When I arrived at the national processing center for Afghan evacuees in Virginia a year ago, I already knew I wanted to live in Utah. I had done a Google search and learned that Utah was one of the most welcoming places for refugees in the United States. The state also had affordable housing, plenty of jobs, a low crime rate and a climate with four seasons.
Back in Kabul, I’d been an English translator for an American company. One of my old colleagues said she’d happily resettled in Logan in Cache County and connected me with a caseworker at the Cache Refugee and Immigrant Connection. As soon as I arrived and saw the mountains that reminded me of home, I was relieved.
I fled for my life when the American military left Afghanistan in October 2021 and then spent nine months in a refugee camp in the United Arab Emirates. I finally felt safe.
I know resettlement isn’t always easy, but I’ve quickly come to feel at home in Logan. One new friend taught me how to drive. Another handed down a used laptop and helped me to make a resume. Others have given me eggs or vegetables from their gardens. I was so grateful when one elderly couple invited me out for Indian food and my first American ice cream at Aggie’s. In exchange, I took them biryani, a traditional Afghan rice dish.
It doesn’t matter that my new community is mostly Mormon and I’m Muslim — especially when we’re playing Super Smash Bros on Nintendo or soccer on the field near Utah State University after work. When we stumble upon a cultural difference, we simply find a workaround. For example, I don’t eat pork, so my friends have graciously agreed to swap the pepperoni on our Papa John’s pizza for veggies.
From the start, Utahns have been curious and accepting about my culture and open about sharing their own. In fact, I’ve had to get used to people being so friendly. In Afghanistan, we’re more reserved when we first meet someone. But over time, I’ve learned to let down my guard and trust people more easily.
Many people have told me I’m the first refugee they’ve met and are curious about why I had to escape Afghanistan. I certainly didn’t want to leave my home or family. But the Taliban were going around any neighborhood asking who had helped the U.S. military or worked for an American company. I’m devastated that I never got a chance to say goodbye to my father. He wasn’t home at the time I learned I had a chance to get a seat on a charter plane out of the country. I had to grab my bag and leave immediately.
Since the summer of 2021, the United States has resettled nearly 90,000 Afghans. Before that, only one Afghan person lived in Cache County. Afterwards, Logan became an official refugee resettlement site. Now, there are around 100 Afghans who are living in Cache County. Like many other resettlement agencies, the Cache Refugee and Immigrant Connection covers housing and utilities for the first 90 days and helps us get a cell phone, kitchen supplies and furniture. They’ve also helped us find jobs. When I first arrived, I worked as an English instructor and machine operator for Schreiber Foods, which makes yogurt and cheese. By the third month, I was proud to have enough money to pay my rent.
Earlier this year, I became a case manager for the organization, and I’ve seen firsthand how well immigrants and refugees are integrated into Cache County. The first reason is the residents and employers who welcome us. The second reason is that new arrivals are eager to make new homes here. A new report by the American Immigration Council found that refugees make significant contributions as taxpayers and entrepreneurs who eventually create jobs for Americans.
I’m 32, and my dream is to become a web developer and settle down in Logan. I’m taking an online coding bootcamp. But as my fellow Afghans and I work to establish ourselves, we also need the U.S. government to do its part: Pass the bipartisan Afghan Adjustment Act, and give Afghans who risked their lives for this country permanent legal status.
That’s the job of politicians in Washington. Here in Utah, and especially Cache County, the residents are already doing God’s work by showing love and kindness to all their neighbors.
Abbas Ehsani
Abbas Ehsani is a Logan resident and a case manager at Cache Refugee and Immigrant Connection.