They escaped Afghanistan. But war’s struggles followed them
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Inside a two-bedroom apartment in Sacramento, three siblings laughed as they watched an eager group of contestants competing to win a Lamborghini on a YouTube stream.
Zabiullah Musafer, 43, and his wife, Yalda, 34, shook their heads at their children, content that the show — however ridiculous — was helping them learn English one year after they fled Afghanistan and moved to California to seek asylum.
In many ways, Musafer said, America has provided him and his family with the safety and opportunity they had hoped for. He quickly found a full-time job at an Apple warehouse. His children — Sefatullah, 18; Rabia, 16; Muqaddas, 12; and Subhanullah, 10 — are enrolled in school. He and Yalda take English-language courses. Many in Yalda's family immigrated to California several years ago, during an earlier phase of the U.S. occupation, and on weekends the Musafers spend time with her sister's family, cooking together or exploring Northern California.
But their new life isn't without its challenges.
Musafer's children share one bedroom; his two daughters share a bed. His thoughts often drift to those left behind in Afghanistan and what their futures hold. He isn't clear on his immigration status: Although he spoke with a resettlement agency about his asylum application nearly five months ago, he hasn't heard back since that initial screening.
"Of course, I worry," he said, as the sound of people vying for the lime green sports car blared in the background. "I am always thinking about that. I
