A powerful testimony from “A Journey into Exile” participant

Anthony Lucarelli is a student at Fordham Preparatory School in the Bronx, New York. He and his mother participated in the Church of St. Ignatius of Loyola’s iteration of  ‘A Journey into Exile ‘ offered by Tevfik Karatop, our Project Manager.

“All I wanted to do was roll over, one more time, in my cozy bed.  However, I told my mom I would accompany her to an immigration program on Saturday morning.  What was I thinking?  I need my sleep.  After all, I was out late the night before with my friends at the Fordham Prep vs. Xavier basketball game. All I wanted to do was hit the snooze button,  five more minutes.  Heck, I would rather study for my SAT. But no, as promised, I walked to Wallace Hall with my mother for  ‘A Journey Into Exile’, an interactive immigration simulation exercise. 

Within minutes of my arrival, I was no longer a privileged, Upper East Side kid.  I had become Mohammad, a 49 year old refugee from Somalia looking to flee my country as soon as possible.  I sat in my assigned camp with eight other simulated refugees, including my mom who had become a 72 year widow from Burundi with no education or money.  All eight of us campers had different stories, talents and economic situations.  But, we all had one common goal.  We needed to leave our country as soon as possible! 

We had minutes to decide what three possessions we would bring on our journey.  Would it be my phone, a bottle of water, the Bible, a blanket, my passport?  Such decisions!  All I had were the clothes I was wearing, $3k, oh, and they took my shoes.  I would begin my journey barefoot.  I only had 30 seconds to organize and leave my home that I would probably never see again.  Maybe I wanted to bring a picture of my home or family with me? 

Needless to say, my campers did not vote for me to make an attempt to flee our camp for the US.  I ended up as an urban refugee living in Istanbul.  I decided to take a dangerous job to quickly make the most money.  Unfortunately, I was injured on the job.  Could not afford my medical bills.  That was the end of my journey.  

Of the 42 campers in our simulated program, only one person made it to the US.  One person!! 

Looking back, I am happy I spent my morning in Wallace Hall.  I have a better understanding of what migrants around the world are experiencing.  Quick decision making which affect their future.  The migrants want safety, security and a better life.  All things we never ponder when rolling over and hitting snooze in our cozy beds.  I will congratulate the migrants who have made it to our city.  They beat the odds! 

These people are not bad people.  These people are fleeing horrific lives.  Lives that may have been interrupted by natural disaster, slavery, crime, gangs, famine or war. 

As a junior at Fordham Prep, I am a Man for Others.  It is my responsibility to assist my neighbors the best I can.  As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr said, “If I cannot do great things, I can do small things in a great way.”  This season, consider helping a refugee family in our city.  Consider doing a small thing in a great way by donating clothing to the Little Shop of Kindness.  Volunteer at the Church of St. Francis of Assisi Migrant Center, helping migrants complete asylum applications.  Or attend the Church of Saint Ignatius Loyola Stations of the Cross for Migrants, March 20th, followed by a panel discussion about what our parish is doing to welcome migrants through our Migrant Accompaniment Program.”

Anthony Lucarelli

Did you know that JRS Canada and JRS USA offer a new guidebook to complement our simulation exercises, “A Journey into Exile” and “Walk a Mile ” ?

In it, we address the root causes of refugee movements and propose new ways of thinking about refugees and our shared responsibility.

Fill out this form to download the guidebook, a great complement to our simlation exercises!