Emma Yaaka is a Ugandan refugee living here in Chicago. He experienced life as an asylee in Kenya for years, facing the difficulties of a less-than-welcoming community while attempting to navigate the resettlement process with the United Nations.
Before coming to the U.S., Emma was already a human rights advocate back in Africa – working as an interpreter and community health worker for LGBTQ communities in urban refugee camps Kenya. A few years after arriving in Chicago, his passion for service toward fellow refugees brought him to Refugee and Immigrant Community Services (RICS) as a Medical Case Manager.
When COVID-19 broke out, Emma looked for the best way to help the refugee community. He has created a YouTube platform series called Wordout Channel, where he helped refugee communities mobilize and educate one another about COVID-19 and how to take precautions.
“It’s about trust, it’s about relationships. We have to work within our own community, and expand that community, so that we all may thrive.”
But as the country faces it’s fourth year in which President Trump reducing the refugee resettlement cap, the systems built to build community are being torn down. Over the last four years, the amount of refugees America welcomes into the country has dropped by almost 80 percent. According to Emma, the refugee cap is more than just a number – it is the embodiment of hope for millions of people around the globe.
For Emma and others already here in the U.S., this dramatic drop in numbers is a closing door – one that was to be the gateway between themselves and the people they love, still awaiting resettlement.
“We still have families back there. We have wives, husbands, children, and friends– and this reduction only keeps families separated longer.”
Emma’s own experience with the refugee resettlement process was not easy. The process takes years, with countless barriers to overcome – all while living stateless. It is a dangerous and traumatic experience.
“Every month, you have to go for interviews and assessments with resettlement officers. You repeat your story over and over again, and they ask for evidence – but we don’t have evidence, we are without anything as we flee,” Emma said. “Combine that with having few resources and absolutely no security. Many of the places where refugees live are not welcoming. These places claim that we feed on their food, that we take their jobs, and so these communities do not make life easy for us.”
Today, Emma’s essential worker status means he works with other refugees at the hardest of times. He’s been to the hospital with those struggling, helping advocate for them – all in the midst of this pandemic. He’s proud to be there for some of our city’s most vulnerable populations, and Heartland makes sure he has everything he needs to do that safely and with quality. Even still, the newest attack on resettlement acceptance in the U.S. has a dramatic impact on the lives of our newest Americans.
Emma, however, remains hopeful for the future of refugee communities around the U.S.
“The U.S. is still one of the most diverse countries full of opportunities. When I came here, I came with nothing. Regardless of who I am, regardless of my background, I’ve been given a chance to thrive. I have security now, which I didn’t have before. I have a job that I did not have. I have a platform that I did not have. I still believe this is a country that believes in human rights, I really believe that.”
And as part of Heartland Alliance, the work that people like Emma focuses on is never done. Some programs are serving even more people than before the pandemic. As COVID-19 and other crises began to hit Chicago, many who used our services in the past returned in search of new resources, guidance, and community. Emma and the rest of Heartland Alliance will never back down on the commitment to equity and opportunity for all – especially when those in power threaten that goal.
“I am proud that Heartland has been able to educate, provide resources, and help refugees better understand that circumstances we face today. I am hopeful because I am still making a difference in the lives of other refugees. I am proud that I can still give back, and help continue to create that welcoming, accepting, diverse community in Chicago.”
