Monday to Friday, he commutes 90 minutes each way from Clinton Hill to a burger joint in Queens, where he works 12-hour shifts in the kitchen. As the only non-American, he's quickly learning the language and gaining experience, which will hopefully open doors to legal work in the future.
Amir still spends his Saturdays and Sundays looking for day labor outside the Home Depot on Staten Island. “The money from the kitchen is just not enough,” he says.