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Asylum: A Memoir & Manifesto
A “moving…dramatic” (David Ebershoff, New York Times bestselling author of The Danish Girl ), and urgent call to action for immigration justice by a Nigerian asylee and global gay rights and immigration activist Edafe Okporo.
On the eve of Edafe Okporo’s twenty-sixth birthday, he was awoken by a violent mob outside his window in Abuja, Nigeria. The mob threatened his life after discovering the secret Edafe had been hiding for years—that he is a gay man. Left with no other choice, he purchased a one-way plane ticket to New York City and fled for his life. Though America had always been painted to him as a land of freedom and opportunity, it was anything but when he arrived just days before the tumultuous 2016 Presidential Election.
Edafe would go on to spend the next six months at an immigration detention center in Elizabeth, New Jersey. After navigating the confusing, often draconian, US immigration and legal system, he was finally granted asylum. But he would soon realize that America is exceptionally good at keeping people locked up but is seriously lacking in integrating freed refugees into society.
Asylum is Edafe’s “powerful, eye-opening” (Dr. Eric Cervini, New York Times bestselling author of The Deviant’s War ) memoir and manifesto, which documents his experiences growing up gay in Nigeria, fleeing to America, navigating the immigration system, and making a life for himself as a Black, gay immigrant. Alongside his personal story is a blaring call to action—not only for immigration reform but for a just immigration system for refugees everywhere. This book imagines a future where immigrants and asylees are treated with fairness, transparency, and compassion. It aims to help us understand that home is not just where you feel safe and welcome but also how you can make it feel safe and welcome for others.
On the eve of Edafe Okporo’s twenty-sixth birthday, he was awoken by a violent mob outside his window in Abuja, Nigeria. The mob threatened his life after discovering the secret Edafe had been hiding for years—that he is a gay man. Left with no other choice, he purchased a one-way plane ticket to New York City and fled for his life. Though America had always been painted to him as a land of freedom and opportunity, it was anything but when he arrived just days before the tumultuous 2016 Presidential Election.
Edafe would go on to spend the next six months at an immigration detention center in Elizabeth, New Jersey. After navigating the confusing, often draconian, US immigration and legal system, he was finally granted asylum. But he would soon realize that America is exceptionally good at keeping people locked up but is seriously lacking in integrating freed refugees into society.
Asylum is Edafe’s “powerful, eye-opening” (Dr. Eric Cervini, New York Times bestselling author of The Deviant’s War ) memoir and manifesto, which documents his experiences growing up gay in Nigeria, fleeing to America, navigating the immigration system, and making a life for himself as a Black, gay immigrant. Alongside his personal story is a blaring call to action—not only for immigration reform but for a just immigration system for refugees everywhere. This book imagines a future where immigrants and asylees are treated with fairness, transparency, and compassion. It aims to help us understand that home is not just where you feel safe and welcome but also how you can make it feel safe and welcome for others.
224 pages, Hardcover
Published June 7, 2022
19 people are currently reading
3987 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews
January 10, 2023
A powerful memoir about a gay Nigerian man who flees Nigeria upon experiencing homophobic persecution and then must navigate the United States as an asylee. I liked Edafe Okporo’s vivid and clear-eyed writing style, how he captured his coming-of-age in Nigeria and the anti-gay bullying and outright physical abuse and beating in his country of origin. He does a nice job of showing that while he escaped a potentially lethal level of anti-gay persecution in Nigeria, he still encounters xenophobic and racist policies and treatment when he arrives in the United States. He writes with humility and conviction about his work now centers LGBTQ+ asylees, as well as shares how going to therapy helped him heal from the trauma he experienced at the intersection of homophobia, xenophobia, and racism.
Overall, a moving memoir that shows we have a lot of work to do to combat xenophobia, colonialism, homophobia, and other forces of oppression. Toward the end of the memoir, I thought he could have done more to interrogate dating and committing to a long-term relationship with a white man from a wealthy background (e.g., interrogating proximity to white privilege and power). Still, Okporo’s resilience shines through though of course ideally he wouldn’t have had to face these identity-based challenges in the first place.
Overall, a moving memoir that shows we have a lot of work to do to combat xenophobia, colonialism, homophobia, and other forces of oppression. Toward the end of the memoir, I thought he could have done more to interrogate dating and committing to a long-term relationship with a white man from a wealthy background (e.g., interrogating proximity to white privilege and power). Still, Okporo’s resilience shines through though of course ideally he wouldn’t have had to face these identity-based challenges in the first place.
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December 17, 2021A riveting contribution expanding the literature of US immigration to include the experience of a gay Nigerian man. Okpoto's story clarifies the necessary role that community based lgbt and refugee support groups play in supplementing the bureaucratic brutality facing America's new arrivals. Vulnerable, informative and compelling, this book will appeal to professionals, scholars, and general readers open to the stories of our times.
May 4, 2025
the united states is horrendous but if it has any potential its because of people like the author.
"immigration in america should not be viewed as a quid-pro-quo situation: you give me protection; i seal my mouth forever. when i question america, i do so with optimism of what we could become if we cared for the displaced. i do so for myself, and for the people i know, and the people i do not know yet."
"immigration in america should not be viewed as a quid-pro-quo situation: you give me protection; i seal my mouth forever. when i question america, i do so with optimism of what we could become if we cared for the displaced. i do so for myself, and for the people i know, and the people i do not know yet."
April 22, 2023
This book is a must-read for Americans who want to see a different side of our asylum policies.
Edafe Okporo was living his life, advocating and spreading awareness about HIV in his Nigerian gay community. But on his 26th birthday, after being dragged from his home and attacked by a violent mob for being gay, he was forced to abandon his family and the life he knew to seek safety in the United States. At the time, he did not yet know the overwhelming barriers that would lay ahead: imprisonment in an immigration detention facility, homelessness, racism, and isolation. This book tells not only his own story of rebuilding his life, but the story of the millions who have faced similar journeys.
The cover refers to this book as a "memoir and manifesto" -- after reading it, I now understand what that means, and it truly does deliver on both counts.
Okporo weaves his own life experiences with detailed research about the history of immigration and contemporary asylum policy, as well as his own analysis and recommendations for how we can do better as a country. He calls out the industrial prison complex that trades in human life as commodities and profits off of taxpayer money. He draws attention to how American evangelical groups are backing anti-gay legislation across Africa.
Okporo also dives without hesitation into topics of racism and discrimination, about the ways America has been shaped by both implicit bias and explicitly racist structures. He dissects how his perspectives have been shaped by his intersecting identities: to white Americans he is a Black man, to Black Americans he is an African immigrant, to the Nigerian diaspora he is a gay man, and to the queer community he is a refugee.
Amidst all this is a call to action that cannot be ignored. Okporo is clear that where government and policy fail, the kindness of everyday Americans fills the gaps. In addition to motivating readers to advocate for policy change, there is also a clear call to lend a helping hand within our communities, to welcome our neighbors and ensure they are housed and safe.
Highly recommended: 5 stars 🌟
Edafe Okporo was living his life, advocating and spreading awareness about HIV in his Nigerian gay community. But on his 26th birthday, after being dragged from his home and attacked by a violent mob for being gay, he was forced to abandon his family and the life he knew to seek safety in the United States. At the time, he did not yet know the overwhelming barriers that would lay ahead: imprisonment in an immigration detention facility, homelessness, racism, and isolation. This book tells not only his own story of rebuilding his life, but the story of the millions who have faced similar journeys.
The cover refers to this book as a "memoir and manifesto" -- after reading it, I now understand what that means, and it truly does deliver on both counts.
Okporo weaves his own life experiences with detailed research about the history of immigration and contemporary asylum policy, as well as his own analysis and recommendations for how we can do better as a country. He calls out the industrial prison complex that trades in human life as commodities and profits off of taxpayer money. He draws attention to how American evangelical groups are backing anti-gay legislation across Africa.
Okporo also dives without hesitation into topics of racism and discrimination, about the ways America has been shaped by both implicit bias and explicitly racist structures. He dissects how his perspectives have been shaped by his intersecting identities: to white Americans he is a Black man, to Black Americans he is an African immigrant, to the Nigerian diaspora he is a gay man, and to the queer community he is a refugee.
Amidst all this is a call to action that cannot be ignored. Okporo is clear that where government and policy fail, the kindness of everyday Americans fills the gaps. In addition to motivating readers to advocate for policy change, there is also a clear call to lend a helping hand within our communities, to welcome our neighbors and ensure they are housed and safe.
Highly recommended: 5 stars 🌟
June 21, 2022
I happened to finish reading this book on the Juneteenth holiday weekend, on International Refugee Day, during Pride Month. And that pretty much sums up this book.
Whether you are looking for a great pride month read, interested in knowing the firsthand story of how difficult and complicated the refugee asylum system is in the USA is (= the reason I picked up this book), or trying to get an in-depth understanding of racism, this book is the right book.
It is heartbreaking, but also extremely hopeful. And makes you want to work harder for a better tomorrow.
"For what happened in the past we can blame others, but for what will happen in the future we cannot blame anyone but ourselves." (page 204)
I recommend you to read this book too.
Whether you are looking for a great pride month read, interested in knowing the firsthand story of how difficult and complicated the refugee asylum system is in the USA is (= the reason I picked up this book), or trying to get an in-depth understanding of racism, this book is the right book.
It is heartbreaking, but also extremely hopeful. And makes you want to work harder for a better tomorrow.
"For what happened in the past we can blame others, but for what will happen in the future we cannot blame anyone but ourselves." (page 204)
I recommend you to read this book too.
January 25, 2024
This is a powerful memoir of a gay man from Nigeria, who must flee his home after being awarded with a gay right activist award from America. In Nigeria being openly gay means being ostracized and attacked. Fearing for his life, he ends up in an immigration detention centre in America, having chosen America because he had seen men be openly gay there.
However, when he gets to America he is classed as a defensive asylum seeker and is put in an immigration detention centre until his case is processed. What follows is his journey as he becomes knowledgeable on the system, gets out and opens a charity that helps orher refugees with the American legal system. He also lives his life as an openly gay man, feels cut off from his family in Nigeria, learns to drive and encounters American racisms. The book is at times a memoir and at times a plea, a factual manifesto. It emotionally touched me deeply, I was horrified, hopeful, happy and impressed while reading this.
“We are faced with choices everyday. For what happend in the past we can blame others, but for what happens tomorrow you can only blame yourself. The small choices we make today will make up our life stories tomorrow.”
“My life with Nicolas has been worth every risk I took to be here. I can vividly remember the first time I kissed Nicolas on the streets of Manhattan. It felt like a dream. He was the shy one, but I was in disbelief. Something so simple had never been in the realm of possibility in my old life. Before him, before my work with other refugees, I had never understood unconditional love.”
-
“Having faith, religious faith or otherwise, has been a commonality for me and many others. I do not care what tribe you come from or what local language you speak. If you are a christian, you are my brother or sister. Nigeria being a multicultural nation, meant the only commonality I might have shared with other tribes was their religion. Faith has helped collapse the walls between me and many others…. But my sexuality has made it hard… belong to a religious community that believed me to be posesses… the demomization of homosexuality in Africa dates back to colonialism”
However, when he gets to America he is classed as a defensive asylum seeker and is put in an immigration detention centre until his case is processed. What follows is his journey as he becomes knowledgeable on the system, gets out and opens a charity that helps orher refugees with the American legal system. He also lives his life as an openly gay man, feels cut off from his family in Nigeria, learns to drive and encounters American racisms. The book is at times a memoir and at times a plea, a factual manifesto. It emotionally touched me deeply, I was horrified, hopeful, happy and impressed while reading this.
“We are faced with choices everyday. For what happend in the past we can blame others, but for what happens tomorrow you can only blame yourself. The small choices we make today will make up our life stories tomorrow.”
“My life with Nicolas has been worth every risk I took to be here. I can vividly remember the first time I kissed Nicolas on the streets of Manhattan. It felt like a dream. He was the shy one, but I was in disbelief. Something so simple had never been in the realm of possibility in my old life. Before him, before my work with other refugees, I had never understood unconditional love.”
-
“Having faith, religious faith or otherwise, has been a commonality for me and many others. I do not care what tribe you come from or what local language you speak. If you are a christian, you are my brother or sister. Nigeria being a multicultural nation, meant the only commonality I might have shared with other tribes was their religion. Faith has helped collapse the walls between me and many others…. But my sexuality has made it hard… belong to a religious community that believed me to be posesses… the demomization of homosexuality in Africa dates back to colonialism”
June 8, 2022
Asylum shows the difficulties in America's immigration and asylum system. Edafe grew up with family in Nigeria, and as a young adult, he constantly risked his life to help fight the AIDS epidemic amongst the LGBTQ community in his country. Nigeria has many laws against homosexuality, and because of this, Edafe had to live in secret, but when that secret was revealed, he had to run for his life. Edafe's journey to America, and through its archaic immigration system. When he is finally granted asylum, the difficult task of being refugee in America comes to light. The lack of assistance, and myriad of barriers take this smart, successful man, and turn him into a shell of himself.
June 8, 2025
A very relatable book on seeking asylum as a gay person in the West. Loved his take on how as Africans, we leave home to come to the West to be ourselves only to be rejected by our own country people! Hearing things like you are not a real African because you’re part of the LGBTQ+ community. Like, the F**k!
Overall work to do on combating homophobia, xenophobia, any form of discrimination!
Overall work to do on combating homophobia, xenophobia, any form of discrimination!
May 3, 2023
This book was impactful and eye opening for me. It was best read in small increments to fully absorb, although I devoured the last quarter of the book in one setting.
I am going to share one of my favorite passages of the book quoted from Okporo:
"Many have been quick to pass judgement about who has fled for America, without thinking much about why and from where they fled. I've always believed that in America, we aren't meant to judge people for who they are when they arrived, but for who they can become by living here."
I am going to share one of my favorite passages of the book quoted from Okporo:
"Many have been quick to pass judgement about who has fled for America, without thinking much about why and from where they fled. I've always believed that in America, we aren't meant to judge people for who they are when they arrived, but for who they can become by living here."
August 2, 2022
A vivid and personal look at the experience of the author, first growing up in Nigeria and then eventually seeking refuge in the US. I learned a lot from this book, and at times it made me deeply deeply sad. I listened to this on audiobook and the narrator did a beautiful job, highly recommend.
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July 30, 2022A must read. The only thing I'd add is that it's not only the US, the system is very similar in the EU
February 12, 2024
In this moving and eyeopening memoir, Edafe Okporo takes you through what it was like to grow up as a gay man in Nigeria, then through the asylum process in the US, and finally through his life in the US.
While the the writing is plain and straight forward, the story is heartbreaking and hopeful. Okporo is able to connect his direct lived experiences with specific changes that need to be made to the immigration and asylum seeking processes. This book explores important topics and is definitely a must read.
While the the writing is plain and straight forward, the story is heartbreaking and hopeful. Okporo is able to connect his direct lived experiences with specific changes that need to be made to the immigration and asylum seeking processes. This book explores important topics and is definitely a must read.
September 7, 2022
A Nigerian man who is LGBTQ+ and was tortured because of it, seeks asylum in the United States and tries to cope with culture shock and his new home.
November 28, 2022
Recommended by Natalie. Check our catalog: https://encore.cooklib.org/iii/encore...
February 23, 2023
I work with attorneys who are representing individuals like Edafe on their immigration cases. Even though I am exposed to these stories every day, it was incredibly valuable to read this memoir and dive deeper into the experience of an immigrant seeking asylum. Okporo does a beautiful job of sharing his story and stirring the reader to empathy and action.
January 3, 2022
Okporo writes a powerful memoir about his life as a gay man from Nigeria and his journey seeking asylum in America. He describes the persecution of the LGBTQIA community in Nigeria and the Hardships queer refugees and asylum seekers face trying to seek protection inside the United States. This was a call to action and a story of hope and survival! A must read in 2022.
June 11, 2024
The best book to stumble into by accident. Real, true, heartfelt, and spoke into every facet of my life. So worth a read.
September 8, 2022
What a powerful book. This was Edafe’s story but it was also a way of bringing the reality of Nigeria and the United States to paper. This book had so many layers that it is impossible to impact them in a review but this man is a advocate not only for immigrants but also BIPOC and LBGQT+ people. Most of us know that there is a serious racism and homophobic issue in America, as well as an extreme hatred towards immigrants but to read it from someone’s perspective who experienced it is hard. What’s even harder is reading it from the perspective of a man who seems like a genuinely kind soul and someone who had a innocent perspective that the United States is a welcoming safe haven for those who need it and had his whole wide eyed viewpoint smashed the moment he landed in The US. This book really delivers where change is needed and how hard he is fighting for that change so people never have to experience the hate he faces both in Nigeria and in the United States.
November 3, 2022
Such an eye opening book. I have to be honest, I was one of those people that was upset about other people coming to our country and just getting help and using the system. But our system is broken. And after reading his story, I feel awful about my thoughts. Yes, I was blind and uninformed. I'm not afraid to admit it. I didn't know what was going on to these individuals in their country, had no clue! I want to apologize to these people from the depths of my heart. I hate what they have to go through! I honestly hate our world. People should be free to be who they are!! I personally couldn't come out until 3 years ago because of my family judging me. But I wasn't going to be killed for it! I'm so glad he was able to have the courage to leave his country to at least try and be free. Our country is not perfect, and we need a lot of work. But it's great to hear that he is working to change it.
December 11, 2024
This is really how it is. It's still not safe to be gay in this world. Even though sexual diversity isn't going away. Even though it's so much easier to be accepting and let consenting adults live the way they wish. This is a novel of fleeing persecution and scratching out success by serving others while staying true to yourself. "Home is not just where you feel safe and welcome. It is also about how you can make it feel safe and welcoming for others."
Even though the author was mob-beaten and almost killed just for being gay, this wasn't a memoir of torture porn or abject suffering. The author has a strong, optimistic character and remarkable communication and leadership skills nurtured and developed since childhood. He's a natural activist, and never seems to fall into total despair even when jumping out of the frying pan of homophobic west Africa into the fire of carceral-happy, xenophobic America. Regarding the average American's take on immigration, he quips: "Holding strong opinions on a process you have never experienced is the epitome of ignorance." Indeed.
"I found myself suddenly ashamed that my new home country would treat immigrants this way," he says of his early experience in an immigration detainee facility. The school to prison pipeline called and wants to tell the author that it's often not great for US citizens, either.
The author maintains his lightness in part because of his spirituality. It's painful to him that church has provided him with both soul food and alienation, but he saves room for his faith in his heart and eventually finds a church home in the US with the Unitarians, who are less dogmatic. He recognizes also that spirituality isn't bound by a single church or tradition: "The same principles applied in houses of worship are what you feel when you attend a concert or watch a play--you feel moved and sometimes touched by the artist's performance. These transcendent experiences do not have to happen exclusively in churches--the world offers us many opportunities to broaden our worldviews and expand our perspectives. Doing so, I believe, is similar to the experience of finding faith in a higher calling or an extraordinary power that you cannot define."
Even while struggling with underemployment, homophobia, racism, PTSD, and homesickness, this man found and continues to find purpose in serving others in a way harmonious to his own growth and healing. This, to me, is the mark of leadership. What a testimony!
Even though the author was mob-beaten and almost killed just for being gay, this wasn't a memoir of torture porn or abject suffering. The author has a strong, optimistic character and remarkable communication and leadership skills nurtured and developed since childhood. He's a natural activist, and never seems to fall into total despair even when jumping out of the frying pan of homophobic west Africa into the fire of carceral-happy, xenophobic America. Regarding the average American's take on immigration, he quips: "Holding strong opinions on a process you have never experienced is the epitome of ignorance." Indeed.
"I found myself suddenly ashamed that my new home country would treat immigrants this way," he says of his early experience in an immigration detainee facility. The school to prison pipeline called and wants to tell the author that it's often not great for US citizens, either.
The author maintains his lightness in part because of his spirituality. It's painful to him that church has provided him with both soul food and alienation, but he saves room for his faith in his heart and eventually finds a church home in the US with the Unitarians, who are less dogmatic. He recognizes also that spirituality isn't bound by a single church or tradition: "The same principles applied in houses of worship are what you feel when you attend a concert or watch a play--you feel moved and sometimes touched by the artist's performance. These transcendent experiences do not have to happen exclusively in churches--the world offers us many opportunities to broaden our worldviews and expand our perspectives. Doing so, I believe, is similar to the experience of finding faith in a higher calling or an extraordinary power that you cannot define."
Even while struggling with underemployment, homophobia, racism, PTSD, and homesickness, this man found and continues to find purpose in serving others in a way harmonious to his own growth and healing. This, to me, is the mark of leadership. What a testimony!
June 7, 2022
This book gives us a vivid, personal story of Edafe Okporo's fleeing persecution and death threats in Nigeria for being gay. Not only do we learn about the criminalization of same sex relationships in Nigeria, we also learn of the harsh consequences for family and friends who try to help and protect LGBTQ+ individuals. His story is beautifully written and incredibly heartbreaking as we learn of his coming out as a young man living in constant fear and then becoming an activist for AIDS prevention which then makes him an even more visible target. His experiences coming to America to seek asylum is particularly harrowing. Not only are privately owned detention centers a big business and exploiter of asylum seekers and refugees, but there is a lack of support systems to help access legal advice, quality health care, and mental health counseling for trauma and PTSD. If and when an asylum seeker is released, they are just left to their own devices on the streets to fend for themselves with no access to shelter, clothes, transportation, food. He also has trouble fitting in -- the Nigerian community does not necessarily want to accept a Gay Man, and the white gay community does not necessarily want to accept a black, foreign gay man. Ultimately, with the support of pro bono attorneys, social service organizations, he is able to make his way to a good job serving other refugees and asylum seekers. The story ends on a positive note and at the same time is a call to action for all of us. Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
December 24, 2024
The thing about memoirs is that everyone has a story to tell: what makes one great is the author's ability to inspect their story and share what they've learned throughout their life in a way that connects with others. Edafe Okporo does this perfectly.
The first thing I noticed while reading is that I really, genuinely like Edafe. He is thoughtful and determined in a way that I couldn't help but greatly admire. Parts of the book felt like hearing a friend tell me about themselves. He is so insightful about every part of his identity and how they intersect, and I felt my heart sink as he sought refuge in America due to his sexuality but quickly found that his race and immigrant status would be grounds for discrimination in the US.
This book is so incredibly important in the modern political era of extreme vitriol towards immigrants, a reality that seems unthinkable in a country where most need only go back a few generations in their own family to find an immigrant relative. We are forgetting ourselves as a nation, and Edafe Okporo's brand of patriotism is much needed. Americans should love their country by making it the kindest version of itself, and caring for and accepting aslyees and other immigrants should be a cornerstone of our identity as a nation.
This book was a powerful story as well as a call to action.
The first thing I noticed while reading is that I really, genuinely like Edafe. He is thoughtful and determined in a way that I couldn't help but greatly admire. Parts of the book felt like hearing a friend tell me about themselves. He is so insightful about every part of his identity and how they intersect, and I felt my heart sink as he sought refuge in America due to his sexuality but quickly found that his race and immigrant status would be grounds for discrimination in the US.
This book is so incredibly important in the modern political era of extreme vitriol towards immigrants, a reality that seems unthinkable in a country where most need only go back a few generations in their own family to find an immigrant relative. We are forgetting ourselves as a nation, and Edafe Okporo's brand of patriotism is much needed. Americans should love their country by making it the kindest version of itself, and caring for and accepting aslyees and other immigrants should be a cornerstone of our identity as a nation.
This book was a powerful story as well as a call to action.
June 3, 2022
“This book imagines a future where immigrants and asylees are treated with fairness, transparent, and compassion. It aims to help us understand that home is not just where you feel safe and welcome but also how you can make it feel safe and welcome for others.”
This powerful quote by Edafe Okporo beautifully sums up the main premise of his memoir. In Asylum, Edafe describes growing up gay in Nigeria. At age 26, he was forced to flee and seek asylum in the United States. Edafe finally gains entry and becomes and immigration rights activist.
Asylum was such an incredibly powerful memoir. The beginning chapters where Edafe describes the torment and abuse he faced as a child was very heart-breaking and hard to read. It was very eye-opening to read how members of the gay community are treated and viewed in Nigeria. They can be imprisoned, mutilated, and even killed.
What’s also heart-breaking was Edafe’s treatment upon entering the U.S. He spent several months in a detention center. It’s extremely frustrating to hear how the U.S. treats those who come to this country, seeking a better life and hoping to live n safety.
I highly recommend this memoir to others!!
Thank you @netgalley, @simonandschuster, and @simon.audio for the #gifted audiobook and e-book copies!
This powerful quote by Edafe Okporo beautifully sums up the main premise of his memoir. In Asylum, Edafe describes growing up gay in Nigeria. At age 26, he was forced to flee and seek asylum in the United States. Edafe finally gains entry and becomes and immigration rights activist.
Asylum was such an incredibly powerful memoir. The beginning chapters where Edafe describes the torment and abuse he faced as a child was very heart-breaking and hard to read. It was very eye-opening to read how members of the gay community are treated and viewed in Nigeria. They can be imprisoned, mutilated, and even killed.
What’s also heart-breaking was Edafe’s treatment upon entering the U.S. He spent several months in a detention center. It’s extremely frustrating to hear how the U.S. treats those who come to this country, seeking a better life and hoping to live n safety.
I highly recommend this memoir to others!!
Thank you @netgalley, @simonandschuster, and @simon.audio for the #gifted audiobook and e-book copies!
October 30, 2023
Okporo does a masterful job of sharing his life with us and it is a blessing. Okporo was born in Nigeria and spent his childhood trying to fight the truth he knew about himself. However, in early adulthood, he began to accept and embrace his sexuality and found his calling in advocating for others in the LGBTQIA community and working to bring understanding about AIDS to the community. Despite Okporo's very successful work and his ability to build found family in the city he moves to, one day he is attacked by his neighbors due to their discovery of his sexuality and he realizes that he is not safe. He quickly leaves the country and applies for asylum in America. Okporo's experience while detained during his case as well as once asylum is granted and he is released is harrowing. It brings to light the need for citizens to work hard to advocate for and welcome refugees and asylees. Okporo also discusses various intersections of sexuality, race in America, and the difficulty of finding his place amongst other Nigerian asylees.
March 17, 2023
A powerful book. A memoir combined with factual information regarding LGBT and racial discrimination spanning across centuries and countries.
In Asylum, we hear of Okporo’s life as a child in Nigeria up until adulthood and the persecution he faced for deviating from culturally-acceptable gender norms. As an adult, he found relative safety in Abuja, but soon found being who he was, illegal due to Nigeria criminalizing homosexuality. Facing certain death, he fled to America, only to discover racism and discrimination due to the color of his skin and the anti-immigration policies of the Trump administration. Remarkably, he gains asylum, and he persists and finds a calling aiding other LGBT+ asylees and refugees.
The memoir is well intertwined with research on current events and discrimination, that call the reader to action and allow the reader to feel the pain of it. I highly recommend Asylum.
In Asylum, we hear of Okporo’s life as a child in Nigeria up until adulthood and the persecution he faced for deviating from culturally-acceptable gender norms. As an adult, he found relative safety in Abuja, but soon found being who he was, illegal due to Nigeria criminalizing homosexuality. Facing certain death, he fled to America, only to discover racism and discrimination due to the color of his skin and the anti-immigration policies of the Trump administration. Remarkably, he gains asylum, and he persists and finds a calling aiding other LGBT+ asylees and refugees.
The memoir is well intertwined with research on current events and discrimination, that call the reader to action and allow the reader to feel the pain of it. I highly recommend Asylum.
May 15, 2023
* Powerful (the author's personal story fleeing his home country),
* Insightful (the author's disappointment in Christianity and his rediscovery of faith. God teaches us to love and not judge. How a lot of self-claimed Christians shamelessly use God's teaching as an excuse to spread hate is beyond me!)
* A lot to brood over (how can a government offer asylum but refuse to help the asylum seekers find their footing once the asylum is granted?).
Prejudice originates from not knowing the target of the prejudice. I highly recommend those who have qualms against people different from them, be it skin color, religious belief, or sexual orientation, yet still possess good will to read this book and see through the difference on the surface and realize that we are all the same; we all want to be loved, to be respected, and to lead a meaningful life.
* Insightful (the author's disappointment in Christianity and his rediscovery of faith. God teaches us to love and not judge. How a lot of self-claimed Christians shamelessly use God's teaching as an excuse to spread hate is beyond me!)
* A lot to brood over (how can a government offer asylum but refuse to help the asylum seekers find their footing once the asylum is granted?).
Prejudice originates from not knowing the target of the prejudice. I highly recommend those who have qualms against people different from them, be it skin color, religious belief, or sexual orientation, yet still possess good will to read this book and see through the difference on the surface and realize that we are all the same; we all want to be loved, to be respected, and to lead a meaningful life.
December 7, 2022
This book had my emotions everywhere!!! One second I’d be crying one second I’d be so angry. This was such an enlightening memoir about an asylum seeker and the journey he went thought when getting displaced to USA. I did not know much about refugees and their life in the USA when they first immigrant. This story made me so sad and really be aware of the situations in USA. It’s sad to say this country is country of freedom but the immigrants and refugees get treated like they have no freedom.
I also wasn’t aware how recently this happened which breaks my heart even more. So glad Edafe was able to get this story out to us and spread awareness as to what is really happening to refugees that seek a home in the USA.
Highly recommend, enlightening memoir!
I also wasn’t aware how recently this happened which breaks my heart even more. So glad Edafe was able to get this story out to us and spread awareness as to what is really happening to refugees that seek a home in the USA.
Highly recommend, enlightening memoir!
March 9, 2025
The book is easy to read. Simple style. I learned many things about the hinderances asylum seekers have to face in order to be accepted in a host country. And the difficulties they face to survive once they are granted asylum. The book is a memoir and a manifesto at the same time. Being a beginner to such a genre, i am fighting the instinct to admit that the manifesto part was quite elaborate but the memoir lacked a depth of feelings. Except for some well developed passages, the narrator skipped the chapter of childhood trauma and making amends with family. He just mentioned that he went to therapy but did not elaborate on how his past left him scarred and how he got over it through therapy.
All in all the book is worth reading. And a powerful political manifesto.
All in all the book is worth reading. And a powerful political manifesto.
February 1, 2022
I received a PRC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review... First, thank you Edafe for documenting your journey for Americans to read. The pathways, processes, and difficulties of the immigration system is something that most Americans know very little about, yet so many have strong opinions about. As Americans, I think we owe it to ourselves to have a better understanding of how the system works before we formulate harsh judgments. The book was an enjoyable read, weaving in historical information of the immigration system with the author's life journey from Nigeria to the US.
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