Okporo does a masterful job of sharing his life with us and it is a blessing. Okporo was born in Nigeria and spent his childhood trying to fight the truth he knew about himself. However, in early adulthood, he began to accept and embrace his sexuality and found his calling in advocating for others in the LGBTQIA community and working to bring understanding about AIDS to the community. Despite Okporo's very successful work and his ability to build found family in the city he moves to, one day he is attacked by his neighbors due to their discovery of his sexuality and he realizes that he is not safe. He quickly leaves the country and applies for asylum in America. Okporo's experience while detained during his case as well as once asylum is granted and he is released is harrowing. It brings to light the need for citizens to work hard to advocate for and welcome refugees and asylees. Okporo also discusses various intersections of sexuality, race in America, and the difficulty of finding his place amongst other Nigerian asylees.

a short memoir that gets straight to the point of what its like to seek asylum in america — and what one man did to go so far above and beyond survival. this story moved me greatly. it's empathetic and intelligent and a total gut punch.

Asylum by Edafe Okporo is one of those books that hurt to read, but that I felt compelled to keep going. The human struggle of Okporo in his home in Nigeria, and then in the United States is a testament to how strong the modern immigrant has to be. Okporo's tone is fluid and conversational, which helped keep the reader somewhat optimistic after a series of hard, hard, hard struggles. I recommend Asylum for anyone who thinks LGBTQ+ rights shouldn't be protected, because, in Nigeria, they aren't, and Okporo nearly died because of it.
An amazing story of struggle and fortitude, Okporo takes the reader into two different lives, one that he's forced to leave, and the other which he creates for himself.

Asylum shows the difficulties in America's immigration and asylum system. Edafe grew up with family in Nigeria, and as a young adult, he constantly risked his life to help fight the AIDS epidemic amongst the LGBTQ community in his country. Nigeria has many laws against homosexuality, and because of this, Edafe had to live in secret, but when that secret was revealed, he had to run for his life. Edafe's journey to America, and through its archaic immigration system. When he is finally granted asylum, the difficult task of being refugee in America comes to light. The lack of assistance, and myriad of barriers take this smart, successful man, and turn him into a shell of himself.

This book gives us a vivid, personal story of Edafe Okporo's fleeing persecution and death threats in Nigeria for being gay. Not only do we learn about the criminalization of same sex relationships in Nigeria, we also learn of the harsh consequences for family and friends who try to help and protect LGBTQ+ individuals. His story is beautifully written and incredibly heartbreaking as we learn of his coming out as a young man living in constant fear and then becoming an activist for AIDS prevention which then makes him an even more visible target. His experiences coming to America to seek asylum is particularly harrowing. Not only are privately owned detention centers a big business and exploiter of asylum seekers and refugees, but there is a lack of support systems to help access legal advice, quality health care, and mental health counseling for trauma and PTSD. If and when an asylum seeker is released, they are just left to their own devices on the streets to fend for themselves with no access to shelter, clothes, transportation, food. He also has trouble fitting in -- the Nigerian community does not necessarily want to accept a Gay Man, and the white gay community does not necessarily want to accept a black, foreign gay man. Ultimately, with the support of pro bono attorneys, social service organizations, he is able to make his way to a good job serving other refugees and asylum seekers. The story ends on a positive note and at the same time is a call to action for all of us. Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

“This book imagines a future where immigrants and asylees are treated with fairness, transparent, and compassion. It aims to help us understand that home is not just where you feel safe and welcome but also how you can make it feel safe and welcome for others.”

This powerful quote by Edafe Okporo beautifully sums up the main premise of his memoir. In Asylum, Edafe describes growing up gay in Nigeria. At age 26, he was forced to flee and seek asylum in the United States. Edafe finally gains entry and becomes and immigration rights activist.

Asylum was such an incredibly powerful memoir. The beginning chapters where Edafe describes the torment and abuse he faced as a child was very heart-breaking and hard to read. It was very eye-opening to read how members of the gay community are treated and viewed in Nigeria. They can be imprisoned, mutilated, and even killed.

What’s also heart-breaking was Edafe’s treatment upon entering the U.S. He spent several months in a detention center. It’s extremely frustrating to hear how the U.S. treats those who come to this country, seeking a better life and hoping to live n safety.

I highly recommend this memoir to others!!

Thank you @netgalley, @simonandschuster, and @simon.audio for the #gifted audiobook and e-book copies!

This was a powerful, timely, and important book. Asylum is the story of one man’s journey to escape from persecution, only to find he wasn’t welcome in the place he escaped to. From being “illegal” in one nation to maintaining that status in the place he believed he could be free. Okporo’s story is one of his own life but it is also a call to action for those across the world to speak up and defend those whose only crime is existence.

Great book well written. Really gets to the heart of being a gay Nigerian and a gay refugee in Trump's America.

I received a PRC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review... First, thank you Edafe for documenting your journey for Americans to read. The pathways, processes, and difficulties of the immigration system is something that most Americans know very little about, yet so many have strong opinions about. As Americans, I think we owe it to ourselves to have a better understanding of how the system works before we formulate harsh judgments. The book was an enjoyable read, weaving in historical information of the immigration system with the author's life journey from Nigeria to the US.

Eye-opening look into the realities faced by refugees and asylees when they come to America. Okporo mixes his memoir with statistics and facts about immigration in the United States and provides the reader with a better understanding of how our immigration system really works.