When Salemu “Derick” Alimasi arrived in Houston from the Democratic Republic of Congo, he felt something instantly familiar in the city’s rhythm — its warmth (and heat), its languages, and its mix of people from every corner of the globe. “I found the whole world here,” he said. “It felt like home.”

Though he felt a sense of belonging, he knew that to make it official — to truly feel secure — he needed to become a U.S. citizen. With his wife by his side, he began the process, urging her to do the same. “I told her, ‘We have to do this now,’” he recalled.

Alimasi speaks six languages, including English, so communication wasn’t a barrier. But even with that advantage, the journey wasn’t a walk in the park. “There were not many people to go to for guidance,” he said. The lack of accessible information left many newcomers adrift, uncertain of how to begin.

That experience helped reshape his purpose. Determined that others wouldn’t face the same confusion and fear, he made it his mission to guide them through.

He started as a caseworker, helping newly arrived families adjust to life in the United States. The job opened his eyes to both the resilience of immigrants and the systemic gaps that left too many behind.

“When refugees come, we serve the parents,” he said. “That’s what we need — but what about the young people? There was a gap, and we had to fill it.”

Dedicated to helping others, Alimasi founded CO_AFRO Community Center — The Home of Diversity, where he currently serves as Executive Director. The center works to preserve culture, foster leadership, and help immigrants from all walks of life access the resources they need to fully participate in American life.

“Unity among diversity is the strength and beauty of our community,” reads CO_AFRO’s guiding motto — a reflection of Alimasi’s belief that belonging does not require assimilation, but understanding.

Through CO_AFRO and his partnership with Church World Service (CWS) — a global faith-based organization that supports refugees and displaced people — Alimasi mobilizes communities to share their stories, advocate for inclusion, and take that next step toward citizenship.

He often meets African immigrants who hesitate to apply for naturalization because of laws in their home countries that prohibit dual nationality. The decision can feel like a painful choice between two identities. But Alimasi encourages them to see it differently. “Becoming a citizen doesn’t mean forgetting where you came from,” he said. “It’s about the values you live by and what you give back.”

That message resonates with a movement spanning the Greater Houston area, which is home to more than 300,000 lawful permanent residents eligible to naturalize — one of the largest populations in the nation.

Through the Naturalize Now, Houston! campaign — a coalition of partners including Harris County, the National Partnership for New Americans (NPNA) and other local organizations, advocates are helping turn eligibility into empowerment.

The campaign funds free legal services, civics and English classes, and citizenship clinics across the metro area. In July 2024, more than 3,300 people from 121 countries took the oath of citizenship in Houston — the largest naturalization ceremony in the city’s history. Nationwide, more than 818,000 people became citizens that year, continuing a record-breaking wave of naturalizations that is reshaping civic life across the country.

For Alimasi, those numbers are not abstract. They represent the same faces he once met as a caseworker — hopeful, anxious, determined. He knows what it means to stand in a courtroom, raise your hand, and step fully into the promise of a new life.

“People admire the values I’ve gained here,” he reflected. “Those values came from both homes — the one I left, and the one I’ve built.”

And now, those same values guide his work — helping others turn belonging into citizenship, one story at a time.

Learn more:
Residents eligible for citizenship can find free resources and upcoming clinics at NPNA.org and BecomeACitizenToday.com