- What is the one experience you wish I never had?
We all know the answer to that, but tell the world.
- I don't know, that raises an interesting question.
Of course, I wish that you had never been arrested.
Of course I wish that, but then, who would you be?
- I know with Islam, what it teaches,
you know, everything happens for a reason.
I just wish it never happened.
I was blamed for something that I never did.
- What do you remember from the first time we met?
- (chuckles) The first time we met, it was at Truth's
and we were sitting in that room.
You were at the table and I was next to you,
and you were pitching the idea of the documentary to me.
And I was sitting on the other side and I'm just like,
"Hmm, what is this guy talking about?" (laughs)
(stammers) And we just kept staring at each other.
- That's funny, 'cause I didn't actually come up
with the idea for the documentary
until like, seven months after we met.
- No, you brought it up then. - No, I remember
because we I couldn't believe what had happened to you.
So I wanted to know-- - So then,
what were we talking about at the table?
- I was just asking you what had happened.
- You did, you did. - Yeah 'cause I remember,
very clearly, the day that I was like,
"This should be a film."
- Bekwai was sitting next to you.
- He was.
- He was definitely sitting next to you.
- I feel like I became an adult.
While meeting you, I went from--
- You were always an adult to me.
- No, I was, I still am a clumsy boy, scrambling around,
playing grownup. (laughs)
I have that imposter syndrome,
but definitely, I remember I still have video footage
of a little video letter that I recorded for your lawyers,
at the time, to try to convince them
to encourage the documentary or to let you participate.
And I was so terrified, making that video recording.
But calling them on the phone for the first time,
I'm like, "Calling lawyers."
I was like, "How do you talk to lawyers?
What are you supposed to say?" (laughs)
I think I was-- - You're s'posed to google it.
- I scripted out my speech to them and it's kind of a slow--
- Did you believe them?
- Well, that was my hope.
That's what I was hoping was gonna happen.
- No, did you believe the federal,
what they said about me when you first heard the story?
- The FBI?
No, absolutely not.
I mean, all I heard was that the FBI arrested one
of our students and I thought, "That's insane.
What kind of universe are we living in?"
And then, when I saw that you were Muslim,
it's still unacceptable, but I said,
"Oh, we live in a universe where that's possible now,
where because she wears a headscarf, this is acceptable."
And then, as soon as I think maybe seeing the headscarf
at the same time as I saw this huge, radiant smile
and it was that combination, as well.
I was like, "This does not look like a dark,
menacing person who I would imagine
the FBI would be scouring the Earth for,
in terms of like, let's protect America
and round up anybody we can.
You did not match the profile in my mind.
- For them, I did. - Yeah.
- 16-year-olds are dangerous (laughs) for them.
- What are you hesitant to tell me?
- (laughs) I told you, so I told you about my mom.
- Uh-huh.
- So it was one night, I was trying to convince her,
we should let this guy film us.
My mom was really scared, really scared.
And for a while, she didn't trust you,
but my mom is a type of person you come to her home,
she's still gonna take care of you.
She'll feed you, she'll smile and make you laugh
and feel comfortable, but she was very worried
that you were out to hurt us and I think
that's something I've never shared with you.
- How long did that go on for, do you have any idea?
- I'm not sure about timeframe,
but I know you gave Abdul a camera,
and she was very nervous when you gave her.
She's like, "I think he's recording us privately, secretly."
And I said, "Nana no, you can trust him.
We have nothing else to lose.
If he's really an agent, he wants
to come and film us, let him see the truth.
We have nothing to hide.
Maybe if he comes and films us,
maybe things will get better, maybe they will let go
of my father," 'cause he was still detained.
"Maybe then, they will actually believe
that I'm not a terrorist."
So that's when we both agreed, "Okay."
And then at first, she was like, "I don't know."
And she would say in Pulaar at times,
"I don't know." (laughs)
And I'm just like, "Nana, it's only day one."
(laughs) "Let's give it a try again."
- Funny, 'cause I remember during that time,
I was aware that you didn't trust me,
or that you weren't emotionally able
to open up about your experience.
You know, you were going through trauma
and to speak about that in the moment was,
I don't think it was possible for you.
So I spent so much time with your brothers
and I feel like I didn't get to know you until later.
- Yeah. - You know,
until those final interviews.
- Because I didn't know if I should trust you.
I said, "I'm gonna slip up and say,
'Hey, today, I'm depressed,' and he was like, 'Oh see.
She said she's depressed' and then, use it against me."
How do you win a million dollars?
No, I'm joking. (both laugh)
When are you worried for me? (laughs)
- When am I worried for you?
- Yes.
- I was worried when agents came to this job.
It had been a long time since I had worried about you.
(sighs)
- You know, that moment when they came back,
I really thought it was over and then,
to know that they were back, that was horrible.
I knew they weren't gonna leave me alone.
Be honest.
I don't think they're done with me.
Do you think?
- I mean, I can't tell.
The last thing I want to say is,
something that will make you continue to feel afraid.
You know, I-- - It's too late.
They already do that. (laughs) - I know.
I know. (stammers) - It's too late.
- I want to always make you feel better
and I want it to comfort you and...
- I think they're gonna keep coming back
until I say, "I'm done."
- Well, I'm gonna be here 'til the end, Adama.
- I know you are, (laughs) I know you are.
You're gonna point a right finger
and say, "Fight, fight, fight."
You can't make me cry, I have my face on.
(both laugh)
Okay. - All right. (clears throat)
What has living here taught you about your identity?
- Living in New York?
- Here, wherever that is.
- Well, this is home.
I've never questioned, well I have,
but I've never really thought of anywhere else as home.
I am Adama from New York City.
I live in the United States and I am an American.
Others may argue with you, or argue with me about it,
but it's not what they think or how they feel.
It's how I feel.
But I don't think it's...
You think I answered the question?
- Yeah, I mean, I'm curious
about what was that moment like
when you found out you were undocumented?
- Oh, that was horrible.
You hear about undocumented people, but you don't know what
to do if you're undocumented, or what to say.
So when someone tells you that, I mean, 16-year-old
in handcuffs and this officer is yelling at me,
telling me, "Well, you're not documented."
(stammers) I sunk, inside of me.
It's like, "Wait, I have a social security card."
I thought he was lying to me 'cause I'm like,
"I have a social security card.
I don't know what he's talking about."
But as I go deeper and talk to lawyers,
I wasn't documented, but I knew I was an American
and you couldn't take that away from me.
But now, you have to prove it.
That was that whole case about.
That was what the whole hearing is about.
Prove to us why you belong here.
Prove to us why we should keep you here.
Me, a 17-year-old who's been here since I was two.
How do you argue that?
I wanted to argue to the judge,
"Hey, Islam is not this religion of terrorism.
I'm not this terrorist."
So I opened the book and I'm reading the Quran
and everything started making sense to me.
It was just me and this Quran,
but I found it kept telling me to be patient.
I came across this verse.
It says, "After every hardship, there's ease."
And it says it three times.
And I just said to myself, "Okay, this is temporary.
Let me go back to who I am, Let me go back to my identity.
Let me not lose who I was,
just because someone is saying something else."
I think that's what they wanted me to do.
They wanted me to throw the towels and then,
lose my identity and just be a mindless human being.
But every day, I think I'm reminded
that I have three strikes against me.
I'm Black, I'm a woman, and I'm Muslim.
(sighs) I can't use those excuses.
I have to, I don't know the word
that I'm looking for, but...
I have to go past those strikes.
I have to be stronger.
Ooh, what's something I don't know about you
that you think would surprise me? (laughs)
- What's something that you don't know
about me that you think.
I think there's times when I have felt depressed or anxious
or unwell and even just today, before we met up,
I was feeling-- - Anxious.
- I was feeling anxious.
There's a number of things going on and then,
as soon as I saw you, it kind of floated away.
And I just-- - Aww.
- I felt good, being around you.
And I always feel good being around you.
- I feel the same way too.
I feel like a reunion, a high school reunion. (laughs)
I don't know, you bring me to that moment.
Even though we were going through everything,
you brought a lot of joys and laughter to the house.
So it always brings me back to that.
I'm like, "Oh, David's around.
(laughs) Let's make jokes, let's do that."
So I don't know,
You've always had this aura about you.
When were you the proudest of me?
- When was I the proudest of you?
You know, pride isn't exactly the word,
but it's one of many words.
But like, when you were granted asylum.
I remember getting the call.
I was at Truth's and I was jumping and shouting.
- Wow.
- And then I remember telling people,
"Adama got asylum!" and some people were like,
"Who's Adama?" (both laugh)
And I was like, "I need to go to her house
and share in this and be able to, you know,
give her a hug and cry and celebrate with her."
And I was like, "I need to be with--"
- Oh my gosh.
- At least my friends, who would understand what this meant.
What those years had been like
and that you remained sane and whole,
and beautiful and strong, you know?
- Wow.
For me, the proudest I've been of you is
when you released the documentary.
PBS was gonna air it.
You came over to the house, but I think your voice,
I think I was working, right?
- I remember just watching it
with your dad. (talking over each other)
- Yeah, you were so proud.
That moment, I remember that was where I was like,
"Wow, David did it." (laughs)
"David did it."