These days, Qais Meraj lives in south St. Louis County, where he and wife are raising his four children and own a business. But he was born in Afghanistan, and his family spent years in India for his father’s work as a diplomat before receiving refugee status and coming to America in 2009. Years later, Meraj volunteered to go back to Afghanistan as a translator, seeking to use his language skills to help the U.S. military.
He sat down with St. Louis on the Air at his home last week to share his thoughts on America, the refugee’s journey and the loved ones he worries about who remain in Afghanistan.
“St. Louis on the Air” brings you the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region. The show is hosted by Sarah Fenske and produced by Alex Heuer, Emily Woodbury, Evie Hemphill and Lara Hamdan. Jane Mather-Glass is our production assistant. The audio engineer is Aaron Doerr.
