Immigration: One Thing
From Iraq to Detroit
Ann Heppermann
Kara Oehler
MARCH 22, 2008
- Moving Pictures
- (Kara Oehler)
- View the Slideshow
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Their religious beliefs forced the Augustin family to flee Iraq; Mom Nujood is a Chaldean Christian and Dad Abdullahad is a Latin Catholic. The family is among the 2002 Iraqi refugees allowed into this country in 2006. The Augustins left a comfortable life in Baghdad for Jordan, where limited opportunities siphoned off much of their savings. They arrived in Detroit, Mich. where son Arkan takes pre-med courses at a local community college while working part-time at a grocery store on the weekends.
Despite their diminished fortunes, the Agustins feel lucky to be among the few Iraqis allowed to settle in the United States. As part of the Weekend America series "One Thing," producers Ann Heppermann and Kara Oehler learn about the one thing the Augustins held on to as they fled Iraq: their home movies.
More stories from our Immigration: One Thing series
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