Scranton Stories is an oral history video series featuring 33 individuals who have lived or worked in the city of Scranton. These videos are part of the larger project, Scranton’s Story, Our Nation’s Story, which is a community-wide exploration of themes such as history, belonging, and identity. DiscoverNEPA will share these unique, personal “Scranton Stories” in the lead-up to the 250th anniversary of the United States in 2026.
From the Democratic Republic of the Congo to NEPA, this is Ushu & Prisca's "Scranton Story"
After fleeing the Democratic Republic of the Congo due to political instability and rampant violence, and after living for 12 years in a Ugandan refugee camp, Ushu and Prisca Mukelo eventually immigrated to the United States and began a new life in Scranton. As they were doing so, they never dropped the parts of their identities that represent their refugee status; to do so would mean they would lose their capacity to effectively advocate for those who remain in conditions like the ones that existed in the camp where they lived.
While they are happy to be in Scranton and grateful to be in the U.S., they remain ever mindful that while they now have secure food, water, and housing, their friends and family who remain in Uganda, along with American unhoused individuals in Scranton, do not. Maintaining their identities as refugees, they will continue to advocate for those near and far. They recognize that we all must ask ourselves: what are we doing to help make our national union much more perfect?
