My name is Dilman Yasin and this is my immigration story:

My family lived in a village outside of Dohuk, Iraq (Kurdistan) in the fall of 1988. I was 1.5 and my brother was 3 weeks old. Neighboring villagers rushed to come tell us that Sadamm and his army was on the move and we needed to leave. We left with the clothes on our backs and fear in our hearts. The journey on foot over the treacherous mountains seemed to take forever. We finally made it across the border to Turkey and settled in a refugee camp in Mardin, Turkey. Tent life was all we knew for the next 4 years. All that separated is from wind, rain and snow was a thin covering and sometimes tarp if available. We were afraid to eat the food that was provided because we still had that fear that Sadamm would find a way to poison our people even at the most vulnerable time. My dad found work outside of the camp and it helped us get by. We had hand me down clothes from neighbors and family members and would have to share utensils to eat the scraps we were given. It was hard. Time came for the opportunity to leave the camp and get settled elsewhere. We hoped to come to America for the freedom and security. Settlement meant moving across the world to a country we knew very little about.  We were moved to Boise, ID with the help of local churches and the community there. To say these people were wonderful is an understatement. They were beyond that. They became family and we still communicate till this day. My family has since moved to Nashville, TN and have lived our lives working, going to school and becoming productive members of society. We are college graduates, business owners and pretty dam good employees. We make efforts in supporting our community any way we can by dismissing the negativity of immigrants. We are the true definition of the American Dream.

-Dilman Yasin

Dilman Yasin lives in Nashville, TN with her husband and two boys. She is currently finishing graduate school and exploring the world of motherhood one day at a time. You can find her on Instagram @dilyasin