"We walked out of Iraq into a refugee camp in Turkey." - Sergeant Louie Michael
Louie Michael and his family fled Iraq by foot over the mountains into Turkey to start their journey to freedom. Eventually, they made it to the U.S. and they were inspired to give back to the country that "gave them a chance"
Sergeant Michael’s serves on the El Cajon police force in southern California. He came to the U.S. as a young boy, and now protects a community with a high population of Middle Eastern immigrants. He is one of three people to receive an award by the Anti-Defamation League in Los Angeles—the Sherwood Prize for Combating Hate.
In our conversation, Sergeant Michael shares how his family fled Iraq, looks back on his decision to become a police officer, and describes his work training colleagues on cultural differences they will encounter while serving a community with a vibrant Middle Eastern presence.
Watch the interview on Hardwired's YouTube channel here: bit.ly/LouieInterviewYouTube
Louie Michael is a sergeant in the El Cajon, California police department and a proud member of the Chaldean community, an ancient Assyrian Christian faith. He and his family fled Iraq in the middle of the night when he was five years old and spent three years in a refugee camp in Turkey. They then relocated to El Cajon, California, the home of the second largest Chaldean population in the United States. He is fluent in Arabic and Aramaic, and he often translates for his police colleagues. He also creates public service ads in those languages and assists with investigations involving members of the refugee and immigrant communities.