EL PASO, Texas -- In El Paso, Baghdad is a long way from home for a former Iraqi interpreter who only identifies himself as “Mr. I.“

Mr. I is one of five former Iraqi translators who are in El Paso to start life over, because it became too dangerous to continue helping U.S. military servicemen.

“In Iraq, the seed of the freedom and democracy has been planted,”said Mr. I, who felt giving his name and showing his face would still be too risky, even though he is more than 7,000 miles away from Baghdad.

Mr. I was a former Iraqi soldier. In 2004, he started interpreting for U.S. forces in Operation Iraqi Freedom. He said adjusting to the culture of the Sun City isn't that tough . They even ate tortillas while working with American forces. He said he learned how to speak English in college and by watching cowboy movies as a child.

“I lived with Americans for four years,” he said. “We know how they act. We know how they eat.”

The men are here on a special immigrant visa designed for Iraqi and Afghan translators who worked for the U.S. government.

Mr. I befriended a Fort Bliss soldier who led him to El Paso.

"He is a officer in the U.S. Army and he took care of me. With out him I would be nothing," said Mr. I, who declined to identify the soldier as well.

And while he’s been shown some southern hospitality, he’s also gotten the cold shoulder when it comes to finding a job.

"We we're hitting brick walls. They call you, they will tell you, you are over qualified or you just got denied."

Mr. I has a bachelor's degree and some of the other interpreters even have master's degrees. He says they are also finding problems with getting the social services that they qualify for.

"In my country, in Iraq, we call it when the blood defeat the salt," he said.

It basically means even if defeat is looking you in the face, stand up for what you believe in, which is exactly what he plans to do.

Mr. I has a wife and two children in Iraq and will try to get them here once he is financially stable. He said he wouldn’t mind going back home, but it would be to risky.