“This is my second time observing Ramadan in the U.S.,” says Rami Kalel Alnasan. Muslims practice repentance, forgiveness, and mercy during Ramadan to honor the time when the Qur’an was revealed. “I fast for 15 hours each day.”

Rami came to the U.S. last winter and was resettled by USCRI in Erie, Pennsylvania. His wife and 3-year-old daughter are still in Jordan, and he hopes to be reunited with them in a few months. Since he is here alone, he breaks his Ramadan fast each day at a nearby mosque. “It serves people without families and contracts with a local Arabic restaurant, so it’s good food,” he says.

While he waits for his family, Rami has recently taken on a new role in social media circles, participating in  YouTube and TikTok challenges, sharing his positive attitude and advice to newly arriving refugees. He hopes it will help them adjust to life in the U.S. With 25,000 new followers and more than 4 million views of his videos, he has a special hashtag, and a now famous phrase, “Biji wahad biygoluk,” which in English means, ‘Someone comes to tell you.’ Rami will continue making encouraging videos, saying, “We came here to make a difference, and to be an example for all Arabs in America.