This project was conceived as an effort to put a human face on the word “immigrant,” to show New Hampshire residents the people who live among them, and to have them tell the story of their immigrant experience.

A series of interviews were conducted with multiple first-generation immigrants in New Hampshire. These immigrants are from a wide range of countries of origin and are at all points of status from undocumented to naturalized citizens. Each has a very individualistic story but collectively they share many universal facets in their journeys. These interviews were all conducted before the 2024 election.

“This is America. So… I just want to say that people need to remember and remind themselves what America is about. The history of America,” said one of the subjects of this project, Ali Sekou, an immigrant from Niger, who is now a Concord City Councilor. “Because if you look at it, everyone at some point was an immigrant to this land. Secondly, let’s always remind ourselves about the greatness of America, the greatness in the diversity America has.”

Ali Sekou: ‘If you want to change things, then be the ambassador of that change’

Country of Origin: Niger/ West Africa

Now living in Concord

At home in Niger, he was in law school and well-educated; when he came to the States, he returned to high school. He went to Laconia High School for ESL classes. That course led him to enroll at NHTI in the general studies program.

NHTI opened the doors of opportunity, involvement, and connections.

“When I graduated, I transferred with a presidential scholarship at Plymouth State University,” Sekou says. He became a naturalized citizen in 2016.

He is a husband and father of two and a city councilor and vice mayor in Concord. He is engaged in several civic groups, is active in his mosque leadership and is a board member of the Organization for Refugee and Immigrant Success (ORIS). He is a believer in working for change, saying, “If you want to change things, then be the ambassador of that change.”

From his work in Niger, he recognized the value of cross-cultural connections and diversity, saying, “I had a job with the U.S. Embassy, also I worked for the tourist site where I was a manager of a good tourist site in the region. People from across all backgrounds, and nationalities, and embassy staff from around the world come and see a sunset or sunrise,” he said.

“So my introduction to diversity didn’t start in the United States. And I said to people at the time, we welcome Americans and every other nationality in our country, that are either diplomats or tourists or came to visit a family member or are working for international organizations, I think that attitude should be embraced throughout the world.”

Sekou takes pride in his American citizenship and he describes the immigrant’s perspective of the country this way: “There are two things you have to keep in mind. The United States, as a nation, is highly respected outside and throughout the world. And the only reason that is, it’s because of the people of the United States. Growing up, whenever something happened, the United States was the first country to lend a hand to support people. We are genuine people, generous people. And we cannot be the leader of the free world if we let that reputation, and that good behavior, and that development, and defense, and diplomacy that we always invested in slide somewhere.”

Snizhana Riabko: ‘We are very happy that we have been welcomed like this’

Country of origin: Ukraine

Now living in Manchester

Snizhana Riabko and her husband are war refugees who arrived in Manchester with their three children in the spring of 2024, a 16-year-old, a 9-year-old daughter, and an 11-year-old son.

They have been driven out of their home twice by the Russians. First in 2014, when she lived with her infant children in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine during the first invasion of Crimea. The second, at the start of this war from the city of Kharkiv, where they resettled after the first invasion.

“We did not plan to move anywhere. Only because of the war, we moved,” Riabko says.

They have been residing in refugee camps in Poland and Germany since the war broke out in Ukraine. They were granted visas to the United States through the USCIS Uniting for Ukraine program. The experience in refugee camps was stressful and challenging for the family.

On getting asylum in the U.S., she said, “Because of our moving to Poland, to Germany, new countries, we were afraid. But when we came here, this move exceeded our expectations. It was much better. The communities welcomed us very well. We felt very welcomed.”

The language barrier is larger for the parents. She and her husband are taking English language classes so they can get jobs. They are grateful for the resettlement services and the help they have had in New Hampshire

“Yes, we are very happy that we have been welcomed like this. Even though we don’t know the language, they try to understand us with their hands and gestures, Americans try to understand us using sign language, like speaking with your hands,” she said.

Her children are adjusting fast and her son serves as a reliable translator for the family. The children are enrolled in Manchester public schools

After the war and the camps, Snizhana says this about New Hampshire: “The kids love it. Yes, the language for kids is much easier. They love being in school. They have a lot of friends. The schools welcome them very well. They love it.”

When asked about her home country, she was overcome with emotion. The trauma of narrowly escaping with her husband and children, literally being bombed out of two homes, is too fresh.

“Because we lived so close to the zone where the bombing and shelling were, it’s hard to talk about the motherland. I’ll just cry,” she said.

This project was made possible in partnership with Granite State News Collaborative and generous support from the Eppes-Jefferson Foundation, and was produced by Dan Splaine for Ink Link News, a founding member of Granite State News Collaborative.