This book is a passionate call for a more 'humane system' for welcoming refugees into a country that prides itself on fighting oppression ... But missing from this argument is any acknowledgment of the existence of immigration fraud ... Still, when it comes to immigration policies and processes, Okporo knows his facts and presents them in a way that makes you want to join in his activism. Asylum is a disquieting account that humanizes a nameless, faceless multitude entangled in an issue with no clear end in sight.
... a harrowing read in which persecution based on sexual orientation drives everything ... a touching, informative, honest chronicle of Okporo’s life in Nigeria — a country that is brutally unaccepting of LGBTQ people — and a story that showcases some of the shortcomings of the U.S. immigration system as seen from the inside.
Moving and thought-provoking ... Okporo’s personal journey is touching, and his skillful explanation of the corrupt immigration processes and policies that continue to reject and exclude the very people they are meant to aid is a timely plea for reform and empathy.
Okporo tells his story, giving insight into what it means to be a thought leader ... Okporo writes passionately about the universal benefit of acceptance, the power of community, and all of our shared humanity.
Part memoir, part polemic, Edake Okporo’s Asylum is the harrowing story of one gay man’s treacherous youth in a violently homophobic country and his subsequent experience as an asylum seeker in the United States ... Asylum is an eloquent, powerful, sometimes harrowing chronicle of what it means to be a gay man in a violently homophobic country and what it means to be a Black asylum seeker in our 'land of the free.' The book is also a stirring record of the suffering and healing of a courageous young man who is a born leader.
Deeply affecting ... In clear-eyed prose, Okporo illustrates how, after being detained in New Jersey for six months without legal counsel, he navigated a turbulent road pocked with hypocrisy and cruelty until finally being granted asylum. Shirking a tidy story of hope, Okporo offers instead a resonant critique of what it means to be 'free' in America ... Readers will be galvanized by this resounding call for equality.
Okporo’s voice vibrates with passion and hope, and his detailed descriptions of his experiences are the most riveting parts of the book. He expertly interweaves his story with statistical and historical details about the perils of the U.S. immigration system. At times, the writing jumps between timelines and arguments, rendering certain sections less cohesive than others. Nonetheless, the author has a remarkable story, and his humane message shines through ... A moving story from an inspiring activist for social justice.
