Interview Reflection

On Wednesday September 10, we met with Walter Lam, President and CEO of the African Alliance, who introduced us to an acquaintance, James Bot, who is an African refugee from Uganda. Our interview with James went well, it left me and my group surprised. I don't know what surprised us more James story on his life or when he told us he hates America. This surprised me, i always assumed people wanted to come to America but i guess the truth is most refugees are forced out of their countries and have no other option but to come to America. James came to America to support his children and live a peaceful life which to him is the happiest life, but he can't even do that. James is unable to see his family, who live in Minnesota; he's been denied parental rights even though he is the only one supporting them. James's life story was a shock as well, he had stories about dodging bullets, running away from over 200 soldiers, and traveling most of Northern Africa.

James Bot was born in northern Uganda; he experienced the death of a brother at the age of eight. He has been shot at and has been tortured and seen has death throughout his life. He grew up in Uganda but was forced to leave, James traveled to Ethiopia where he met his wife. After living in Ethiopia he then moved to Sudan. When he reached the border of Sudan he was thrown in jail because the authorities believed he was Ethiopian. At the time a war was going on between the Sudanese and Ethiopia. He was thrown in jail because they suspected him of being part of the rebel army. He told the guards at the jail the he was originally from Uganda but they didn’t believe him. The officers called the refugee camp where James had been staying. They found out that he was telling the truth and let him go. So he was allowed to travel to Sudan. In Sudan he soon found a job as a teacher and they lived there for about four months. He was fired from teaching, because he did not have any papers that said he was from Sudan. Soon after he told his wife and kids that they had to go, and they left for Egypt. He got a job as a teacher while living at the church and went through interviewing at the United Nations. The interview allowed James and his family to move to America. His wife had a sister that lived in America and they planned to stay with her in Missouri, but she died and her boyfriend left leaving five kids behind. He and his wife moved to Missouri, to take care of the kids (plus their four kids, making it a family of eleven). He and his wife had been taking care of the kids, but his wife doesn’t want anything to do with the kids, she wants to raise her kids and only her kids. James was at work when his wife took their children and left for Minnesota. James follows her to Minnesota because he wants to live as a family. He takes a job in Kansas and sends money to his family through child support. When James went to visit his family he was unable to, even though he is the one supporting them James’s name isn’t written as their parental guardian. Now James lives in San Diego, and is struggling to just pay for his own needs.