Q&A with Karina Ambartsoumian-Clough

?? Name: Karina Ambartsoumian-Clough

?? Role and organization: Executive Director, United Stateless

?? Where do you live? #Philadelphia, PA

?? And where do you call home? Anywhere with Kevin feels like home to me. We’ve been married 11 years and our relationship is the foundation of my sense of home. He wrote about it in an OpEd in the Philadelphia Inquirer (DM Suzanne for the link).

?? How did the experiences of people who have been forcibly displaced first become important to you? Through my own journey. I lost my citizenship when my birthplace dissolved, a dangerous place for a mixed-ethnic child like me. Seeking asylum, I came to the U.S. at 8 years old, only to be denied for the final time at 13. Despite being placed on a final removal order, I couldn't be deported because there was no country that would accept me. I am stateless, unable to find protection in the U.S. but also unable to leave to live elsewhere. This experience highlighted the importance of legal empowerment for me, as I navigated U.S. law that did not even recognize my existence.

?? My professional journey: My experiences have fueled my passion for advocacy, leading me to co-found United Stateless with 6 other stateless people in December 2017. As the Executive Director, I am proud to lead the only organization solely focused on statelessness in the U.S…. Our mission is to urge Congress to pass the Stateless Protection Act, advocating for the rights and recognition of stateless individuals in the U.S.

?? What's your superpower, either real or desired? My knack for connecting people. I thrive on bringing people together. If I could, I'd spend all day in the kitchen, cooking up dishes that not only nourish the body but also create lasting memories and strengthen the bonds between people.

?? Tell us your fantasy dinner party guests: Chef & Setting: Ina Garten at her home, need I say more? My guests:

+ My grandfather, Nikolai Bojko. I never really knew him — the last time I saw him I was 4 years old — because, as a result of statelessness, I have been separated from my family permanently. We were penpals up to his death when I was 13 years old.? He was a Baptist minister and community organizer in a place where it was illegal to do so and, as a result, was incarcerated for his work for almost 30 years... in a place not too far from where Navalny perished. I would love to be in his presence again.?

+ Octavia Butler: a phenomenal visionary thinker and writer whose work resonates deeply with me. She defied convention and dared to envision a world beyond the limits of imagination. Her words are immortal, challenging us to embrace change and recognize its transformative power. 'All that you touch you change, all that you change changes you. The only lasting truth is change.'