Noor Alsabahi was born in Syria to Iraqi parents, and until recently lived her entire life there.
It was after Alsabahi — a software engineer — and her sister returned home from buying food a few years ago, that they were told there was a car bomb at their building. Fighting began and the family fled.
So began Alsabahi's journey to establish a new home, including learning the language, which will be featured in a documentary that will be screened in Tucson on Sunday, Jan. 27.
They moved around Syria for a bit but because they weren't welcome as Iraqi citizens in many countries, they eventually went to Iraq for three years. There, the family's situation eventually went from bad to worse.
They went to Turkey and moved into an apartment. Alsabahi didn't immediately apply for refugee status because she felt it wasn't necessary since she could support herself. Refugees are associated with homelessness and poverty.
Alsabahi could have had opportunities for work, but because she is Iraqi, she was unable to get a work permit.
Now Alsabahi considers herself a refugee and is in the United States legally on a visitor visa, living in Pittsburgh, Penn. As her savings dwindle, she would again like to work, however, her visa does not allow it, even though she has a desirable skill set.
While in Turkey, Alsabahi spent the time to learn the language to make Turkey feel like home. The culture is similar but most people in Turkey only speak Turkish, so it is necessary to learn the language to get by at all.
Alsabahi used the free language app Duolingo, which helps people learn a language without taking expensive courses.
She learned English in school and supplemented that knowledge early by reading books. Alsabahi took classes to learn German, but as they got more expensive, she switched to learning Farsi when it was available for very little cost.
Photojournalist Justin Merriman made the documentary for Duolingo featuring Alsabahi and others who fled violence and found themselves in a new country needing to learn the language.
The documentary, "Something Like Home," will be featured at the Loft Sunday, Jan. 27, where Alsabahi will also speak about her experiences and the importance of language learning.
The event, which is open to the public, is sponsored by St. Mark's United Methodist Church, 1431 W. Magee Road.
