An interview with Hip Hop Artist UNOME (pronounced you know me), who also goes by David, on how dance helped to boost his emotions during his fleeing journey, his arrival to Minnesota, his hopes for his YouTube channel, and his future.
Arrive Ministries Q: Why did you start this Hip Hop YouTube channel (youtube.com/@unomeunome)?
UNOME A: I was a choreographer in my home country, taught dance classes, worked with productions, and had my own studio. 
I started this channel when I was a refugee in Thailand because I had to stay in a building for two years after fleeing my country and was experiencing depression and worry. I discovered that whenever I danced, all my depression disappeared.
I started leading Zumba dance sessions four days a week for people who fled from war to help boost their emotions.
After moving to the USA, people from my Zumba sessions often told me they missed it and still wanted to learn hip hop moves. At the same time, I had been struggling with my future plans, and I decided to upload my dance tutorial videos online. This way, it wouldn’t matter where I lived or the different time zones; I could still teach dance and they could still learn through it.
Q: What were your two years like living as a refugee in Thailand?
A: It was a scary time. A lot of unreported events occurred. Before I underwent the refugee process, I encountered human traffickers. I had to stay in a compound for 2 years. Sometimes, when we went out to buy food, we got arrested by the police, and they demanded a lot of money. Sometimes we had to run and hide in the bushes, etc. Some events were much worse than these; I think readers could guess because I don’t have the heart to mention all of these things in this article. Still, even now, whenever I see the police, a group of people, or someone asking me too many questions, I feel the same fear. This feeling affects my confidence.
A lot of things have been happening there, like corruption, human trafficking, domestic violence, etc. I’m barely standing on my feet and I can’t help; I worry about my friends, family, and the people who are suffering from war. It would be great if governments or organizations that could help them would take better care of them.
Q: Do you feel supported in Minnesota?
A: Yes, people from work, church, my agency (Arrive Ministries), teachers, and classmates from school are really supportive. I came alone to Minnesota in July of 2023. I was greeted at the airport by two friends from Thailand, and Danielle, my case manager from Arrive Ministries. Danielle has helped me a lot, without her and others’ support, life would be really hard for a refugee like me. Additionally, there are a lot of parks and lakes in Minnesota that are really relaxing for a person restarting a new life in the US.
Q: You recently graduated from the Apprenticeship and Manufacturing Ready program through Roseville Adult Learning Center, what are your upcoming plans?
A: Now that I have my diploma, I plan to join the carpenter union while trying to get my YouTube channel to go viral. In the future, I want to make some passive income from my YouTube channel. I want more subscribers, and if I get a chance I would like to participate as a dance instructor for organizations that help refugees.
You can find David’s YouTube Channel here: youtube.com/@unomeunome
