Page 18 - Samaritas Our Hands Fall/Winter 2023

REFUGEE SERVICES

Alessandro’s Journey to Authenticity

When it was no longer safe for Alessandro to remain in his home country of Nicaragua, he
fled to the United States with nothing but hope.

Alessandro recounted, “I'm from Nicaragua and the biggest reason to come here, was because
I wanted to do my transition. I was born as a girl and it was really hard for me in many
situations. I just felt like I was in danger. It was so difficult to be an LGBTQ person in that
country. Life was so awful.” Despite religious beliefs rooted in love, his family rejected him. “I
started to feel really alone and by myself,” said Alessandro. That's when Alessandro made the
decision to leave everything, he's ever known to be the person he knew he could be.

“In real life, you have to be careful about who you are, who you want to love,” he continued.
“And, I was thinking in that situation, like, I need to go to a country that will make my life,
easier. Yeah, it's a difficult journey,” said Alessandro.

He first arrived in Texas and connected with a cousin here who accepted him fully as he
began transitioning. “When I came here, I never thought that people could be good or
amazing people.”
In the eight-month program, Samaritas got him all his basic needs, legal documents, donors to
pay for his hormone treatments, a new safe home, furnished the home, and got him a laptop
so he could study specialized English classes.

“His story of overcoming struggles is absolutely inspiring,” said Samaritas New Americans
Supervisor Christina Field. “When he showed up at our office, he hadn’t eaten all day, he
didn't have a coat on in the winter, he had no health insurance, and ICE released him from
months of detention. And without his documents, he couldn't get a home or get a job!”

Alessandro has lived in Michigan a little over
a year and things are well for him. He’s thriving
in Detroit with the help of Samaritas. He has
a driver's license, a job as a translator, a couple of
close friends, and a chance to live his authentic life.

Alessandro says he's suffered a lot but still appreciates the good he sees all around him. He also
thanks his Samaritas caseworker for providing that optimism.

“We help all the immigrants,” said Hamzah, a Samaritas Caseworker. “We do not take care about
the color, gender, or region. We take human, this human. We must help them. And as you can
see, he's really done more than just resettle. He is thriving here in southeast Michigan.”

“I honestly feel so good now. I feel amazing. I feel like I exist now. I feel in heaven with all the
good things happening in my life. I have never been as proud of myself as I am now. It’s just
amazing. It’s a feeling that I can't explain."

The United Nations
Refugee Agency Reports

29,000 Refugees Resettlement

Unaccompanied Minors
resettled to the United States in 2022. Job Readiness
That's double the previous year.