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From Afghanistan to Los Angeles: the Journey of Abdul Fazli

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From Afghanistan to Los Angeles: the Journey of Abdul Fazli

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Content From Afghanistan to Los Angeles:
The Journey of Abdul Fazli
By
By Juliette Sarah Smith
A Thesis Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE USC ANNENBERG SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATION AND
JOURNALISM
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
MASTER OF ARTS
(JOURNALISM (SPECIALIZED JOURNALISM))
August 2022
2022 Juliette Smith
ii
Dedication
I want to dedicate my thesis to my mother, who has given me the very opportunities that these
refugees have uprooted and risked their lives to achieve. My mother, a fourth-generation
hairstylist from a small fishing village in Glasgow, Scotland, didn't have the same opportunities
that I now have. I grew up with many opportunities in Los Angeles and will be the first person in
my family to have both a bachelor’s and master’s degree. I want to thank my mom for raising me
to believe that my opportunities are endless. I would also like to dedicate this video to my
grandfather, who passed away last year and always encouraged me to fight to tell stories of
courage.

Lastly, I would like to dedicate this story to those who were left behind in Afghanistan, including
the families of the refugees I interviewed.

iii
Table of Contents:
Dedication -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ii
Abstract ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- iv
Video Script-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1
Thesis Summary--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9
References ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------12

iv
Abstract
On August 15, 2021, Abdul Fazli was on duty at work at the Kabul airport when the Taliban
retook control. He escapes the regime, leaving behind his beloved family and the life he once
knew. He becomes a refugee and eventually finds freedom months later in Los Angeles. Along
the way, he meets a former co-worker, Billal Mohammadi, and MMA fighter Qudratullah
Babarkheil. The three men create their own ‘American family’ and learn to navigate their new
jobs and lives thousands of miles away from home as asylum seekers in the City of Angels.
1
FROM AFGHANISTAN TO LOS ANGELES:
THE JOURNEY OF ABDUL FAZLI
ON CALL TO MOTHER

CLOSE UP ABDUL AS KID

ABDUL IN HOTEL AND AT
WORK

UNIFORM HIM ON DUTY AT
AIRPORT

U.S. ARMY PHOTO OF THE
U.S. PULL OUT
TALIBAN SITS AT
PRESIDENT'S DESK

PHOTOS OF ABDUL AT
AIRPORT BEFORE FALL

PHOTO WITH FRIENDS

ABDUL: “HELLO. A’SALAM U ALIKUM'' (PEACE BE
UPON YOU)
MOM: HELLO. A’SALAM U ALIKUM (PEACE BE
UPON YOU)
24-YEAR-OLD ABDUL FAZLI GREW UP IN A SMALL
NORTHERN AFGHAN TOWN CALLED MAZAR I-
SHARIF WITH HIS PARENTS AND SIX SIBLINGS.

MOM: ARE YOU FINE, MY DEAR SON?
ABDUL: THANK YOU I AM FINE. EVERYONE IN
THE FAMILY FINE? (13:31 - 13:35)
NOW, ABDUL IS A REFUGEE IN LOS ANGELES.

HE SPEAKS TO HIS MOTHER ON A CELL PHONE
OVER 7500 MILES AWAY.

MOM: “IT INDEED IS REALLY HARD TO BE AWAY
FROM MY SON. …HAVING HIM AWAY FROM ME
IS TERRIBLY HARD.” (14:14 - 14:38)
“NO, MOM. DON’T, DON’T CRY, DON’T BE
UPSET…”
ABDUL WAS AN AVIATION SPECIALIST AND
GROUNDS COORDINATOR FOR KAM AIR AT THE
KABUL AIRPORT UNTIL AUGUST 15, 2021. THAT'S
WHEN THE TALIBAN RETOOK CONTROL OF
AFGHANISTAN AS THE U.S. MILITARY PULLED
OUT, ENDING A 20 YEAR OCCUPATION.

NATS TALIBAN AT PRESIDENT'S DESK

HE ARRIVED AT WORK THAT DAY AT AROUND 9
A-M AND SAYS HE COULDN’T HAVE IMAGINED
THAT IN JUST A FEW HOURS, HE WOULD BE
FORCED TO CHOOSE BETWEEN RISKING HIS
SAFETY AND LEAVING EVERYTHING BEHIND.

2

AIRPORT CHAOS
ABDULS VIDEO OF CHAOS
INSIDE TERMINAL

ABDUL CHAOS VIDEO

CHAOS VIDEO CONT.

PHOTOS OF CHAOS ON
AUGUST 15

VIDEO OF AIRPORT LOSING
CONTROL.

FOOTAGE ABDUL TOOK OF
INSIDE AIRPORT DURING
CHAOS.

PHOTO OF ABDUL WITH
FRIEND

PHOTO INSIDE PLANE
VIDEO INSIDE PLANE

“TALIBAN CAME TO KABUL AND THEY WERE
JUST TAKING EACH PART OF KABUL AND EACH
DISTRICT.”
2ABDUL1 7:13

THE PEOPLE AROUND HIM AT THE AIRPORT
BECAME ALARMED.

“THEY WERE VERY SCARED. THEY WERE
SCREAMING”
VID 2, 8:30

FOR THE NEXT FOUR HOURS, ABDUL CONTINUED
MANAGING IN-COMING FLIGHTS AND
CAPTURING THE CHAOS ON HIS PHONE. HE
DIDN'T KNOW IF HE WOULD BE ABLE TO MAKE IT
HOME AND BELIEVED THE AIRPORT WAS THE
SAFEST PLACE FOR HIM TO BE.

“THIS SITUATION BECAME BAD. AND FROM
THERE THEY STARTED RUNNING. PEOPLE FROM
OUTSIDE CAME, THE SECURITY GATES WERE
BROKE.
VID 2, 4:39

NATS– AIRPORT CHAOS

HE SAYS IT ALL HAPPENED SO QUICKLY– THE
RUNNING AND SCREAMING… THE SMOKE AND
THE FLYING BULLETS.

NATS CHAOS

ABDUL SAYS AIRPORT SECURITY EVENTUALLY
LOST CONTROL AND THINGS GOT INCREASINGLY
WORSE.

ABDUL AND A FRIEND MADE THEIR WAY ONTO A
TIGHTLY PACKED AMERICAN PLANE WITH 600
OTHER AFGHANS TRYING TO GET OUT. HE HAD
NO IDEA WHERE THE PLANE WAS HEADED.

“I WAS JUST THINKING THAT IF I WOULD GO AND
IF I WILL JUST LEAVE MY COUNTRY AND EVEN
MY FAMILY MEMBERS IN AFGHANISTAN, WHAT
WILL OCCUR?”
3

PHOTO AFGHAN BROTHERS
FLYING TRADITIONAL
KITES

PHOTO OF TALIBAN AT
AIRPORT

HIM WITH AFGHAN FLAG
PHOTO OF ABDULS
FRIENDS, ON HIS HORSE,
HIS HOMETOWN MOSQUE,
AFGHAN CHILDREN AND
AFGHAN POLLUTION.

PHOTO OF BROTHER AND
DAUGHTER

PHOTO OF DAUGHTER

FOOTAGE OF AFGHANS
FALLING FROM PLANE ON
AUGUST 15.

PHOTO INSIDE AIRPLANE
BILLAL WITH U-S SOLDIERS
VIDEO OF INSIDE PLANE
BILLAL AND ABDUL

VID 3, 1:50

HE CALLED HIS BROTHER FROM THE PLANE.

“I TOLD HIM, I MEAN MY BROTHER, THAT WE
ARE INSIDE AIRCRAFT AND NOT KNOWING WHAT
WILL OCCUR AND WHERE WE ARE GOING. AND
HE JUST TOLD ME THAT WISH YOU BEST LUCK.”

ABDUL WAS IN SHOCK.

“I WAS LEAVING MY COUNTRY. MY BELOVED
ONES, MY MEMORIES, THE DOORS THE WALLS
THE RIVER THE SUN THE DUST. EACH AND
EVERYTHING THAT IS OVER THERE. YOU CAN
IMAGINE IF YOU JUST CLOSE YOUR EYES– THE
RICH PEOPLE, THE POOR PEOPLE, THE
POLLUTION… THAT IS MY HOME… THAT IS MY
HOME.”
VID5 9:50

ABDUL’S BROTHER ALSO TRIED TO ESCAPE
THEIR “HOME” WITH HIS WIFE AND CHILDREN.
BUT IT WAS TOO LATE.

BROTHER: “WE WENT TO THE AIRPORT, AND
THEY BEAT US THERE WITHOUT ANY REASON…I
HAVE MY DAUGHTER, AISHA, WITH ME WHO IS
AN INNOCENT KID AND CAN HARDLY TALK. SHE
IS TWO YEARS OLD, AND THEY BEAT HER. THEIR
JOB IS BEATING.”

AS THE CHAOS IN KABUL GOT WORSE, OTHERS
BECAME SO DESPERATE TO LEAVE, THEY CLUNG
TO THE OUTSIDE OF A DEPARTING AIRPLANE…
ULTIMATELY FALLING TO THEIR DEATHS.

AFTER HIS FLIGHT TOOK OFF, ABDUL SAW
BILLAL MOHAMMADI, A FRIEND AND FELLOW
AIRPORT EMPLOYEE. THE PLANE WAS SO
TIGHTLY PACKED HE COULDN'T GET CLOSE TO
HIM.

ABDUL: “WE WERE, I MEAN HAVING 10 METERS
DISTANCE, BUT WE WERE NOT ABLE TO SEE
EACH OTHER.”
4
PHOTO AFGHANS HANGING
ONTO OUTSIDE OF
AIRPLANE

BILLAL IN
AFGHANISTAN WITH
FRIENDS

DOHA VIDEOS/PHOTOS
ABDUL WITH AMERICAN
SOLDIERS
ABDUL IN DOHA
AIRPLANE WINDOW VIDEO

FOOTAGE FROM INSIDE
AIRPLANE
LAX X HOTEL SIGN

QUDRATULLAH BOXING
INSIDE PLANE

QUD. WEARS ZIZILA SHIRT
MEDALS

DISPLAYS MEDALS

BILLAL WAS A FIRST YEAR ECONOMICS
STUDENT AT A KABUL UNIVERSITY AND ONE OF
NINE SIBLINGS FROM CENTRAL AFGHANISTAN.

HIS FAMILY ALSO WASN'T ABLE TO LEAVE.
BILLAL SAYS HIS FATHER IS NOW OUT OF WORK
AND HIS FAMILY LIVES ON THE STREETS OF
KABUL.

BILLAL: “MY FAMILY– THEY ARE WITHOUT A
HOUSE–HOMELESS”

THE TWO MEN FINALLY LANDED IN DOHA,
QATAR… WHERE ABDUL WAS ONE OF THE ONLY
REFUGEES ABLE TO TRANSLATE BETWEEN
THOSE IN NEED AND THE AMERICAN SOLDIERS
TRYING TO HELP THEM.

“THE ARMY AIR FORCE OF THE UNITED STATES
THEY WERE VERY KIND WITH THE PEOPLE WITH
THE KIDS WITH THE WOMEN WITH EVERYONE.
THEY WERE TRYING THEIR BEST TO DO THE
BEST.”
VID5 :48

AFTER QATAR, IT WAS A LONG TRIP TO
CALIFORNIA WITH STOPS IN GERMANY AND NEW
JERSEY… BEFORE ABDUL AND BILLAL CHOSE TO
RELOCATE IN LOS ANGELES.

HERE, THEY MET QUDRATULLAH BABARKEIL– A
23-TIME MIXED MARTIAL ARTS CHAMPION FROM
KABUL.

“MY FRIENDS WERE CALLING ME BY MY FAMOUS
NAME, [ZILZILA OR] EARTHQUAKE. I WAS VERY
POPULAR.”

BUT THAT ALL CHANGED TEN DAYS AFTER THE
U.S. PULLED OUT OF AFGHANISTAN.

“THE DAY I WAS LEAVING AFGHANISTAN WAS
INDEED HORRIBLE. THE PEOPLE WERE FRANTIC
AND RUNNING. I MANAGED TO GO INSIDE THE
AIRPORT WITH ALL MY MEDALS.”
5

MEDALS HIT TABLE

QUD. DISPLAYS HIS
MEDALS

MEDALS CONTNUED

HOTEL AND LAX

PHOTO OF THREE MEN
MAKING DINNER

MAKING DINNER FLIPS
RICE

IILA OFFICE

HOTEL
ASSISTANCE CARDS

ALEX IN OFFICE

AND QUDRATULLAH BELIEVES IT WAS THESE
MEDALS THAT SAVED HIM.

AFGHAN SOLDIERS RECOGNISED THE MEDALS
AND AGREED A POPULAR MARTIAL ARTS
FIGHTER WOULD NOT BE SAFE UNDER THE
TALIBAN.

THE ONLY THINGS QUDRATULLAH BROUGHT
WITH HIM WHEN HE GOT ON THAT PLANE TO
SAFETY WERE THOSE HARD-EARNED MEDALS.

“THEY ARE VALUABLE TO ME BECAUSE I
STRUGGLED TO ACHIEVE THEM. I SWEATED FOR
THEM. I GOT BITTEN FOR THEM. I BIT MY
OPPONENTS FOR THEM. SO, THEY DO NOT HAVE
MONETARY VALUE, BUT THEY ARE VALUABLE
TO ME.”

ABDUL, BILLAL AND QUDRATULLAH ARE NOW
STAYING AT A HILTON HOTEL NEAR LOS
ANGELES INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.

NATS MEN AT HOTEL MAKING DINNER

THEY’VE DECIDED TO STICK TOGETHER AND
MAKE A LIFE FOR THEMSELVES HERE.

DINNER NATS

THE MEN ARE RECEIVING HELP FROM THE
INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE OF LOS ANGELES OR
I-I-L-A… WHICH WORKS TO CONNECT REFUGEES
WITH SOCIAL SERVICES, EMPLOYMENT AND
OTHER LOCAL BENEFITS.

THROUGH I-I-L-A, THE THREE MEN RECEIVE
HOUSING, FOOD STAMPS AND A STIPEND OF 230
DOLLARS A MONTH.

ALEX NGUYAN IS THE DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
FOR I-I-L-A.

6

ALEX IN OFFICE
CONTINUED

LAX PASSENGERS
ARRIVING

IILA OFFICE
ABDUL IN LA

ABDUL AT KB DELTA

MAKING COMPRESSOR
PARTS

BILLAL AT WORK
INSIDE KB DELTA
‘WE PARTNER WITH OUR FEDERAL PARTNERS TO
KIND OF RECEIVE THESE FAMILIES.”

HE SAYS THE GROUP HAS RECENTLY RESETTLED
883 AFGHAN REFUGEES IN L-A, BUT THE
NUMBERS REALLY PUT A STRAIN ON THEIR
OPERATIONS.

“IT WAS JUST AN UNPRECEDENTED NUMBER OF
REFUGEES ARRIVING IN SUCH A SHORT PERIOD
OF TIME… STARTING IN OCTOBER WE STARTED
RECEIVING FAMILIES ARRIVING– SOMETIMES
WITH VERY LITTLE NOTICE. WE WOULD GET A
PHONE CALL THAT THERE WAS ALREADY A
FAMILY ON AN AIRPLANE COMING OUR WAY
THAT WE WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR RECEIVING AT
THE AIRPORT AND FINDING HOUSING FOR.”
IILA1 4:10 AND 5:25

I-I-L-A NOW SAYS 70% OF AFGHAN ARRIVALS
HAVE FOUND PERMANENT HOMES, BUT ABDUL
SAYS THE ORGANIZATION IS STILL NOT DOING
ENOUGH… FOR INSTANCE, IT TOOK TWO
MONTHS TO ASSIGN HIM A CASEWORKER.

“IF YOU ARE NOT ABLE TO HANDLE, TO JUST
OVERCOME WITH THESE IMMIGRANTS OR
REFUGEES WHY DID YOU ACCEPT THEM? IF YOU
ARE NOT HAVING BUDGET, IF YOU ARE NOT
HAVING STAFF?”
2ABDUL 3 11:40

SO ABDUL TOOK MATTERS INTO HIS OWN HANDS
AND FOUND A JOB…

NATS MAKING COMPRESSOR PARTS

…MANUFACTURING COMPRESSOR PARTS AT KB
DELTA IN TORRANCE.

NAT SOUND AT WORK

BILLAL AND QUDRATULLAH HAVE ALSO FOUND
WORK HERE.

7

INSIDE KB DELTA
ABDUL WORKS WITH CO-
WORKER
KB DELTA OUTSIDE
COMPRESSOR PARTS
ABDUL AT WORK

FOUR MEN IN MICHAELS
CAR

THREE MEN IN HOTEL
TOGETHER

QUDRATULLAH BOXING

THREE MEN ON ROOF

“CUSTOMERS COME IN AND IT'S LIKE THE
UNITED NATIONS HERE. WE REALLY GOT PEOPLE
FROM EVERYWHERE. IT'S REALLY, HONESTLY,
IT'S A MELTING POT.”
ABDUL BOSS, 3:37

GEORGE SHERIF RUNS KB DELTA… HIS FAMILY
BUSINESS. HE SAYS THEY HIRE EMPLOYEES
BASED ON RECOMMENDATIONS FROM
IMMIGRANTS AND OTHER REFUGEES WHO WORK
HERE… AND 9-9 PERCENT OF HIS EMPLOYEES
WERE NOT BORN IN THE U-S.

IT’S A COMMUNITY AND ONE EMPLOYEE EVEN
HELPS ABDUL AND THE OTHERS BY DRIVING
THEM TO WORK.

“I FOUND OUT THAT HE DIDN'T HAVE A RIDE.
AND THEN I JUST OFFERED BECAUSE HE'S ON MY
WAY INTO WORK.”

IN L-A, ALL THREE MEN ARE THANKFUL TO BE
MAKING WHAT THEY SAY IS GOOD MONEY–
MORE THAN THEY HAVE EVER MADE.

NATS: HELLO, MR. EARTHQUAKE

…BUT QUDRATULLAH RECENTLY TOLD A
SPORTS NEWS PROGRAM HE WANTS TO GET
BACK INTO THE RING AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

“I AM NOW EXERCISING AND WILL HAVE FIGHTS
IN THE FUTURE.”

BOTH ABDUL AND BILLAL WANT TO CONTINUE
THEIR EDUCATION.

BILLAL: “I WANT TO STUDY COMPUTER SCIENCE
BECAUSE I LIKE IT, AND ALSO MAYBE
ECONOMICS… MAYBE IN FUTURE I WILL
SPONSOR MY FAMILY.”
4467 12:55… BILLAL 1 7:23

ABDUL: “OF COURSE MY PRIORITY IS COMPUTER
SCIENCE PLUS AVIATION”
ABDUL 11 :34
8

ABDUL WALKS AT WORK.

ABDUL FIXES HIS JACKET.

EVENTUALLY, ABDUL WOULD LIKE TO START A
FAMILY HERE IN THE U-S… BUT HE HASN’T
FORGOTTEN THE FAMILY HE LEFT BEHIND…

MOM: “I MISS YOU VERY MUCH AND ALWAYS
PRAY THAT GOD GETS ME TO MY SON SOON AND
WE REUNITE WITH EACH OTHER.”
ABDUL: “DON’T WORRY, MOM. I HOPE AND PRAY
YOU ARE FINE.”14:42 - 14:51
FOR ANNENBERG MEDIA, IM JULIETTE SMITH.

9
Thesis Summary

I met Abdul Fazli in February at a Mosque in Culver City, alongside fifteen other male Afghan
refugees. We all sat in a circle on the ground for an hour and introduced ourselves while I
explained my project and my hope to tell their stories of resilience and survival.

They invited me back to their hotel across from the Los Angeles International Airport, where I
learned about some of the horrors that they had endured. One military nurse showed me footage
of tens of bloodied, dead children in a field and images of people the Taliban had brutally beaten
since the August takeover. Men complained that their families had been left behind, while two
families with over six young children here in the U.S. complained that their children were not
enrolled in school here.

I chose to tell the stories of Abdul Fazli, Billal Mohammadi, and Qudratullah Babarkheil because
they were the most willing to share their stories with me. My story changed several times after
multiple subjects were frustrated with their current situations and ultimately too afraid to share
their stories.

I chose Abdul to be my main character because he is a leader among the refugees. His ability to
speak some English and the three main Afghan languages put him in a unique position of being
able to communicate with most people around him during his evacuation and sixth month
journey to safety here in the U.S. I also chose to tell his story because I wanted my main subject
to be easily relatable to another person his age or someone who can remember being his age.
Abdul is much like you and me; he grew up with a big family, plays sports, loves animals, went
10
to college, and had a good job working in aviation at the airport in Kabul. The only difference
between Abdul and another 24-year-old man living elsewhere is that the Taliban retook control
of his home, forcing him to flee for safety. I hope Abduls' difficult position leads viewers to
question what they would do if they were put in the same situation.

According to the United Nations Refugee Agency, there are currently 2.6 million Afghan
refugees worldwide. In February, the United States reported receiving nearly 80,000 Afghan
refugees. I wanted to ensure that the critical individual stories I was telling were not lost in the
overwhelming number of evacuees.

The kindness of Abdul, Billal, and Qudratullah will not be forgotten. They shared the stories of
more than just their traumatic evacuations– they let me learn who they are, what they like and
dislike, and what their lives were like before the Taliban. They shared their families with me,
their personal histories, and future goals; I am forever grateful for this. Aside from always
helping me carry my camera equipment and bags, the men were constantly offering me food and
juices per Afghan culture even though they were on food stamps and surviving on $230 per
month despite rising inflation.

The most challenging part about completing this project was undoubtedly the translation. After
having my interviews translated, I realized that much of what was translated for me during the
interview was different from what was being said or lacked some crucial details. This was most
common when it came to Abdul’s family's painful stories about their current life under the
Taliban regime.
11

Lastly, I would like to thank my wonderful thesis Committee, all of whom I consider life-long
mentors, Stacy Scholder, Vince Gonzales, and Justine Rosenthal. Their guidance has been
invaluable, and I can't thank them enough for encouraging me to take on this challenging story.
12
References
“Afghanistan Refugee Crisis Explained.” How to Help Refugees - Aid, Relief and Donations,
https://www.unrefugees.org/news/afghanistan-refugee-crisis-explained/.

AlJazeeraEnglish, director. Exclusive: Taliban Enters Afghan Presidential Palace. YouTube,
YouTube, 15 Aug. 2021, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkI8JSLforo. Accessed 19
July 2022.

Berman, Lazar, et al. “With US Credibility Gashed by Kabul Fiasco, Israel May Be Bruised by
Association.” The Times of Israel, 17 Aug. 2021, https://www.timesofisrael.com/as-us-
standing-battered-by-kabul-retreat-israel-may-be-bruised-by-association/.

cnbc. “The Fall of Afghanistan: How America's $2 Trillion, Two-Decade War Ended in
Chaos.” YouTube, YouTube, 28 Aug. 2021,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjhOGlUQNcw.

Hicks, Tyler, and David Zucchino. “The Afghan War: A Photographer's Journal.” The New York
Times, The New York Times, 7 Oct. 2021,
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/07/world/asia/afghanistan-war-photos.html.

Iila-Admin. “International Institute of Los Angeles: Non-Profit Organization Los
Angeles.” IILA, 6 June 2022, https://www.iilosangeles.org/.

“Inside the Fall of Kabul.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 10 Dec. 2021,
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/10/magazine/fall-of-kabul-afghanistan.html.

Krauss, Joseph. “Taliban Take over Afghanistan: What We Know and What's Next.” AP NEWS,
Associated Press, 17 Aug. 2021, https://apnews.com/article/taliban-takeover-afghanistan-
what-to-know-1a74c9cd866866f196c478aba21b60b6.

Macaya, Melissa, and Maureen Chowdhury. “August 15, 2021, Afghanistan-Taliban
News.” CNN, Cable News Network, 16 Aug. 2021, https://www.cnn.com/world/live-
news/afghanistan-taliban-us-troops-intl-08-15-21/index.html.

Said-Moorhouse, Lauren, et al. “August 15, 2021, Afghanistan-Taliban News.” CNN, Cable
News Network, https://www.cnn.com/world/live-news/afghanistan-taliban-us-troops-intl-
08-15-21/index.html.

Team, The Visual Journalism. “How the Taliban Stormed across Afghanistan in Ten Days.” BBC
News, BBC, 16 Aug. 2021, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-58232525.

UNHCR - The UN Refugee Agency. https://www.unhcr.org/afghanistan.html.

Abstract (if available)

Abstract On August 15, 2021, Abdul Fazli was on duty at work at the Kabul airport when the Taliban retook control. He escapes the regime, leaving behind his beloved family and the life he once knew. He becomes a refugee and eventually finds freedom months later in Los Angeles. Along the way, he meets a former co-worker, Billal Mohammadi, and MMA fighter Qudratullah Babarkheil. The three men create their own ‘American family’ and learn to navigate their new jobs and lives thousands of miles away from home as asylum seekers in the City of Angels.

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Asset Metadata

Creator Smith, Juliette (author)

Core Title From Afghanistan to Los Angeles: the Journey of Abdul Fazli

School Annenberg School for Communication

Degree Master of Arts

Degree Program Journalism (Specialized Journalism)

Degree Conferral Date 2022-08

Publication Date 07/26/2022

Defense Date 08/26/2022

Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag Afghanistan,Fall of Kabul,OAI-PMH Harvest,Taliban

Format application/pdf (imt)

Language English

Contributor Electronically uploaded by the author (provenance)

Advisor Scholder, Stacy (committee chair), Gonzales, Vince (committee member), Rosenthal, Justine (committee member)

Creator Email jssmith@usc.edu,silverpoodlelover@me.com

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-oUC111375407

Unique identifier UC111375407

Legacy Identifier etd-SmithJulie-11001

Document Type Thesis

Format application/pdf (imt)

Rights Smith, Juliette

Type texts

Source 20220728-usctheses-batch-962 (batch), University of Southern California (contributing entity), University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses (collection)

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Repository Email cisadmin@lib.usc.edu