Anyone who has even been to Clarkston knows Omar Shekhey, who runs the Somali American Community Center by day and drives a cab at night. Many stories have been written about Omar. Here’s one of the best from NPR in 2015.
About the low refugee ceiling and lag in refugee arrivals to the U.S., Omar says:
“[Refugees] are part of the American fabric. Every story in the DNA of America is written by refugees or immigrants somehow. We need diversity so this great country can continue to be as great as it is now. That is why we need to open our doors. “We cannot go back, we need to go forward, we need to have open hearts and welcome these refugees because they are running away from persecution. We need their skills, commitment, and hard work so our union can be stronger than ever.”
— Omar Shekhey, Executive Director, Somali American Community Center