Hasan and his family — wife, daughter, and son — fled Syria during its civil war, along with millions of others, to escape large-scale violence and fear of death. The family crossed the border into Turkey, which granted them Temporary Protection Status. They were able to live in a neighborhood, and Hasan was allowed to work.

However, Turkey’s TPS program denied the family any chance of eventual Turkish citizenship. It also denied his children the opportunity to attend school. Hasan’s son, Namr was 5 when the family fled Turkey. His daughter, Baraa, was 7. From these ages until the family finally gained formal refugee status and was able to be resettled in the United States, the children could not go to school.

When the family was offered the opportunity to resettle in the U.S. in 2024, they accepted it because it meant a future for Hasan’s children. Both children are now juniors in high school and on target to graduate in 2028, an amazing feat given they spoke no English when they arrived and they had not attended school in years.

Hasan has tremendous craftsmanship skills. He needs opportunity to use those skills here. His English is limited, but his skills are universal. All the images in this short photo book come from projects he completed in Turkey. He has done solo projects as well as large-scale ones involving crews of 10-12 workers. He is confident doing design work as well as installation work.