Photo Essays :: Stories: Strange Shore

Strange Shore: African refugees on Chicago's north side 

We have all heard stories about war, displaced people, and refugees throughout the world. As outsiders it is easy to think that once these people have been removed from immediate harm, all their problems are solved. 

Tucked away on Chicago's far north side amid university students and professors lies a growing community of African refugees. The new residents hail from all of Africa's war-torn corners and struggle to make new and better lives in a foreign city. 

Each member of this new community faces different challenges in their new lives in Chicago--poverty, a dramatic shift in climate, adjusting to a new diet, finding a job and sifting through a complicated system to ensure that children are educated. Despite these daunting challenges, more and more refugee families are calling Chicago their home and finding open arms to welcome them.