90 days to make a life: One Afghan family’s resettlement in Washington state

Afghans continue to top the list of new refugee arrivals in Washington state. More than 5,000 have resettled here in the past two years. For this first wave of refugees from Afghanistan, it can be a lot to figure out from scratch. Especially when the resettlement process gives families only three months of support.

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nside Nasima and Ahmad’s two-bedroom apartment in Kent, an Iranian soap plays on the TV. In the living room, there are no couches or chairs, just two large, navy blue rugs and two cushions leaning against the wall.

In the kitchen, Nasima opens two drawers full of the fragrant green tea they brew daily. She takes out a plastic container filled with a yellow grain.

“It's the only thing we brought from Afghanistan,” she said, about the traditional food which becomes a soup when cooked.

Jawad Ramyar, a caseworker who has been helping the family, translates from Dari.

Ahmad pours cups of tea. The liquid is light and fragrant and the scent of cardamom spirals into the air.

Nasima and Ahmad left Herat, Afghanistan, six months ago. They didn’t want to talk about why. Ahmad was a math teacher. Nasima worked as a midwife. Their credentials don’t translate to the United States though.

Nasima says she thought they would get government support through their first year.

She says she was surprised the support was cut off after 90 days. The aid they received in that three-month period wasn't enough.

They were put in a hotel for several days before being placed in an apartment. Ahmad struggled to find work before his job support ended as well.

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inety days is how long the federal resettlement program pairs families with caseworkers. They help with housing, jobs, and educational opportunities.

Griff Lambert is the director of programs at Jewish Family Service, one of several resettlement agencies in Washington. The 90-day limit itself is determined by the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration, which contracts with national resettlement agencies.

Lambert wrote in an email that the 90-day window is based on the “completion of contracted activities.” He said several other government-funded programs assist refugees beyond that timeframe.

“I believe what clients are able to achieve, with support from resettlement agencies, family, friends, etc. in 90 days is pretty remarkable," Lambert said, "establishing permanent housing, beginning employment services (if not beginning employment), enrolling in school/ESL, establishing medical care, and orienting to the local community and a ton of new systems, laws, norms, etc.”

Oksana Bilobran is with Seattle’s Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs, one of many groups that supports new refugees.

She sees a lot of families struggle to meet all the challenges coming at them in full speed during the first few months.

One is lack of English. Another is lack of child-care resources.

“And the third is the kind of jobs they can get but that's after they have a work permit," she said. "That takes time.”

For some people, things work out in that 90-day window. But other refugees say they ended that three-month period with eviction notices and stress-related health issues.

Bilobran said refugees often expect that it can be an uphill journey, starting over in a new country.

“It's gonna be really hard for that first generation, but for the next and the one after it's going to be better and easier. Those are the choices they're making consciously,” she said.

Generally, refugee groups do better over time. According to the American Immigration Council, after 20 years of being in the U.S., refugees average a median income that is $4,000 more than their native-born counterparts. Future generations also build wealth and stability.

Nasima and Ahmad are part of the first wave from Afghanistan. Ahmad struggled to find work. He applied for jobs at airports and hotels, anything to make ends meet. But he couldn’t pass interviews with his limited English.

After the three months of assistance ended, he got a job at a rental car company. He gets paid $2,700 a month, only $500 more than rent for their apartment.

“I have to wake up and 4 a.m. and to eat and prepare my things and go to work. And sometimes the work is sometimes heavy or difficult for me. But thank God that I am able to do this and make money to pay my rent,” he said.

There’s not much left for extra expenses. Ahmad drives for food delivery gigs on his evenings and off days.

Dinner is the only time he spends with the couple’s daughters.

Ahmad wants to take English classes because he knows how important it is to learn the language.

“I'm looking for a free time in my schedule to enroll in an English class,” he said. But there is no free time.

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fter half a year in the country, the family is still looking for stability. Ahmad said it’s hard to talk about the future, but he has ambitions to start a business with Nasima.

“I'm thinking of bringing a new idea and making my own business in future,” he said.

Their business idea? To make traditional Afghan yogurt to sell at local grocery stores. He hopes things will change in the future.

Speaking of the future, the caseworker Jawad Ramyar said many Afghan refugees are keeping an eye on how the November election turns out.

Ahmad says his cousin’s family are in the process of trying to come here. And they’re worried the pathways to get to the U.S. might change based on how the election goes.

"We all have someone left behind in Afghanistan," Ramyar said. "We are worried."

At the lunch table, there’s fresh flatbread from the Afghan grocery store, fragrant rice with saffron and raisins, and sides of meat and cooked spinach.

They pass around a bowl of tangy homemade yogurt, flavored with the memory of home and the possibilities of the new home they are making, one paycheck at a time.

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