Have you asked yourself how much our election matters to those outside of the United States? It may depend on who they are. But the refugees who were approved but then rejected due to the Trump travel ban see our election as a lifesaver for them. A Biden presidency is their only hope now. For those of us in the U.S., we will move on with our lives as usual after casting our votes. Not much will change: We will have our jobs, we have our house or apartment, we have our neighbors; we still feel safe where we are. But these things are the fundamental reasons why refugees want to come here. They want to live like us: have jobs and houses and raise a family.

On Nov. 3, a group of refugees, old friends of mine from when I lived thousands of miles from here, gathered around a radio; they were following the numbers closely. I could hear them on the phone. California for Biden: cheers. But when a state went to Trump it was complete silence. I was sitting in my comfortable couch here in Maine feeling the warmth of the fireplace with a fridge full of food and desserts, the television on. I have plans for the day after the election. Things I have to do to make money. Meanwhile, the group of refugees are sitting on a dirt floor. If they had lunch that day, dinner is never promised. None of them has a job. No one has a calendar. Nothing scheduled for them except the prayers – the mosques are the places of prayers and hopes. As they close their eyes during the prayers, they pray for a Biden win because he promised to bring more refugees to the U.S.

Before Trump, the U.S typically resettled over 70,000 refugees, despite the president’s party. Joe Biden pledged to set the figure at 125,000. These refugees will not vote, but they are as equally worried, if not more. When I cast my vote for the first time in history, I wrote down the list of issues that matter to me. But the No. 1 issue was restoring the exceptionalism of America. I don’t want a leader who wants to build a wall to push the most vulnerable away from us. Or one who brings a travel ban to block certain countries from coming in. I cast my vote on behalf of the millions out there who wake every day with a piece of paper that identifies them as refugees. I wanted to use my vote to change the circumstances of the most vulnerable.

Biden is the president-elect. It may go to the court, it may not. I celebrate this victory, not because I am in his party or that I prefer him over a Republican leader. I celebrate him because the vote I cast on behalf of myself, my family and my refugee friends was counted, and Maine, which is where I call home now, voted Biden as the president. It makes me more hopeful for our state.

When this is all over and Biden and Harris take the oath, there is a lot of work to do. There is a dent and damage to the American democracy. It will not be restored in one day. It takes some time to bring our image back. I personally want to have the child of war in Yemen, Somalia or Syria start dreaming again. I want them to know that things are OK and they are welcome to America, and to our cities and towns.

What happened in America over the last four years is not what all Americans wanted. I feel responsible, doing whatever I can to change the views of those who only see America from the rhetoric of Trump. Since I speak multiple languages and am connected with parts of the world that have the greatest number of refugees I am also at an advantage to do more work. I am doing this as a proud American.

The damage is done. America is and will be divided. The millions who voted for Trump will still be Americans and remain our neighbors. In my conversation on the phone with the refugees, I told them not to expect that everything will be better if we have a leader other than Trump. We have a Congress that can approve or stop proposals.

I did not expect to be on one side of American politics, but when our country is headed the wrong way, I think we are all obliged to jump in to do what we can. That’s what I did. To do anything I can to make sure we have a country respected and loved again. This is what “Make America Great Again” means to me and my fellow refugees.