Rohingya Woman Leaves M'sia After 35 Years To Secure Better Future For Her Children In US
The mother of four now resides in a beautiful home in Chicago, Illinois.
By Yap Wan Xiang — 06 Jun 2024, 04:18 PM
A Rohingya woman, born and raised in Malaysia, had to resort to moving to the US in search of a better future for her children
Amirah Anisah Samad, 35, had been living in Malaysia for more than three decades.
Born in Kelantan, she moved to Penang at the age of 17 and has been working as an interpreter for seven years, reported Harian Metro.
One day, her daughter asked, "Mum, why can't we study [here in Malaysia]? What's wrong with us? Can we achieve our goals?"
This question prompted Amirah to migrate to Chicago in the US.
She now resides in the Illinois city with her husband and four children, aged between 11 and 17.
Speaking to Harian Metro, Amirah admitted that she was reluctant to leave Malaysia, where she holds many cherished childhood memories
"Alhamdulillah, life in Malaysia was very enjoyable because it's peaceful. The neighbours were all nice. I could go anywhere freely... Looking for accommodation and places to eat were all okay.
"It's just that I couldn't study and didn't have privileges because of my status as a refugee and a United Nations High Commission For Refugees (UNHCR) card holder. However, I understand that and respect Malaysian law," she said.
In 2013, Amirah and her family applied for resettlement to a third country. After a series of interviews with the UNHCR and the US immigration authorities, completing health checks, and orientation courses, they were finally approved to move to the US in 2016.
They arrived in the US over a month ago, warmly greeted by local residents.
"Before immigrating [to the US], we really thought about many things, including how to live in a non-Muslim majority country unlike Malaysia.
"But, Alhamdulillah, we were well-received by the community. As soon as we arrived here, we were greeted by 12 people holding signs and carrying bouquets as a welcoming gesture," she recalled.
Amirah went viral on TikTok for documenting her migration journey from Malaysia to the US. One of her videos, posted on 29 April, garnered over 339,000 views.
On 17 May, she expressed her gratitude in a TikTok post as her children embarked on their first day attending public schools.
She also shared several videos showcasing her neighbourhood and her explorations in Chicago. Her videos received well-wishes from netizens who were glad to see her settling into a new home.
Below is a video of Amirah expressing her gratitude for the beautiful home arranged for her in Chicago:
For the full story on Amirah's and another Rohingya's journey to the US, read it on Harian Metro here.
