Always On: The Work of Resettlement

After fleeing Uganda to escape a life sentence for his identity, Adam arrived in Chicago with nothing but his background in social work. Today, he serves as a vital bridge for LGBTQ+ migrants navigating the same trauma, bureaucracy, and fear he once faced. This story explores how one person’s search for peace became a 24/7 mission to ensure no one else has to navigate the resettlement process alone.

In this audio story, we explore the intersection of global migration and LGBTQ+ rights through the voices of directly impacted community members and resettlement experts. Featuring interviews with Adam, archival context on colonial-era laws, and reporting from the resettlement frontlines in Chicago.

Produced by Nadia Carolina Hernandez [@naddixo] for Reparations Media NFP | In collaboration with HIAS (Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society) [@HIASrefugees] 

Transcript

Adam  0:02  
They want to see I have a girlfriend, or I'm preparing to marry, or I have the child, and since they saw this was not happening, question starts arising up.

Nadia Hernandez  0:16  
That's Adam, born in Uganda. Adam asked us not to use his real name. He's talking about a traditional coming of age practice in his hometown, one that comes with expectations about marriage and family, and when those expectations aren't met, the community begins to take notice. Adam was born in Uganda and lived there until 2017 he explained that as a gay youth, he faced dangerous scrutiny from his family and community. If you might be within the minority and eligibility community, then you are an abomination and disowned. I'm Nadia Carolina Hernandez with change agents the podcast you

Nadia Hernandez  1:07  
one evening, walking home Adam, saw a woman he knew surrounded by a group of men. They were yelling at her, using her sexual orientation to intimidate her. Some of them might have known a little about her sexual orientation, and she was being harassed. They were speaking loudly. They want to prove to her that they are men and she's a woman. She has to go with men, but not women. And it was escalating. Things were turning dangerous. Adam stepped in to help. He tried to distract the men and give her time to get away. I knew that I could at least try to distract them as she finds a way out of there. The distraction worked, but the encounter left Adam shaken. Most of the people seemed to be

Nadia Hernandez  1:56  
not minding a lot on what was happening, and this was serious. Why had the men shown such aggression? What might have happened if he hadn't intervened, and why did incidents like these so often go ignored?

Nadia Hernandez  2:11  
Uganda's penal code, act inherited from British colonial rule, criminalized consensual, same sex, sexual acts as, quote, carnal knowledge against the order of nature and gross indecency. UNQUOTE, these provisions carried penalties up to life imprisonment.

Nadia Hernandez  2:29  
As their suspicions grew, Adam was eventually disowned by his family. He was at a crossroads and began to question his future in Uganda,

Nadia Hernandez  2:38  
Adam felt threatened by his government and abandoned by his family and community,

Nadia Hernandez  2:45  
he made the difficult decision to leave Uganda, fleeing to a refugee camp in Nairobi.

Nadia Hernandez  2:51  
Adam. Studied social work in Uganda, and he used that training in the refugee camp, he helped others fill out forms and translated for case managers

Nadia Hernandez  3:00  
in 2017 Adam arrived in the United States and settled in Chicago. Adjusting was not easy. He struggled to find work and to navigate the city. He also carried trauma from his past. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees had helped Adam migrate now in the United States, they helped him find his first job as a case manager for refugees like himself. Over time, Adam began to feel grounded. He found a measure of peace. 

Adam  3:32  
At the time that I started my social work, I started, like, getting back, at least, to understand more that. Okay? It's like I'm safe.

Nadia Hernandez  3:44  
For the past two years, Adam has worked as director of resettlement at the Hebrew immigrant Aid Society, a global Jewish humanitarian organization.

Nadia Hernandez  3:55  
He helps newly arrived migrants from around the world meet immediate needs like rent food and finding work. He guides them through the transition that was so difficult for him.

Nadia Hernandez  4:06  
Adam's clients come from all corners of the world. Many like him are part of the LGBTQ community. They come to the United States seeking safety, but often carry the same fears they had back home.

Adam  4:18  
 I work with LGBT community from across the world, individuals from Haiti I work with individuals from Africa

Adam  4:28  
and from Afghanistan and Iraq as well. 

Nadia Hernandez  4:31  
America's push to crack down on undocumented residents has made fear part of daily life, even refugees and asylum seekers, people legally protected from deportation, worry they could be targeted by ice.

Nadia Hernandez  4:46  
A steady stream of executive orders from Washington has left many communities unsure of their rights.

Adam  4:53  
I got a lot of calls from these individuals, a couple that I'm working with from Haiti was asking.

Adam  4:59  
Now, are we going to be taken back to Haiti? And they seem to be worrying. Should we go to work tomorrow?

Nadia Hernandez  5:08  
 Adam sees people who want to speak. But hold back afraid to let their guard down. He tries to ease their fears while connecting them with resources that can prove their lives.

Adam  5:19  
 I know they are legally here, but I just see the fear filled in them. You may feel that United States is safe again, but we have, like the social media where we are, we experience and we see a lot of happenings, so we're not like sure how safe it will be. 

Nadia Hernandez  5:40  
Adam knows from his early days in Chicago that having a lifeline, someone who picks up the phone at any time, day or night, can make a difficult transition a little easier. 

Adam  5:51  
My work cell phone has to be on, always, not like my staff that works strictly from nine to five, mine has to be on after a day of helping others navigate fear and uncertainty, Adam often walks around the lake giving himself a chance to breathe and reflect.

Adam  6:10  
I love like walking around the lake, and I just feel relieved in most of the time.

Judith McCray  6:20  
Thank you for joining change agents, the podcast series looking at grassroots actions and solutions through stories told from the inside out.

Judith McCray  6:30  
Change agents is produced by reparations media. The music is composed by Sarah Abdullah.

Judith McCray  6:37  
Funding support is provided by The Chicago Community Foundation, The Chicago Community Trust, the field Foundation, the wayfarer Foundation and the Lumpkin Family Foundation.

Judith McCray  6:51  
Subscribe to this podcast on Apple podcast, Spotify Stitcher and wherever you find podcasts and follow change agents on Facebook, Instagram and our website, change agents, the podcast.com, you.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai