Library Journal - Audio
12/01/2022
Okporo's eye-opening debut memoir reveals the author's life as a young gay man in Nigeria and follows his journey through the American asylum process. In Nigeria, he joins a church and focuses on religion. But that church does not welcome gay people, and he knows that being a fervent Christian won't change his sexual orientation. When he is discovered and threatened, he flees to New York City, only to discover that African immigrants aren't all that welcome in the United States. He spends six months in an immigration detention center dealing with a draconian system to plead his case to stay. As a narrator, Prentice Onayemi is stunning, bringing all the fear, frustration, and triumphs to the forefront, as he expertly navigates between the story and the structure of the system. Okporo's life in the U.S. continues to present challenges. The Nigerian expat community isn't welcoming to a gay man, and the gay community doesn't immediately accept an African immigrant. Happily, Okporo eventually finds his place and is now focused on improving the system. VERDICT This staggeringly powerful and sensitively-narrated memoir has a place in all public libraries.—Christa Van Herreweghe
Publishers Weekly
03/28/2022
Activist Okporo debuts with a deeply affecting account of the trials he endured as a Black gay man seeking asylum in the United States. Alienated as a child in the 1990s by the theater of bravado and masculinity in his southern Nigerian hometown, Okporo joined the priesthood at age 18, hoping to find delivery “from any evil spirit that had possessed me with my attraction for other men.” Instead, he spent the next two years “hooking up with straight-passing men who carried big Bibles.” After leaving the church in his 20s to live openly as a queer man in Abuja, he quickly found work as an AIDS activist, but, eventually, his public efforts to destigmatize homosexuality made it dangerous for him to remain in Nigeria, even leading to an assault by a mob. From here, his story takes a swift turn as he recounts his path to find refuge in the United States. In clear-eyed prose, Okporo illustrates how, after being detained in New Jersey for six months without legal counsel, he navigated a turbulent road pocked with hypocrisy and cruelty until finally being granted asylum. Shirking a tidy story of hope, Okporo offers instead a resonant critique of what it means to be “free” in America, a place, where, he writes, “to succeed... to adopt whiteness in all its form.” Readers will be galvanized by this resounding call for equality. (June)
From the Publisher
"Through the fires of persecution and exile, Edafe Okporo found liberation. Written with urgency and insight, Asylum is a moving and dramatic account of a gay Nigerian's search for his place in the world, a book that reminds us that so many queer folks around the world have yet to achieve their freedoms."—David Ebershoff, New York Times bestselling author of The Danish Girl and The 19th Wife
“Powerful, honest and deeply moving, Edafe Okporo’s Asylum is a must read. From dealing with unimaginable persecution to transforming the lives and hearts of countless people, Edafe lets us in, offering us an intimate look into his journey and the realities of so many. —Elliot Page, actor
Both memoir and a call to action, Edafe Okporo’s book is a powerful, eye-opening story of his escape from persecution as a gay man, a heartbreaking yet hopeful illustration of the unique challenges faced by queer refugees around the world. —Dr. Eric Cervini, NYT best selling author of The Deviant’s War
Library Journal
05/01/2022
In this moving and thought-provoking memoir, Okporo details his inspiring journey from a troubled childhood in Nigeria to his current role as a global gay rights activist in New York City. Okporo was an outsider in his community, cruelly shunned by his peers and his relatives for being too feminine and too different from the idealized version of a Nigerian man. After an unsuccessful stint as a minister and the tragic deaths of several close friends, he discovers his life's work in advocating for gay men's access to health care. When his success and visibility in his community puts his life in danger, Okporo flees to the U.S., where he is immediately handcuffed and sent to a New Jersey detention center. After months in a cell, he is released—homeless, friendless and penniless—into an unwelcoming country. Eventually, Okporo finds acceptance in a Unitarian church, successfully expands New York's only shelter for homeless refugees, and embarks on a loving, healthy relationship. VERDICT Okporo's personal journey is touching, and his skillful explanation of the corrupt immigration processes and policies that continue to reject and exclude the very people they are meant to aid is a timely plea for reform and empathy.—Lisa Henry
Kirkus Reviews
2022-02-01
Okporo chronicles his experience seeking asylum in the U.S. after being persecuted in his home country of Nigeria for being gay.
The author first realized he was gay in boarding school, when he had a sexual encounter with a fellow male student. Unfortunately, that student later used this moment of intimacy to out Okporo to his school and strictly traditional Christian family. “If everyone found out I was gay,” he writes, “I would be completely ex-communicated, not only from my peers at the school but also from my church.” Okporo also understood that living as an openly gay activist in Nigeria was untenable and even dangerous, a truth he experienced firsthand when he was beaten by a mob. “I was flogged with sticks, cutlasses, and anything they could find,” he writes, “beating me unconscious while children sang and cheered and clapped behind us. Gay! Gay! Gay!” Fearing for his life, Okporo fled to the U.S. with only $126. When he arrived, he was placed in the Elizabeth Detention Center in New Jersey, where he waited for his asylum hearing. After his claim was granted, Okporo became an immigrants rights activist determined to help other refugees and asylees. As the author poignantly notes in conclusion, “Home is not just where you feel safe and welcome. It is also about how you can make it feel safe and welcoming for others.” Okporo’s voice vibrates with passion and hope, and his detailed descriptions of his experiences are the most riveting parts of the book. He expertly interweaves his story with statistical and historical details about the perils of the U.S. immigration system. At times, the writing jumps between timelines and arguments, rendering certain sections less cohesive than others. Nonetheless, the author has a remarkable story, and his humane message shines through.
A moving story from an inspiring activist for social justice.
