>>> MY NAME IS CASULM SHALUM.

I WAS RAISED IN KENYAN.

NOW IN DENVER.

WHEN I LEFT AFRICA TO COME TO THE STATES I WAS 25.

IT DID START WITH MOVING TO THE U.S.

I MOVED TO THE U.S.

I WAS RELOCATED TO THE U.S.

I MOVED FROM UGANDA TO NAIROBI.

AS WE ALL KNOW ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED ACCORDING TO THE BIBLE IT WAS A TOPIC HARD ON MY PARENTS.

THEY DIDN'T AGREE WHAT IT WAS.

IT BECAME UNCOMFORTABLE.

THE MORE IT BECAME UNCOMFORTABLE WHAT IF I GO TO A PLACE NO ONE KNOWS.

I WENT TO NAIROBI FOR TWO MONTHS.

I COULDN'T STAY ON MY HOME.

I WAS 18.

LATER ON I JUST CAN'T.

I CAN'T KEEP DOING THIS.

I CAN'T CONNECT ANYMORE.

I'M NOT WHAT YOU EXPECT ME TO BE.

"AT THE SAME TIME, I CAN'T HIDE" WHO I AM.

IT BECAME TOUGH NOT WITH FAMILY BUT FRIENDS AND THE COMMUNITY.

TO MAKE THINGS WORSE.

I GOT TO SEE SOME OF THE PEOPLE I KNOW FROM OUR COMMUNITY BACK IN UGANDA LGBT BEING KILLED BY THE MOB.

SEEING THE COMMUNITY THAT I "FOUND TO BE SAFE, IT WAS NO" LONGER SAFE.

NOW THE COUNTRY MADE IT UNSAFE.

LEGALLY UNSAFE.

I DECIDED TO LEAVE UGANDA AND MOVE TO KENYA AT THE AGE OF 19.

NOW I WAS A REFUGEE.

I DIDN'T HAVE A HOME NO MORE.

JUST BECAUSE OF WHAT I IDENTIFIED AS.

I HAD A BACKPACK.

A SMALL BACKPACK.

I HAD ONE PAIR OF SHOES.

AND KENYA BECAME HOME FOR ME.

IT WASN'T SAFE THERE EITHER BECAUSE IT WAS REALLY WILD.

BUT IT WAS WAY SAFER THAN BACK HOME.

IT IS NOT ILLEGAL TO IDENTIFY AS LGBTQ.

PEOPLE LOOK AT IT AS BEING A CROSS DRESSER.

THERE WAS A TIME WE WERE HAVING A GOOD TIME.

PEOPLE STARTED JUMPING OVER THE FENCES.

THEY NOTICED THIS IS A HOUSE FULL OF REFUGEES AND KENYANS THAT ALSO ARE LGBTQ.

IT BECAME A TARGETED SPOT.

WE MOVED ONE PLACE TO THE OTHER FROM AREA TO AREA TO AREA.

NO PLACE COULD FEEL SAFE.

GETTING REFUGEE DOCUMENTATION IS A PROBLEM.

MOSTLY IT IS LGBTQ REFUGEES.

THEY OPENED THE DOOR AND FORGOT TO KEEP IT CLOSED.

IT WAS 6:00 IN THE MORNING.

THEY ARE GETTING READY TO GO TO WORK.

SOMEONE GETS IN THE HOUSE.

SOME OF US WERE IN BED.

OTHERS WITH MACHETES.

WE COME OUT AND SEE FOUR GUYS WITH VERY SHARP MACHETES.

IT IS ALL OF US WERE 12 PEOPLE IN THIS HOUSE.

THEY PUT US IN ONE SMALL ROOM.

WE KNOW THAT ALL OF YOU ARE GAY.

WHEN WE WERE BEING PILED UP IN ONE ROOM THEY WERE IN THE RIGHT ARM.

THEY SENT A TEXT TO ONE OF OUR FRIENDS AND HELP CAME.

NONE OF US WAS HURT.

GETTING TO SEE THESE WERE YOUNG BOYS THEY HAD HELD US HOSTAGES.

THEY WERE JUST AS YOUNG AS WE WERE.

BEING SHOT DEAD IN THE SAME PLACE THAT WE STAY WAS ONE OF THE SCARIEST THINGS.

"A FEW MONTHS LATER, I WAS" RESETTLED TO COLORADO.

MY FIRST IMPRESSION FOR THE FIRST THING THAT GOT IN MY MIND WE ARE DOING IT AGAIN.

LIKE STARTING UP AGAIN.

"I WAS LIKE, WELL ALL EXCITED BUT" SCARED.

THE BIGGEST SURPRISE THAT THE NUMBER OF PRIDE PEOPLE TO BLACK PEOPLE.

I GET INTO A ROOM.

IT WAS A BIG -- PEOPLE IN DENVER ARE REALLY FRIENDLY.

IT MADE TRANSITION EASY.

THE TRANSITION IS SCARY.

BUT IS SO WORTH IT.

IT IS OKAY NOT TO BE OKAY.

YOU DON'T HAVE TO CREATE AN EXCUSE FOR WHO YOU IDENTIFY AS.

>> YOU HAVE BEEN HERE TWO YEARS?

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE FOR YOUR LIFE OVER THE NEXT TWO YEARS?

WHAT DO YOU WANT FOR YOURSELF?

>> I ACCOMPLISHED THE THINGS THAT I WANTED.

ORGANIZATION FOR REFUGEES.

WHY IT TAKES SO LONG?

AND WHAT IS PROCESS -- HOW DOES THE SYSTEM WORKS?

GETTING TO SUPPORT REFUGEES FROM OTHER COUNTRIES.

GETTING TO SEE SOMEONE WHO DIDN'T SPEAK ENGLISH AT ALL AND SUPPORTING THEM BEING INDEPENDENT.

THAT WAS ONE OF MY DREAMS.

WHICH I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH.

I WOULD LOVE TO GET INTO SCHOOL.

TRY AS MANY THINGS AS I CAN.

GO TO THE MOUNTAINS.

YEAH.

GO TO THE MOUNTAINS.

HIKE SOMEWHERE.

YEAH.

I WANT TO TRY.

YEAH.

AND BE ACTUALLY FREE ABOUT IT.

I HAD NEVER KNOWN HOW THAT FELT LIKE.

I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW THAT FEELS.

I CAN BE WHO I AM AND IT IS NOBODY'S BUSINESS.

I'M AFRICAN.

I'M SHALUM.

THAT IS WHO I AM.

CARRYING MY ROOTS WITH ME.

A GIFT I CARE AS A CROWN ON MY HEAD EVERY DAY.

"YEAH, I'M SHALUM."

I'M AFRICAN.

THAT'S ME.

>> MY NAME IS TATIANNA.

I CAME FROM UKRAINE.

I TEACH PEOPLE HOW TO COPE.

I TEACH THE BASICS OF CULINARY.

AND I'M PROUD TO BE UKRAINIAN.

WHEN I SPEAK -- ABOUT UKRAINE I RECONNECT WITH MY COUNTRY.

I FEEL ABOUT IT AND THINK ABOUT IT.

I ALWAYS TAKE WITH ME NAPKINS.

I'M SORRY FOR THIS.

>> IT IS OKAY.

>> IT IS EMOTIONAL.

"WHEN WE ESCAPED FROM THE WAR," THIS WAS SEVEN LONG DAYS OF MY LIFE.

"THREE OF US, ME, MY SON, FENIX."

WE HAD LACK OF FOOD AND WATER.

IT WAS VERY COLD.

WE HAVE LIMITED FUEL.

GAS STATIONS WERE FROZE.

IF YOU ARE LUCKY TO FIND IT THEY GIVE YOU LIMITED QUANTITY OF FUEL.

"AND, OF COURSE, I DECIDED TO" MOVE.

WE WERE FROZEN.

SHE KEEP US WARM.

I DON'T KNOW WHO HAVE MORE.

IT WAS A HARD TIME.

LEAVE EVERYTHING BEHIND ME.

WHEN YOU LEAVE EVERYTHING BEHIND "YOU, YOUR LIFE, YOUR FRIENDS," "YOUR SURROUNDINGS, YOUR" EVERYTHING.

IT IS PAINFUL.

I WAS BORN THERE.

EVERYTHING IS THERE.

"THE LANGUAGE WE ARE SPEAKING," THE FOODS WE ARE EATING.

PEOPLE ASKING ME HOW I ESCAPE "FROM UKRAINE, HOW IT WAS?"

IT WAS DIFFICULT TO ME TO SPEAK ABOUT IT.

"BUT THEN, I UNDERSTOOD THERE IS" ONE WAY TO SHARE TO SHOW PEOPLE HERE HOW LUCKY ARE THEY.

"THEY HAVE ELECTRICITY, THEY HAVE" FOOD.

THEY DON'T NEED TO PULL OUT IN THE NIGHT THEIR CHILDREN IN PAJAMAS.

I NEEDED TO GO THROUGH AND CONTINUE.

AND CONTINUE AND CONTINUE.

MY NEW FAMILY SHE HAD FAMILY SIBLINGS.

THAT IS A HUGE FAMILY.

THEY WERE SO FRIENDLY.

THEY HELPED ME A LOT.

THEY JUST MEET ME LIKE I WAS IN THEIR LIFE ALWAYS.

THEY WEREN'T WITH ME PHYSICALLY.

THEY WERE WITH MANY MENTALLY.

I'M SO GRATITUDE.

WE MET ONLINE.

AFTER A LOT OF CORRESPONDENCE WE DECIDED TO MEET.

OUR FIRST MEETING WE FELL IN LOVE.

HE CAME TWICE IN UKRAINE TO LIVE WITH ME.

HE WANTED TO BE INTRODUCED TO MY FAMILY AS WELL.

AND THEN TWO WEEKS BEFORE WE -- I ESCAPED TO EUROPE.

WE LEFT IN THE MORNING.

SOMEONE SAID THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IN YOUR LIFE YOU CAN CARRY IN YOUR TWO HANDS.

IT IS TRUE.

I TOOK MY SON AND MY SACK IN THE OTHER.

WROTE A LOT OF LETTERS TO THE CONGRESSMEN.

TO SPEED UP MY PROCESS.

MONTHS AND MONTHS AND WAITING AND NOTHING HAPPENED.

UNITED FOR UKRAINE.

"THEY SAID, IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW" YOU COME HERE.

WE LANDED IN JUNE IN DENVER.

AS TWO REFUGEES.

THEY SAID WHAT DOCUMENTS YOU NEED.

THEY SAID PASSPORT.

THAT IS ALL?

I WAS SO HAPPY TO GO THROUGH THIS DOOR.

WAITING FOR ME AND HUGGING.

JAMES BROUGHT US TO FORT COLLINS.

WE LIVE IN A SMALL TOWN NEAR FORT COLLINS.

I WAS CURIOUS TO KNOW ABOUT THIS TOWN AND THE HISTORY AND THE PEOPLE THERE AND CREATE NETWORKING.

WHAT A SURPRISE.

EVERYTHING IS DIFFERENT COMPARED TO UKRAINE.

"CARS, EVEN SIGNS ON THE ROADS," "FOODS, CULTURE, LANGUAGE," INGREDIENTS.

I WAS SURPRISED TO FIND THAT PEOPLE HERE THEY ARE FRIENDLY.

WITH OPEN HEARTS.

MY ADVICE TO PEOPLE WHO JUST COME TRY TO ASSIMILATE HERE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

LEARN ENGLISH.

IF YOU KNOCK ON THE DOOR THEY WILL BE OPENED.

I RECEIVED A LOT OF HELP HERE FROM DIFFERENT STRUCTURES WHEN I JUST CONNECT WITH THEM.

CAN YOU HELP ME.

I DON'T THINK ABOUT MONEY.

I SPEAK ABOUT GIVE ME DIRECTIONS.

WHERE I CAN LEARN ENGLISH "BETTER, HOW I CAN APPLY FOR" "HELP, HOW CAN I CAN CREATE MY" NETWORK OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

BELIEVE IN YOURSELF.

YOU ARE IN THE COUNTRY OF FREEDOM.

IF YOU REALLY WANT TO SETTLE HERE AND NAME THIS PLACE LIKE YOUR SECOND HOME DO SOMETHING.

MOVE.

ASK PEOPLE.

ASK FOR HELP IN GOOD WAYS.

THEY WILL DEFINITELY SEE RECEIVE THE HELP HERE.

PEOPLE ARE FRIENDLY WITH ME AND STILL FRIENDLY WITH ME.

WHEN YOU SHOW THAT YOU WANT TO BE ACTIVE HERE.

YOU DON'T JUST WANT TO BE PASSIVE.

ENJOY YOUR LIFE.

YOU FEEL CONFIDENCE.

YOU FEEL FREEDOM.

I HAVE HUSBAND.

I AM PROTECTED.

I AM PART OF THIS LAND NOW.

I BELONG TO THIS LAND.

>> MY NAME IS MOHAMED.

I WAS SENT HERE FROM A REFUGEE CAMP.

DENVER IS MY SECOND HOME.

I WAS BORN IN SUDAN.

THE LAST 12 YEARS OF MY LIFE I ENDED UP IN A REFUGEE CAMP IN KENYA.

THAT WAS A DIFFERENT CULTURAL SHOCK.

"DIFFERENT PEOPLE, DIFFERENT" LANGUAGE.

"I GOT THREE SISTERS, FIVE" SIBLINGS.

I HAVE MY MOM AND DAD HERE AS WELL.

WHEN THE WAR STARTED WE GOT SEPARATED.

AFTER THREE MONTHS WE GOT REUNITED AGAIN.

THEY GOT SENT TO THE U.S.

DIFFERENT SHOCK.

"DIFFERENT CULTURE, DIFFERENT" THINGS TO ADAPT TO.

THE FIRST THING FROM COLORADO.

WE LANDED HERE AT NIGHT.

THAT WAS THE FIRST TIME SEEING THAT MUCH LIGHT FROM THE PLANE IN THE CITY.

VOLUNTEERED WITH THE AGENCY AND THEY WELCOMED US WITH OPEN ARMS.

IT WAS SO BEAUTIFUL.

IT WAS SO UNBELIEVING.

THEY GOT US HOME AND FOOD EVERYWHERE.

THAT WAS A SHOCK.

WE NEVER SEEN FOOD LIKE THAT.

RIGHT NOW I DO CULTURE NAVIGATION.

WHAT WE DO IS HELP OUR FELLOW REFUGEES AND IMMIGRANTS TO GET SETTLED HERE.

WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE MOVE FROM DIFFERENT STATES THEY CAN GET THE BENEFIT THAT CAN HELP THEM WITH THEIR DAILY LIFE.

DENVER IS ONE OF THE BEST STATES CURRENTLY HELPING AND DOING MORE TO THE PEOPLE.

GOING BACK AND HAVE THAT LAST -- BUT I DON'T THINK THAT IS HAPPENING.

I CAN SPEAK FOR MOST OF REFUGEES THAT ALL OF THE GENERATIONS LIKE MY PARENTS WHO NEVER ADAPT SOON TO THIS CULTURAL ASPECT HERE IN THE STATE.

BACK HOME PEOPLE GO TO A NEIGHBORS HOUSE AS IF IT IS YOUR HOUSE.

EVERYONE KNOWS EVERYONE WITHIN THE VILLAGE.

THAT WAS BEAUTIFUL LIFE.

BUT HERE IS A WHOLE DIFFERENT ASPECT OF CULTURAL AND LIFE.

I AM VERY HAPPY HERE.

WHEN I LOOK BACK AND COMPARE THE LIVES HERE I'M GETTING MORE "OPPORTUNITIES I CAN WORK, I CAN" HELP OUT PEOPLE.

IT IS A WONDERFUL FEELING.

I GOT MARRIED LIFE IN 2022.

THANK YOU.

I HAVE A DAUGHTER NOW.

SHE PUT A SMILES ON MY FACE EVERY TIME.

I SMILE EVERY TIME I THINK OF THAT LITTLE HUMAN BEING.

IT IS SO AMAZING.

I DO WOULDN'T ME TO BE A ROLE MODEL TO REFUGEES AND IMMIGRANTS THEY CAN ALSO WORK HARD AND HELP OUT PEOPLE AND DO CHANGES WITHIN THE SOCIETY.

I LIKE TO HAVE MY DAD TO HAVE A SAFE ENVIRONMENT AND A BETTER ACCESS TO LIFE THAN WHAT I HAD.

FIRST YEAR WAS VERY TOUGH.

PEOPLE WOULD REGRET LIFE BECAUSE OF THE TOUGHNESS WHEN YOU COME TO A NEW COUNTRY.

FOCUS ON BEING PATIENT.

JUST ASK AROUND.

YOU CAN BUILD TO INTEGRATE TO THE WHOLE SOCIETY.

PEOPLE IN COLORADO ARE MORE WELCOMED.

THEY SAY HIGH TO PEOPLE.

THEY SMILE TO PEOPLE.

"THINGS FOR EXAMPLE, MY MOM, WAS" RIDING THE BUS.

SOMEONE TOLD HER THAT GO BACK TO YOUR COUNTRY.

WHY ARE YOU WEARING THIS?

SHE IGNORED EVERYTHING THE GUY WAS SAYING.

IT IS MINOR THINGS.

IT DOESN'T FEEL AS DANGEROUS AS OTHER PLACES.

COLORADO IS REALLY GOOD.

PEOPLE THINK THAT ALL REFUGEES ARE IMMIGRANTS HERE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE TAXPAYERS WITHIN THE U.S. OR THE STATE OF COLORADO.

AND ALSO THE OTHER THINGS THAT PEOPLE THINK MOST OF THEIR REFUGEES ARE NOT EDUCATED.

BUT WE -- PEOPLE WORK HARD BECAUSE FIRST THEY HAVE "FAMILIES, LIFESTYLE THEY" MAINTAIN HERE.

THEY GOT TO SUPPORT PEOPLE IN DIFFERENT REFUGEE CAMPS THEY GOT TO SUPPORT.

SO I THINK THAT IS THE MOST THING THAT IS MISUNDERSTOOD BY THE AMERICAN PEOPLE OR THE WHOLE COMMUNITY.

THE DIFFERENT CLASSIFICATION WITHIN THE MIGRANTS THAN THE IMMIGRANTS.

WE ALL COME THROUGH MIGRATION PROCESS TO GET TO THE U.S.

BUT THERE ARE CLASSIFICATIONS STYLE OF PEOPLE THAT COME THROUGH THIS MIGRANT THING.

SO REFUGEES PEOPLE BEING FORCED "DUE TO WAR, PROSECUTIONS WITHIN" THEIR HOME COUNTRY.

THEY RUN FOR SAFETY.

THEY GO TO A DIFFERENT COUNTRY.

THEY GO TO A NON-PROFIT TO GET "SHELTER, GET SOME FOOD, BASIC" NEEDS.

"THEY GET SEND TO U.S., CANADA," AUSTRALIA.

WE DO GET HELP WITH FOOD AND MEDICAL COVERAGE THAT SORT OF BENEFITS.

THE MIGRANTS SOMEONE LIVED IN -- THEY JUST WANTED TO GO TO U.S. TO PURSUE A BETTER LIFE THERE.

THEY DO ALL THEIR PAPERWORK.

THEY APPLY AND COME WITHOUT ANY RESOURCES FROM THE GOVERNMENT OR NON-PROFIT.

THEY RENT AND THEY JUST GO THROUGH SOCIETY BY THEMSELVES.

I DON'T THINK THAT WILL OFFEND SOMEONE IF YOU ARE AN IMMIGRANT OR REFUGEES.

THAT IS HOW WE GET CLASSIFIED ONCE YOU RUN FROM THE COUNTRY FOR SAFETY.

BE CLASSIFIED THAT IS HOW IT IS.

I PERSONALLY WILL NOT GET OFFENDED BY THAT.

"I CAME FROM REFUGEE BACKGROUND," IMMIGRANT BACKGROUND.

BETTER LIFE NOW.

BETTER OPPORTUNITIES I CAN ACCESS.

I FEEL PRETTY GOOD THIS IS THE FINAL DESTINATION.

\M\M \M\M \M\M \M\M >>> PBS12 BELIEVES IN THE POWER OF ORIGINAL LOCAL PROGRAMMING.

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