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One Refugee's Story Of Coming To America
ResumePaul Okot came to this country as a refugee from southern Sudan when he was 7 years old. He still vividly remembers landing at JFK airport in New York and going through customs.
"They asked me, 'Where are you coming from?' I said America. And they said 'Where you going?' And I said America. And I didn't understand the question, but all I knew was America. That's where I needed to be."
In the 20 years since, Okot graduated from Bates College, started his own business helping other refugees and immigrants with interpretation and other services, and ran for a seat on the school board in Portland, Maine. He shares his story with Here & Now's Meghna Chakrabarti.
Guest
- Paul Okot, founder of the International Resource Center in Portland, Maine. He is from South Sudan and grew up in Portland, Maine.
This segment aired on November 26, 2015.