New Beginnings, #68

Maxwell Chikuta:

Working in my community, it's not something I went to school to learn. It's something which was in me. I'm that person who can just act because I see something. I don't wait someone to tell me to do something.

Susan Roche:

When people come here as refugees, they get resettled in certain cities, and a lot of people who have been resettled in other cities have told me that they moved to Maine because they like the community here. It's quieter, there's less violence, they like the school systems. They really want a good place for their children. So I think that's much more important to them than the weather.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

This is Dr. Lisa Belisle and you are listening to the Dr. Lisa Radio Hour and podcast show number 68, New Beginnings, airing for the first time on December 30, 2012. A new year is almost upon us, and with it the possibility of new beginnings. This week we are inspired by an individual who has had many new beginnings in his life, new US Citizen Maxwell Chikuta, formerly of the Democratic Republic of Congo. We understand the challenges of new beginnings better with Susan Roche, legal Director of the Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project. As a physician, I understand that new beginnings are happening within us all the time. Our cells, in fact, regenerate themselves fully every seven years. So we are equally building new cells and losing new cells all the time. We can't help but be in transition and thus have available to us the possibility of new beginnings. What we do with these new beginnings is kind of up to us. We can value our bodies, we can take care of them, we can call them our temples. We can value the lives that we have. We can value the people in our lives, and we can view our new beginnings as opportunities and view our relationships as treasures. Or we can do the opposite. We can just let life live us. But I know that people who are listening to this show aren't that sort. They are the sort who value the opportunities presented by new beginnings. In my own life as a physician, I spent time first in the field of family medicine, received training in preventive medicine and public health, and worked as medical director for the county jail and also as a medical advisor for Maine Health. This was just one of my lives as a physician. I know that I have many lives ahead of me. The life that I've been embarking on for the past several years is as a physician trained in acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine, who also practices Qigong. I have a medical practice at the Body Architect, and all of my training as a traditional doctor and also as a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner has enabled me to bring a higher level of integrative care to people. I also engaged in creating a new beginning when I became the host of this radio show and I engaged in New beginnings for the birth of each of my three children. All of these new beginnings were challenging and created sometimes obstacles, and I experienced fear. But certainly I experienced no more challenges, obstacles or fear than Maxwell Tekuta as he traveled from the Democratic Republic of Congo to the United States with his family. I think that we can take the chance and create new things for ourselves and enjoy our lives, enjoy our relationships, enjoy our communities. Or again, we can decide that we're going to stay stuck, but your bodies are going to keep doing the cell regeneration. No matter what you attempt to keep them stuck in, they are going to keep regenerating those cells every seven years. So we encourage you to do what your body wants you to do, which is embrace these new beginnings throughout your life. We hope you enjoy our conversations with Maxwell Cicuta, formerly of the Democratic Republic of Congo, and also Sue Roche of the Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project. As an integrative medicine physician at the Body Architect, I ask my patients when they first come to see me what their goals are, what they hope to accomplish in their lives. But I also ask them what their values are. What are they passionate about? When people are seeking to make change, when they're seeking to create new beginnings, they first need to go deep within themselves and actually find out what it is that makes them want to live. And when I say live, I mean live. If you're considering making new beginnings in your life, I'd love to help you out with this or listen to what makes you really want to live. Give me a call at thebodyarchitect 207-774-2196 or learn more about us on drlisabelisle.com. As we head into 2013, we're talking about New Beginnings because everybody's thinking about how they can do new things in their lives. The person that I have across the microphone from me is somebody who I think has had many new beginnings in. I first heard about Maxwell Cicuta through a column that Bill Nemetz had done in the Portland Press Herald. And I was very impressed with the story of this individual who became a US citizen on September 21, 2012. I'm honored to have you in the studio with me, Maxwell. Thanks for coming in.

Maxwell Chikuta:

Thank you very much. Thank you for having me. Appreciate that.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Maxwell, we're talking about New Beginnings. And I know you've had so many, many. You originally are from the Democratic Republic of Congo, and it sounds like you've had quite a journey.

Maxwell Chikuta:

Yes, it's a long journey for me to be here today.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So tell me about that. Tell me about what it was like to. First of all, what it was like to live there.

Maxwell Chikuta:

Yeah. In the Congo, unfortunately, like everybody else, you live with your family. You have parental love. I missed that when I was a kid. The reason being that my parents divorced when I was 8. When I was 10, we had a civil war, and I missed that. So I didn't grow up with parental love. And growing up in the third world country, it's really difficult. I decided to go into the street when I was almost 10 and a half. So leaving the street in the Congo, it's really difficult. I don't want to go into much details, but fortunately, my grandfather came to my rescue, took me to his village and taught me to be a good, good person in the community.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So in the Congo, most people live with families. And your parents, you said divorce when you were 8?

Maxwell Chikuta:

Yes, when I was 8, they divorced and they had two kids, two boys and two girls. I don't know how they decide this, because, you know, in the Congo, you don't. The wife goes out of the house. So my mom left with my two sisters, and I left with my dad, with my older brother. But in our tradition, if you have an uncle, he has a right over you. So my uncle came to pick us so that we can work for him. Unfortunately, I was just too little. So he picked up my elder brother. So I stayed with my father, who married another woman. I was calling her Mom. She came with two kids, a boy and a girl, but those were the queen and the prince of my house. It was a rough road for me.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So you were very young.

Maxwell Chikuta:

I was very young. I was very Young? Yes. And again in Congo there's no law at that time. So I was doing all the chores at my house. I'll go to fetch water for the family, clean. At the end of the day, you are the one who eats the leftovers. When school shopping comes, they will go saying that, okay, stay and watch the house. We'll come back. When they come back, they didn't find the right size shoes for me. And then I'll get the leftovers for my other stepbrother so that I can go to school with. So it was difficult. And I was told when my mom left, where she went, she got married. But later on in my life I was told that she passed. I don't know how she did. And I lost my two sisters. I don't know how they died, but she had another child with a man she married. I call her my stepsister. She's still alive. When I stayed with my dad, it was on May 13, 1978. This date is still in my head, because that changed my whole life.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So May 13, 1978?

Maxwell Chikuta:

Yeah, it was on a Saturday.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And then what happened?

Maxwell Chikuta:

I woke up in the morning because I was that kid. I was a pioneer. We used to sing and dance for our dictator, Mobutu Sese Seko. Every Monday we raise up the flag and Saturday we bring the flag down. So I was that pioneer in my grade school. So on a Saturday I had to go to school very early so that I can prepare for the parade. But my dad was not home. He was working night, so I was going to school. Then I heard one of my teachers shouting my name, saying, where are you going? I'm going to school. He said, go back home. Don't you hear that? Those are the gunfires. So it's a civil war. So I went back home. And the reason why I decided to go to school, because in my village, they taught us how to learn and interpret the sound of the drums. So sometimes they're calling you for help in the other village, or there's a party, come feast with us, or we've been attacked, or there is a lion or an elephant.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

This is all because all by the sound of the drums, you can actually hear that these different things are happening.

Maxwell Chikuta:

Yes, but that morning the sound of the drum didn't make any sense to me. So that's why I decided to go. But I was told by my teacher that that's a civil war. And that was. That's when my life changed, really. Because after the civil war, the International Red Cross came down Consisting of American Red Cross and the European Red Cross. They came to help us, and I was that child again. I was working with the Red Cross, fetching water for them. And in return, they would give me tinned food so I would take home to my stepmom. But when they left, she couldn't keep up with lives because she was also poor. I think she focused mainly on the two kids. That's when I decided to go into street because it was just too hard for me to live with her.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So you were taking care of people in your family and even people that your stepmothers, that your father had married from a very early age, from very young. And you are a pioneer in your community, doing things for your school and the community?

Maxwell Chikuta:

Yes, I'm that. I don't know. It's a gift of God, I think. It's not that something I learned working in my community. It's not something I went to school to learn. It's something which was in me. So I'm that person who can just act because I see something, I don't wait someone to tell me to do something. So that's why my teachers at school, in every home class, they would recognize my leadership. So they would pick me to be the captain of the class. And later on, I was a pioneer for the assembly. So the Red Cross, because we didn't have water, you have to fetch water. So again, I was curious to talk to them, you know, so they sent me go bring water and a couple of my friends, really, we were doing that because the rebels won't shoot the kids. Sometimes that was the advantage.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So if you were carrying the water, the rebels wouldn't shoot you?

Maxwell Chikuta:

No. If you're a child.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

If you're a child, yeah. So there was an advantage to taking on this additional amount of work.

Maxwell Chikuta:

Yes. So you take water for the Red Cross and they'll give you the. So we had a lot of supplies. So again, I would go back to my home and we would enjoy the food.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

But then, was it hard for you to understand if you were this young and you were doing the work for your school and your community and the Red Cross, Was it hard for you to go back home and see your stepmother not be able to handle life? Was it hard for you to understand that?

Maxwell Chikuta:

When I was a kid, really, I had a lot of questions, I had a lot of blames. Why this? But as. As of now, I've forgiven everyone.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So looking back, as somebody who's 43,

Maxwell Chikuta:

you can look back and say, it's all right. Because of poverty. Maybe if she had enough, maybe she would have taken care of me. So I think that way.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So you were on the street by the time you were 10?

Maxwell Chikuta:

Yes.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And you have in your family a son, Maxwell, who's eight?

Maxwell Chikuta:

Yes.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Can you imagine him or any of your other three children being on the street at the age of 10?

Maxwell Chikuta:

Yeah. That makes me cry, really, when I see kids here in America at that age, you know, that's why we have to take care of our kids. I don't want to see my kids or anybody, kids in the community to take my path. It was really difficult. And when I see my son, I just say I have to work hard to make sure that it doesn't go that way. Because it's a rough road. I was fortunate because in the street you have rebels who come and grab the kids to take them into child soldiers movement. How I survive, I don't know. I give credit to God. Yeah.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So the rebels didn't grab you to bring you in to be a child soldier. Somehow you managed to escape that.

Maxwell Chikuta:

We knew, we knew, we sensed. Sometimes when we hear that some people lost their livestock because the rebels come, we know that they don't have supplies. So they are near. So we were sleeping in the tunnel, the water drainage near Maria Police. This is in Coloisian. I know that spot very well. I can go hide. Nobody will find me. Even now in a water tunnel. Yes. Yeah. So we knew that the danger is coming. But again, some of my friends were taken into child sojourn movement. But as I said, how I survived, how I escaped, I was not better than any other kids. But I give credit to God himself because he was protecting me.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Do you think that not having this parental love from earlier on caused you to need to be more independent and courageous

Maxwell Chikuta:

in none other way? Yes. I'll give myself 85%. When I look back, I said okay, I have to do better. It's not something which I'm going to use to give excuses to the community. I don't want to be a burden to the community because I didn't get parental love. So when I look back, I said okay, it's happened and it's happened for a purpose. Maybe if I had parental love, I would have not been here. So who knows? It's all the design of God. I strongly believe that. But again, I use that as a positive inspiration in my life to be where I am today. And that's why I look back to others. I want to inspire them and to be where I am. Or maybe better than where I am today.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

How did you get out of the Democratic Republic of Congo? What was your journey from there to becoming a citizen? Very recently here in Maine.

Maxwell Chikuta:

First of all, it was really difficult because my elder brother, when my uncle took him, so they went to Lubumbashi, which is the capital city of my state, Katanga. So he joined the military because in the capital city, when you come to aid, you can willingly joined the military. So he was taller than me and huge.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And how old was he when he joined the military?

Maxwell Chikuta:

I don't really know at the exact age.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

But he was taller than you?

Maxwell Chikuta:

Yeah, he was four years older than me. So he was working under Mobutu regime all these years until 1997 when Kabila came into power and oust Mobutu. So Kabila comes from my country or from my state Katanga. So he was trying to recruit bodyguard from his state so that at least he can have that cushion. It's like you are from Maine, you are the president, you want at least someone from somebody you can trust. Yeah.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So he's bringing a bodyguard around him that he could trust.

Maxwell Chikuta:

Yeah. So his main bodyguard was Eddie Kapanda. He shared the same name with my family name. Eddie Kapen comes from my tribe actually. So when he saw my brother also in the military and he was so huge, they share same name. So he recruited him to be the bodyguard of the president. So after, when my grandfather took me to his village, I worked my way up. I graduated from school when I was 15, primary school. So I was selling candies in the street. Then I built a kiosk, which is a market shift where you sell candies, bubblegums. And so when my brother was in the military, helped me with some money for my business. So the business grew. And when he became my bodyguard, he was having of course a lot of money. So he sent me $5,000. So that was the main problems because when the president was assassinated in 2001, he was also implicated as a bodyguard, saying that,

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

so your brother helped you out with money, helped you with the money for the kiosk, helped you where you were selling things. But when the president was assassinated, they

Maxwell Chikuta:

pressed down, you know, they said his brother, he's got money. Of course, maybe they got money from someone. So I was coming from Tanzania, from my business trip. I reached my border and I was searched. I used to collect coins wherever I go outside my country, just for my collection. I had a lot of them from Netherlands, South Africa, Switzerland. And I collected this rwandese money. I had it with me. It was just for my collection. But when I was searching, they found that money with me. They said, you went to Rwanda because the Rwandese helped my former president, my late President Kabila, to oust Mobutzeco. So they said, maybe I went to Rwanda again to organize so that I can take my brother out of prisons.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So you got in trouble because you had money from Rwanda, even though it was just part of your coin collection?

Maxwell Chikuta:

Yes. Yes. And at that time, my tribe, again, I didn't want to bring this because my tribe and the Rwandese were fighting each other. Not that I was involved directly. I'm a Christian. Even here, I have a friend from Rwanda, and we mingle together very well. But my tribe mates from Katanga, they were fighting with Rwandese. So at that time, it was odd for them to see me with Rwandese money in my pocket. They say, you are Katangi. So how you went to Rwanda, can you explain and come back alive? I said, I was not in Rwanda. I was in Tanzania. So they said, I lost my goods at the border. My truck was confiscated, and they took me in prison. So from the prison there was a pastor because I was so much involved in the community. Again, people, when they heard that Max was in prison, they said, no, we're going to help him.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So they took everything away from you from the border? Yes, from the border. And then they put you in prison?

Maxwell Chikuta:

Yes, I was beaten overnight. I was tortured at the border.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And how old were you?

Maxwell Chikuta:

I was in 2002, 34, 33. Somewhere there.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Okay.

Maxwell Chikuta:

Yeah.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So still pretty young. But the community didn't.

Maxwell Chikuta:

Yeah, well, when they heard about that, you know, you have people whom say, no, we can't let him. He's just innocent. So my pastor helped me and sneaked me out of the country. Of course, we are border with Zambia. So took me to Zambia when he arranged for the papers for me to come over here.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So this is the pastor of your church?

Maxwell Chikuta:

He was the pastor of my church, yes.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And he arranged for you to cross the border and come to the United States?

Maxwell Chikuta:

Yes.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Did you come directly to Maine?

Maxwell Chikuta:

Yes, directly to Maine. Because when I was in prison, when my pastor came to visit me, I asked him to take care of my family because my shop was looted, closed, and they went even to my house, interrogated my wife, and she was traumatized with my kids and my stepsister and the kids I was staying with. Because I had a lot of people staying at My place, because in my country, when you are well to do people, you have your distant family staying with you. So when he told me that, I said, do something for them. So it took my wife first before he took care of me. So that's why I find myself here, because we hear that in Portland you find Congolese and they'll take care of you.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So when you were living there, you had two children?

Maxwell Chikuta:

Yeah, they were so young because my firstborn was born in 1997.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So you had two young children and your wife Sally, and this was before they brought you to Maine.

Maxwell Chikuta:

Yes.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And you had to. You've already gone through now these beginnings in your life where your parents divorced, so you had to go to a different family, and then you had to. And then you lived on the street, and then you had to create a new life for yourself with a kiosk, and now you have to start all over again.

Maxwell Chikuta:

Yes.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

How does it feel to come to Maine with two young children and a wife and to start over again?

Maxwell Chikuta:

Yeah. Actually, my kids came later in 2005.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So your wife comes and you come and you leave your children behind.

Maxwell Chikuta:

Yes.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And what was that like?

Maxwell Chikuta:

It was really difficult because I was going through life, and sometimes that's why I said I gave myself 85%, because the 15%. Sometimes I tend to look back at my life when things are not working well. I say, why me, Lord? Why me? You know, you took me from the street, you brought me where I am, and now you're taking everything I had in my life again. I'm going to start afresh. Why me? But again, the 85%, it's that inspiration I get from God through my faith, and I learned to be strong in every situation. Of course, losing my goods and my money, it was far much less than having life. I'm still alive. I can work hard. I can have other goods. So I put everything aside and just trust in the Lord.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

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Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And when you got here, not only did you come to a new country and have to learn a new language, but you also decided you were going to get an education in this new country. So tell me about how that happened. Actually, you have multiple degrees by now, fast forwarding, but you started back at Southern Maine Community College, is that right?

Maxwell Chikuta:

No, actually I was not even educated in my country. I was almost a graduate dropout because of hardship. My grandfather didn't have enough. In Congo, you have to have money to go to school.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So when you were 15 and you graduated from primary school, you still didn't have a high school degree at that point?

Maxwell Chikuta:

I did not.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So you went back and you did that when you came to the.

Maxwell Chikuta:

No, I came to Portland, Maine. At the shelter. Mr. Dennis Cooper is now retired. I was taught. So he said, maxwell, I'm having difficulties communicating with you. I'm going to refer you to Portland Adult Education for your esl English as a Second Language. So took me to Portland Adult Education. I started the lowest English you can get. So whilst there, the director there, Mr. Robert Hood, just called me saying that I've seen something in you. You know, you are just different from other immigrants. What is your education level? I said, no, I don't have high school diploma. So he said, okay, I'll put you into GED program. Unfortunately, the Syria at that time could only pay for your ESL because they want you to speak the language. But they couldn't pay for my GED. But Mr. Robert Hood took care of me. I give him all the credit for that.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So you got somebody was able to support the city, paid for the esl, and then somehow Robert Hood found the money for your ged?

Maxwell Chikuta:

Yes.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And you made it through that?

Maxwell Chikuta:

Yeah.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

But then you didn't stop.

Maxwell Chikuta:

Yeah. I graduated with my GED in 2004. Then a lot of teachers and mentors at adult education helped me to register with Southern Maine Community College, where I took the entrance exam four times. The three times I was failing the exams because of the English language. But I didn't give up. And people were encouraging me, saying that you can make it. So the fourth time I passed that entrance exam. So in 2006, I started my journey at Southern Maine Community College. I graduated in 2006 with my H. Vac associate degree, which is heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration?

Maxwell Chikuta:

Yes.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So what did that enable you to do

Maxwell Chikuta:

to get a good job? Because I was just a janitor at Maine Medical Center. I was working in the laundry, then I worked in VS Cleaning. Then I went in operating room. When I got my ged, that's when I got a job in operating room. So when I got my associate degree, I got a job with engineering department, where I'm working even now.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So you were able to use your education and keep working your way up?

Maxwell Chikuta:

Yes, as my education was going up, so my work was going also up to the H Vac position, which I'm working right now.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

But you also have a master's degree in Public Policy Management and Finance. And that's unusual. You went from H Vac to something very different. How did you decide to go into that?

Maxwell Chikuta:

First I have a bachelor's degree.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

You have a bachelor's degree?

Maxwell Chikuta:

Yeah, in Engineering and Technology Management.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Okay.

Maxwell Chikuta:

So because I usually look at opportunities saying, what can I do? I don't want to be burdened into the community all the time. People help me, but I have to look ways how I can also help my community. I don't want to be a burden. I decided, okay, I'll go for my bachelor's degree. So I spent three years from 206 to 2009 in school of Engineering and Technology in Goreham, where I graduated with my bachelor's degree. Unfortunately, I don't want to Go into politics. You know, jobs are hard to find. So I didn't get a job with my bachelor's, but I decided, okay, I have to do something related to what I am inside me, who I am. I'm someone was raised by the community, as we said in Africa, that it takes the village to raise a child. And that child was raised by the community. My grandfather worked hard, but a lot of people came in. And even here in America, I find good people here, people who stood beside me, people didn't know me. They are not even my relatives. They just said, okay, we're going to help you. So me looking back saying that why are these people helping me? Then I have to find voice where I can also inspire other people in my community, working in humanitarian work. So that's why I said, okay, I have to go with the public. So when I graduated with my bachelor's degree, I decided to go and pursue my master's in public service so that I can also work for the public and help others.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And all the while you're working at Maine Medical center and you're supporting now by now you have four kids and still a wife and you're still learning and continuing in your 43.

Maxwell Chikuta:

Yes, in nine years I've been working full time night shift and pursuing full time job, college classes. It's difficult, you know, taking four classes with limited English, it was difficult for me.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Because now you're getting a PhD?

Maxwell Chikuta:

Yeah, just started with my PhD program at Walden University. It's also difficult, you know, now I'm getting older. It's not like when I was younger, you know, you can't just think no money. But yeah, working full time, attending school full time and volunteering in my community, other people, they say I volunteer full time and parenting for kids. It's really difficult.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Yeah. I want to go back to this volunteering piece. You've done work with Habitat for Humanity?

Maxwell Chikuta:

Yes.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And why was that important to you?

Maxwell Chikuta:

It was important because when I just arrived here in America, I was looking for the ways to give back to the Red Cross I saw in my country when I was a kid. I was just thinking that, you know, these people, they left their families and risked their lives to come and help us here. So when I arrived here, I asked at a shelter, where is the Red Cross? So they took me to the blood bank in Forest Avenue and my supervisor was Rene Tadif. So I was working. You know, people, they come and donate blood, you take care of them. But I said, no, no, no. There's another type of Red Cross, you know, you work with people, rescue them. Oh, wow. Okay. So they referred me to Southern Maine Chapter. So that's where in 2004, I started my training with American Red Cross, volunteering as International Humanitarian Coordinator. And now I'm just a DAT member, Disaster Action Team member again. Habitat of Humanity, because not we. When I say we, it's not me, but Habitat of Humanity. We provide shelter for the needy families. So I saw myself in that regard. I was blessed. I bought my own house. But what about other people? Are they working hard like I do? So that's what prompted me to go and volunteer with the Habitat of Humanity. Then, even at Maine Medical center, up to last year, I was volunteering four hours every week, even though I was working there for 40 hours. So I was working with a help program, working with elderly people. You know, just talk to them. It was a good program. When you put a smile in the face of patients, really, people appreciate that. And I still, I volunteer a lot with City of Portland. I'm in GCBG program, Community Grant Development Grant. I'm also in Portland Public Schools, where I'm now serving in transition team for a new superintendent. So why all this volunteering? The answer is simple. Because I want to give back. It says that if you don't have money, you can even volunteer one hour a week. And I'm doing that. I don't have enough money. But my work in the community, I feel like I'm impacting lives. I've received a lot of cards from people just appreciating what I'm doing in the community. And if everyone can do what I'm doing now, I believe our community will be better.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So even if people don't have money or resources or maybe speak the language, and maybe they don't even have an education or maybe they have a lot of children. It's always possible to give something.

Maxwell Chikuta:

Yes, it's possible because, look, you don't need to have money for you to inspire someone. When you just pick a school, go in grade four, just read for them for one hour. I'm not a scientist, but the brain of the kids in grade four, that's why it's developing much. So they will have that picture of you in their entire life. So that's one hour. You're going to inspire people, and you, you'll be in their picture for the entire life. Just. Can you imagine? So if you don't know how to read, we have a lot of places you can go, you know, volunteer for one hour at the Soup kitchen. I've been there just to save me on the table. See how people really, it's hard nowadays. So go to soup kitchen, you can do something. It's not just money. No.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

I have a lot of questions that I could ask you, but I think I want to end with this one. You're married to Sally. You have Sharon, Nehima, Emmanuel and Maxwell. What are the lessons you've provided them with a new beginning for them in their own lives. What are the lessons that you hope that you are giving them or sharing with them? Your children?

Maxwell Chikuta:

Yeah. As my daughter evening at school, she's an ambassador. She's been selected. She's the vice president of the club. I've taken her volunteering in the community and even my son Emmanuel. I'm looking at ways to see that when they grow up, they become self sufficient and people who can also give back to the community in the sense that they can volunteer if God blesses them with money and good jobs, they can also do that because it's in them. I was just laughing at myself the other day saying that okay, we came from the Congo, we said, okay, now we are in America. We still are struggling to find jobs. But the answer came saying that, oh, I'm the first one here. So I have to pave ways for my kids. So my kids, so that my kids, they become better and not really the burden to the community. So that answer really struck in my head. I said, wow, I'll continue to inspire them to be good people in the community. People at Lyman Moore, where my son goes, they really appreciate that every time I go there, they say, wow, your son is just amazing. He's got that leadership quality. He's a captain in his soccer team. So I thank God for that. Part of that is the faith and introduce them to God when they're still kids. That's just me. And I'm telling them that the community, it's not only race, religions or gender, the community is colorless. And this year we received exchange student from Japan in our house. Despite that, I have a lot of kids in my house, but we still receive her. We took care of her, show her places. And why? Because I wanted my kid to see that when they grow up. They don't have that attitude to see the color or gender or anything, but to see that the world, we are all equal and respect the humanity. As I was taught by my grandfather. That's why I'm trying to see my four kids and other students have helped other learning centers like in Kennedy Park. I told them the same thing, saying that we really need to see that we are blind as far as helping is concerned. That's why I'm serving into the public, because the public it's defined by all definition. I just gave you for the race, gender, faith group. So I mix with Muslims and they are the ones who even nominated me to ICL Institute for Civic Leadership. But I'm a Christian so people look at me say you are a Christian but how come you're playing with Muslims? No, we are all equal into God's sight. So that's why I want to see my kids also take the same path and live better in our community.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Well Maxwell, I am very privileged to have spent time talking with you today and I really appreciate your sharing these minutes with me and telling me your story. We've been speaking with Maxwell Tecuta who former resident of the Democratic Republic of Congo but now a main resident and US Citizen.

Maxwell Chikuta:

Yes, I really appreciate that. I'm now American. We share same value and I pray to God that I continue to respect and work in this community. If you can just allow me, let me just take few minutes to appreciate few people who really helped me. Like you just mentioned about my citizenship. I would have not been here today if it was not for ILAP Immigration Legal Advocacy. They really helped me with my asylum papers and they introduced me to this wonderful lawyer, Mr. James O' Keeffe and Margaret. So they took care of me. They drove me to Boston like two times and I'm here because of these people and all those people help me with my school. If it's editing my homeworks, I can't really mention everyone but really I do appreciate my community and thank you very much. God bless you. Continue to do what you do good in the community and Dr. Lisa, I appreciate your time with me.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

On the Dr. Lisa Radio Hour and podcast, we we speak often about the health of a community, and today's show is about new beginnings. People who come into our community from somewhere else, and thus their health and the health of their families becomes important to a community. And one of the things that's very important is the things that enable them to have good health, which is things like legal rights. In Maxwell Cicuta's interview, he mentioned that he was helped out in great part by the Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project. So we're thrilled today to be able to have across the microphone from us, Sue Roche, who is the legal director of ilap, the Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project here in Portland. Thanks for coming in.

Susan Roche:

Thank you. Lisa.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Why is it important for us to have an organization like ILAP or the Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project here in Portland?

Susan Roche:

Sure. Well, ILAP is the only organization in Maine that helps immigrants in their immigration cases. And it's really important because immigrants aren't provided with free representation. Like in a criminal case, people can get an attorney, whereas in the immigration system, you're not provided an attorney. The immigration laws are very complicated, and often, even if somebody is very educated, they can't understand the laws are changing every day, and the procedures can be very complicated. So it's often really essential that they have an attorney who can help them through that process. And without having immigration status, they're not going to be able to then work or go to school and do the other things that are really important in their lives.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

What are some of the specific legal challenges that people who are immigrants might face, that people who were born in this country or already have citizenship already have access to?

Susan Roche:

Well, certainly, I think the most important thing is work authorization. Somebody who, who doesn't have permanent legal status isn't authorized to work. For example, even somebody in the process sometimes isn't. Somebody might have fled Rwanda because of persecution, and they have a right in the United States to apply for asylum. There's a long process that they have to go through for that. It often will take time for them to even find a lawyer. And then once they have a lawyer, a lot of time to prepare their application. And then once they've filed their application with immigration, it takes another six months, months before they can even work. So during that entire time, they're not able to work, they're not able to support themselves. So that can be a Real challenge.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And when people come to this country, I mean, Maxwell talked about being supported by the pastor in his country and coming over here and there was a Congolese community already in place. What about people who come as individuals and there's not a community readily available for them? What is that like for them?

Susan Roche:

It's really a challenge. And people are often living homeless for a while.

Maxwell Chikuta:

They.

Susan Roche:

Yes, it can be very challenging. If they don't have family members here, they don't have a community. They really have to sort of start from scratch. And it can be a real challenge.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

How do you deal with the language barriers that sometimes come into this situation?

Susan Roche:

Certainly that's a real challenge for a lot of people who come to the country who don't speak English. It's much more difficult for them to communicate with everyone. There's often not translation services everywhere. At iLap, we have attorneys on staff who speak Spanish, we have a Somali speaker on staff, and we have interpreters for work with other clients. But in terms of just sort of getting along in day to day life, it can be a real challenge if you don't speak English. And then also even once people are authorized to work, it can be very difficult to find jobs. They may have been a doctor back home, but here they don't have the English skills or the credentials to be able to do that.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

What are some of the biggest. Well, let's just say communities. I know you said Somali. What are some of the other communities that exist right now within greater Portland and Maine?

Susan Roche:

Sure. Well, it's interesting actually. I was speaking at a symposium for the bar meeting last winter and we sort of. It was on the changing population in Maine, the aging and the growing immigrant population. And we looked at a lot of numbers and pulling out some Census data from 2000 and 2010, there's been a 20% increase in foreign born individuals during that time period. Less than or 1/3 of Maine's foreign born population has been here for less than 10 years. So real growing immigrant population. And just looking at the individuals, there's a 529% increase in African born individuals, 43% increase in Asians and 62% increase in the Latin American population. Then just looking back at the numbers for ILAP, I mean in 2000, 2000, we only had two, excuse me, only had two staff persons. And it was the beginning of ILAP. That was the first year that I was there. So we had a smaller client base. But just looking at the changes in 2000, our top three countries were Mexico, Honduras and the U.S. it was U.S. citizens who were filing for family members in 2010. It was Somalia, Iraq, and Sudan, where Somalia was only 3% of our population in 2000, and we're 23% in 2010. And other growing populations. We've seen a lot of Burundi and Burundians and Rwandans and Congolese in recent years, but it's been a real interesting shift in a lot. Our Latin American population has been saying about the same or growing a little bit, but there's been a large growth in the African populations.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So that's an interesting challenge. I mean, your organization has been around a little bit more than a decade, and it's a little bit like shifting sands. No sooner are you kind of familiar with one group and their cultural situation and their challenges and advantages, then another group comes along and they have an entirely different set of background. So how is that felt as an attorney practicing within the system for a decade?

Susan Roche:

Well, it's actually really nice. I mean, they all, interestingly, even though people come from different cultures and different countries and different backgrounds, they all have the same issues. They all want to be together with their families. They want to be safe, they want to be working. They want to be productive members of the community. And being able to meet people from lots of different countries is really a great benefit, and I think it's a great benefit to our community. People come in and bring new thoughts and new cultures, and they start businesses. And a lot of immigrants are likely to sort of stay around their families. So I think it really adds to our community to have people who are staying in Maine instead of moving out of state for jobs. I think it really adds a lot.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And you mentioned people coming from other countries who might be a doctor in their country. So we talk about the brain drain, people leaving our state, being educated and leaving, or growing up and leaving. But we're bringing in very educated people from and sometimes other parts of the world.

Susan Roche:

Yes.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

How has this influenced sort of the fabric of our culture, do you think?

Susan Roche:

Well, I think it's a great thing. I mean, one of the unfortunate things is that they're often not able to find jobs in their fields, and they're often very overqualified for the jobs that they have. But they do really bring a lot of, you know, a lot to our communities, and they're, you know, starting lots of businesses. Maxwell's a great example who, you know, even if they don't come here with a lot of education, they come here with this real enthusiasm and desire to live the American dream. And they go to school and they'll work hard. They really want to make sure that their families are doing well and Maxwell's a great example. Where he came here, he got his high school diploma, he got his college degree and his master's and now is going on to get a PhD and I think that really has so much to offer to our community here.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Now ILAP is relatively young as an organization. You described you didn't you had, I guess, two or three attorneys early on. And how many attorneys do you now have? How many staff?

Susan Roche:

We have 11 staff now, so this

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

must be an organization. It doesn't sound like this is doesn't sound like you can do this for free.

Susan Roche:

No.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So how do you deal with fundraising and where does the money come from?

Susan Roche:

Sure, we have a mix of funders from recurring grants through the Main Bar foundation and United Way to private foundations and our annual fund of individual donors. We don't receive any government funding, so we're dependent on grants and individual donations. And we also have an annual event, selasoire, that happens every spring.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So if people wanted to come to selasuiree or if they wanted to donate to your organization, how would they find you?

Susan Roche:

They can find us on the Internet at www.ilapmain.org, so I l a P

Maxwell Chikuta:

E

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

and is it easy enough for people who are out in the community who need your services to find you as well?

Susan Roche:

Yes they can. I mean, people who don't have Internet access can call us. We do have intake every Friday where we take new clients between 9 and 1. People can either call our office at 207-780-1593, or they can come into our office if they're in the Portland area. During intake, we. We sort of assess what people's needs are, and then we determine whether they need a consultation with an attorney. And then they'd be set up for an appointment with an attorney. Sometimes they're ready to fill out a form and they just need assistance with that. So we'll schedule an appointment for them to fill out a green card or citizenship application. And then some people have legal complications. And through our consultation, we may determine that they actually need an attorney and then might end up representing them.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

What are some lessons that you've taken away from doing the job that you've done? What are some of the things that have really hit you the hardest over the last decade of working in this field?

Susan Roche:

Well, I think one of the most difficult things is realizing that you can't help everyone. I mean, being the only organization in the state, the difficult thing for us is if we turn anyone away, there's nowhere else for them to go. And that's something we've really struggled with since I've been there, is sort of learning how to say no to people, and it's very difficult. We still haven't learned how to. But trying to find that balance of making sure that we do the very best job in the cases that we have and not sacrificing the quality and then also trying to help as many people as we can, and we're constantly working on that balance.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And how about you as an individual person?

Susan Roche:

Well, I've learned that the amazing journeys that people have to come to the United States, the things that they give up, I mean, it's really quite a brave thing to be able to leave everything, you know, your language, your culture, your job, your property, and to come to a new place where you have no idea what you're going to find. Often people leave family members behind and just really seeing the human spirit and how strong people are and how resilient and then watching them flourish once they get here is really a wonderful thing to see. And I think Maxwell is a great opportunity, a great example of that.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Well, Sue, I appreciate your spending time talking with me today. I would encourage people who are interested in finding more about ILAP to go to ilapmain.org, which we will also put up on the Dr. Lisa website. Thank you for taking the time to, well, really dedicating your legal career thus far to helping people come to this country and set up a new and healthy and vibrant community in which to live. This means a lot, I'm sure, to the people that you help, but also the people around the people that you help. So I appreciate your talking with me about this. Today I've been speaking with Sue Roche, who is the Legal Director of the Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project here in the Portland area.

Susan Roche:

Great Lisa. Thank you for having me.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

You have been listening to the Dr. Lisa Radio Hour and podcast show number 68, New Beginnings. Airing for the first time on December 30, 2012. Our show included discussions with new US citizen Maxwell Chukuta, formerly of the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Susan Roche, Legal Director of the Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project. Find out more about our guests on Dr. The Dr. Lisa Radio Hour and Podcast is downloadable for free on itunes. For a preview of each week's shows, sign up for our E. Newsletter and like our Dr. Lisa Facebook page. You can also follow me on Twitter and Pinterest doctorlisa and read my take on health and well being and living on The Bountiful Blog bountifulpath.com We love to hear from you, so please let us know what you think of our show and if you have suggestions for future shows. I personally love to hear from you at the Body Architect. If you want to give us a call over there, it's 774-2196. Also, please let our sponsors know that you heard about them on the Dr. Lisa Radio Hour and Podcast. We wish all of our sponsors a very happy 2013 and in fact, we wish all of our listeners a very happy 2013 as well. This is Dr. Lisa Belisle, hoping that our show will inspire new beginnings in your life. Thank you for letting us be a part of your day. May you have a bountiful life.