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Therese Mukarushema, Lansing, MI

Therese Mukarushema, Lansing, MI emigrated c. 2004 from Rwanda where she was a nurse. Now a U.S. citizen, she at first had difficulty finding work and faced racism, discrimination, and ignorance. “Some people treat you like you are from the junk in Africa. They ask you, ‘Did you live with animals?’” Then she found home care and now works for an agency, a hospice, and private clients.

When asked what she would like to say to policy makers, she says, “Ask your country to have love. We have to live like family in this country. Why do I have to go from the house to the house? Because I want to help. I need to help somebody. They can come help me like I help them, and we can work together, and the country will be a paradise.”