Mesopotamia, USA.
Safaa al-Bazzaz, 34, was a civil engineer in Iraq. After graduating from university in Baghdad in 2004, he worked for 1 1/2 years for an American construction company. As a Shiite, he had to hide the fact that he worked for a US company. When the security situation in Iraq deteriorated, he went to Dubai and found a good job, but could not obtain a permanent visa. When he returned home, sectarian violence was so severe that he could not leave his immediate neighborhood for more than eight months. In the end, he fled to Amman, Jordan and applied for resettlement. Safaa wants to re-certify as an engineer in the US, but the process is long, complicated and expensive. Due to the economic crisis, there are few engineering job opportunities to be had once he finished the qualifications. In the meantime, he must provide for his mother who is ill and his extended family, so he and his brother opened the Sammoon Restaurant and Bakery that serves Iraqi food, sandwiches and sells traditional Sammoon bread. Contrary to some other refugee populations, most Iraqi refugees are well-educated, middle class families with skills and work experience. The majority would like to continue in their professional fields. This makes it difficult for them to accept low-paying, menial, entry-level jobs while they attempt to rebuild their lives in the U.S. El Cajon, CA, USA. 26/04/2013.
- Filename
- 16USA1304-1884.jpg
- Copyright
- J.B. RUSSELL
- Image Size
- 1766x1179 / 1.1MB
- Contained in galleries
- Mesopotamia, USA

