"My father brought me up to be a good person.

We will respect the laws and cultu

re of America and we want to be able to contribute by working hard."
Syrians Mahmoud, his wife and four kids -- who have been refugees in Jordan for
four years -- are packing their few belongings for a fresh start in the United S
tates of America. For Mahmoud there is one thing he s bringing that symbolizes the
life he left behind and the new one he hopes to build stateside
his chef's unif
orm.
Mahmoud used to own a popular restaurant with his brother in Homs. But as fighti
ng intensified he was forced to close down and flee to Jordan after the family b
usiness and his home were damaged by shell fire.
Life as refugees has been hard for Mahmoud, 36, and his young family. Unable to
work legally, he has struggled financially and lost hope.
"We're not doing well. It's not a stable life for the children and we don't see
a future here.
After an application process for resettlement to the US that lasted more than tw
o years, the family is now en route to their new home in Memphis, Tennessee.
As with each of the 6,500 Syrian refugees submitted for possible resettlement to
the US, Mahmoud and his family have been through an intensive selection and scr
eening process. Initial checks include document verification and iris scans to v
erify applicants' identity and a vulnerability assessment to confirm their eligi
bility for resettlement.
Strong candidates selected by our colleagues are put through a lengthy screening
by the FBI, Department for Homeland Security and other US federal agencies. Thi
s vetting process is more rigorous than for any other category of traveller to t
he US.
More than anything, Mahmoud hopes for the opportunity to wear his chef's coat an
d bring a taste of Syria's renowned cuisine to the US.
"I want to introduce Americans to new dishes.
And we can t wait to try them.