I’m a refugee who reports on America’s ills. I still believe in its promise | Lok Darjee

Born in a camp in Nepal, I was welcomed to the United States as a child. Loving this country does not mean ignoring its contradictions It was a hot, dry afternoon, sometime in the spring of 2009. I was wearing an oversized T-shirt and a pair of shorts twice the size of my waist, held up with a piece of wire. I sat beneath a tree across from the bamboo office of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), waiting. My heart pounded as sweat rolled down my face. Every few minutes I looked toward the dirt road, hoping to see the white van. Finally the blue IOM logo came into view, and within seconds, dozens of people were running toward it. Continue reading...

Lok Darjee · Tue, Jul 28, 2026, 2:00 AM
US news | The Guardian

I’m a refugee who reports on America’s ills. I still believe in its promise | Lok Darjee

Born in a camp in Nepal, I was welcomed to the United States as a child. Loving this country does not mean ignoring its contradictions

It was a hot, dry afternoon, sometime in the spring of 2009. I was wearing an oversized T-shirt and a pair of shorts twice the size of my waist, held up with a piece of wire. I sat beneath a tree across from the bamboo office of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), waiting.

My heart pounded as sweat rolled down my face. Every few minutes I looked toward the dirt road, hoping to see the white van. Finally the blue IOM logo came into view, and within seconds, dozens of people were running toward it.

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