ST. LANDRY PARISH — When Hamdi Mustafa first stepped off a plane in the United States in 1993, he didn’t yet speak the language or know where life would take him. What he did know was that he was chasing opportunity—one that would lead him from Jerusalem to New York, then Florida, and eventually to a place that he says felt most like home: the small town of Washington in St. Landry Parish, Louisiana. Around town, most people just call him Andy.
“I came from Jerusalem to New York in 1993. I worked in New York for 13 years, then I moved to Florida for 7 years, and then I came to Louisiana,” he said.
Andy is a man of few words, but his story speaks volumes. When he first came to the country, he didn’t speak any English, which made those early days especially difficult.
“It was a real struggle because I wasn’t speaking any English—it was really tough for me. When I saw two people laughing, I’d wonder if they were laughing at me,” he recalled.
Andy describes the early months as isolating and filled with uncertainty.“The first month I’d just sit in my room and cry. You miss your family. You don’t know what’s around you. You don’t know what to say.”
His brother, who had arrived in New York two years earlier, helped ease the transition.“He learned English faster than me… because he was smarter than me,” Andy said with a laugh. He found work as a butcher and began setting his sights on a long-term goal: owning a store of his own. On a trip back to Jerusalem, he met his wife, who quickly became his partner in both life and business.
“When she puts her mind to something—she does it,” Andy said.
Asked whether her determination inspired him, he nodded.“Yeah, we help each other.”
Andy eventually achieved his dream in Florida, but it wasn’t until he moved to Louisiana that he truly felt at home.
“You feel it day one, you know? We have a good relationship with the town, with the mayor, the police department, and the people around here.”
Now, Andy and his wife run a store in Washington, and they see it as much more than a business—it’s a way to connect with neighbors and contribute to the place they now call home.
“Sometimes, if you got it, you gotta give back. You have to give the community something. If they’re coming here to spend money with you, you have to give them something back,” he said.
“Once you put your feet in something, and you start with it—you keep going.”
Through everyday conversations, neighborhood events, and quiet acts of generosity, Andy says he aims to continue to build a bond with his community.
