By Ahmed Muse Abdulle (Idaawaqaca)
A personal reflection on twenty years of belonging, friendship and gratitude in Utah.
Twenty years ago, I came to Utah as an immigrant searching for a better life. Today, I am a United States citizen, and I look back on those two decades with a heart full of gratitude. Utah has become my home—a place where I have found generous neighbors, lasting friendships, respect for my faith and the opportunity to build a meaningful life.
I am Muslim. I am Black. I am a Democrat in a state where my political party is in the minority. I arrived as a Somali immigrant. These are important parts of who I am, and throughout my years here, the people I have met have made me feel welcome.
In my own twenty years of living in Utah, I have not personally experienced racial discrimination. My experience has been one of kindness, dignity and good neighborliness. That is the experience I want to share, and it is why I am proud and happy to call Utah home.
Leaving a respected journalism career in search of peace
Before coming to Utah, I had a good job with BBC Somali. I was a senior journalist committed to impartial reporting. My profession mattered deeply to me, and Somalia was my country—the place where I had built my career and where I wanted to live in peace.
Yet I could not find the peace I needed in my homeland. Having a respected profession and meaningful work could not replace the basic need for safety and stability. I left Somalia carrying my experience as a journalist and the hope of finding a peaceful life.
What I could not find in Somalia, I found in Utah: justice and peace. Those words express the deepest meaning of my journey. In Utah, I have experienced the dignity of being treated fairly, the comfort of respectful neighbors and the peace of being able to build a life. For someone who left his homeland searching for stability, these are among the greatest gifts a community can offer.
That history makes my gratitude to Utah especially personal. I know how precious it is to live without the uncertainty of insecurity, to plan for tomorrow and to feel at ease among your neighbors. The peace and kindness I have found here have given me reasons to be thankful every day.
I still carry Somalia in my heart. My love for the country of my birth lives alongside my appreciation for the country where I am now a citizen and the state I am proud to call home.
The kindness that makes a place feel like home
When I think about Utah, I think first about its people. I think about warm smiles, friendly conversations and neighbors who treat one another with consideration. I think about generosity that comes naturally and compassion expressed through everyday actions.
Starting again in a new country takes courage. An immigrant must learn unfamiliar systems, understand a new society and work toward a stable future. A welcoming neighbor, a patient conversation or a simple gesture of respect can mean more than people realize. The kindness I have encountered in Utah has helped turn an unfamiliar place into a home.
The people of Utah deserve sincere appreciation for their hospitality, their willingness to help and the importance they place on family and community. In my experience, their generosity is accompanied by humility. Their friendliness makes people feel comfortable, and their neighborliness gives daily life a sense of trust.
A Muslim who feels respected and welcome
My Muslim faith is central to my life. I am grateful to have lived among people who have respected that faith and welcomed me as their neighbor. I value the freedom to worship, preserve my identity and participate in the wider community.
Utah’s Muslim community includes people from many countries and cultural backgrounds. With around fourteen mosques and Islamic centers serving different communities, we have places to pray, gather, teach our children and strengthen our relationships. These spaces are an important part of the home we have built here.
I deeply appreciate Utahns whose own religious and cultural traditions encourage service, generosity and care for others. Across different beliefs, we can recognize shared commitments to family, compassion, honesty and helping people in need. Those shared values have given me many reasons to feel close to my neighbors.
Different politics, shared humanity
As a Democrat in Utah, I know what it means to hold a political view that is in the minority statewide. Yet the respect I have experienced has shown me the value of living together with courtesy across political differences.
People can support different parties and still be excellent neighbors. They can disagree on public policy and still greet one another warmly, care about their community and offer a helping hand. I appreciate the Utahns who have shown me this through the way they live.
I am grateful for a community in which I can maintain my beliefs while building friendships with people who see the world differently. That kind of mutual respect strengthens our society and gives us a foundation for thoughtful participation in public life.
From a newcomer to an American citizen
Becoming a United States citizen is a meaningful part of my journey. I arrived looking for a better life, and today I belong to this country as a citizen. I carry my Somali heritage with pride, and I also take pride in my American citizenship and my life in Utah.
Citizenship means an opportunity to contribute and a responsibility to care about the society we share. It means participating, respecting our neighbors and helping build a better future. I am thankful that Utah has been the setting for this important chapter of my life.
After twenty years, my attachment to Utah goes far beyond an address. It is rooted in the people I know, the relationships I treasure and the sense of belonging that has grown over time. Utah is part of my story, and I am happy to be part of its community.
Serving Utah through Yellow Star Express Taxi
I am also the owner of Yellow Star Express Taxi. My business is another way I am connected to Utah and its people. Providing taxi and airport transportation gives me the opportunity to serve local residents and visitors, and I am grateful for the trust customers place in me.
As a business owner, I want to contribute to the community that has welcomed me. I aim to offer the same courtesy, care and respect that I have received from the people of Utah. Every customer is an opportunity to put those values into practice.
I appreciate everyone who supports local businesses and gives hardworking people the chance to build a livelihood. For me, owning Yellow Star Express Taxi is part of my immigrant journey, my life as an American citizen and my commitment to serving the place I call home.
Honoring the Somali community and its pioneers
The Somali community is also an important part of my love for Utah. Our gatherings bring together family, friendship, culture and the effort to build a good future for the next generation. I am proud of the ways our community contributes while preserving the traditions that connect us to our heritage.
I remember the late Professor Ahmed Mumin Warfa with deep respect and affection. In our community’s recollection, he holds a special place as its first Somali settler in Utah. May Allah have mercy on him. His memory reminds me to honor those whose presence helped establish the community we know today.
I also recognize Osman Ahmed, whom I remember as the second Somali to settle in Utah. The photographs of him with Joe Biden and Barack Obama are treasured images within the collection I am sharing. For me, they are reminders of the connections and experiences that form part of our community’s American story.
Liban Mohamed’s participation in a race for the United States Congress is another meaningful example of Somali Americans taking part in civic life. I am pleased to see members of our community contribute their ideas and ambitions to the public conversation.
Friendship with the wider Salt Lake City community
My photographs preserve moments with Somali community members, Salt Lake City’s mayor and a former Salt Lake City police chief. I treasure these memories because they reflect human connections built over the years.
Meeting people across community and public service has reinforced my appreciation for Utah. A welcoming conversation and a respectful encounter can bring people closer. The opportunity to build these relationships is something I value deeply.
I am thankful to the neighbors, community members and public servants who have helped make Utah a place where I feel at home. I appreciate their courtesy, their openness and the time they give to the people around them.
Photographs from my life and community in Utah
Photographs supplied by Ahmed Muse Abdulle (Idaawaqaca); captions based on his descriptions.
A heartfelt thank-you to the people of Utah
To the people of Utah: thank you for your generosity, your compassion and your good neighborliness. Thank you for the smiles, the friendship and the respect that have shaped my experience here. Thank you for welcoming a Somali immigrant who came in search of a better life and who now stands proudly as an American citizen.
I admire the warmth I have found among you, the care you show for your families and communities, and the spirit of service that makes this state special to me. I am grateful to live among people whose kindness has left such a lasting mark on my life.
I love the United States of America, and I love Utah. I am thankful for my American citizenship and for the peace, fairness and belonging I have found in this state. My love for this country and my gratitude to Utah are lasting parts of who I am.
After twenty years, I say this with sincerity and joy: I am happy to live in Utah. I am proud to call it home. May the friendships, generosity and mutual respect that I have experienced continue to grow for generations to come.
With respect and heartfelt appreciation,
Ahmed Muse Abdulle (Idaawaqaca)
A proud United States citizen and grateful Utah resident
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