Respect the author’s wishes
Thank you for including the opinion piece from Fisto Ndayishimye on July 17. In it, Mr. Ndayishimye describes the racism and discrimination he experienced in the years following his arrival in the United States from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He writes, “Even after becoming an American citizen, I am often described as a ‘refugee’” and says he refers to himself now as a “former refugee,” as he forges his life as an American citizen, pursuing a Bachelor’s degree and running for public office. I was then very disappointed to read the author bio, where the Monitor refers to him as a “refugee.” It seems this was a great opportunity to show Mr. Ndayishimye the respect he is seeking by referring to him in the term he requested.