an interpreter for seven years, reported . One day, her daughter asked, "Mum, why can't we study [here in Malaysia]? What's wrong with us? Can we achieve our goals?" This question prompted Amirah to migrate to Chicago in the US.
She now resides in the Illinois city with her husband and four children, aged between 11 and 17. "Alhamdulillah, life in Malaysia was very enjoyable because it's peaceful. The neighbours were all nice.
I could go anywhere freely...
Looking for accommodation and places to eat were all okay. "It's just that I couldn't study and didn't have privileges . However, I understand that and respect Malaysian law," she said.
In 2013, Amirah and her family applied for resettlement to a third country. After a series of interviews with the UNHCR and the US immigration authorities, completing health checks, and orientation courses, they were finally approved to move to the US in 2016. They arrived in the US over a month ago, warmly greeted by local residents.
"Before immigrating [to the US], we really thought about many things, including how to live in a non-Muslim majority country unlike Malaysia. "But, Alhamdulillah, we were well-received by the community. As soon as we arrived here, we were greeted by 12 people holding signs and carrying bouquets as a welcoming gesture," she recalled.
On 17 May, she expre.
