Lina describes herself as strong and independent. Born in Yemen and brought to the U.S. as a toddler, the 22-year-old now works retail at a mall to pay her way through college.
"I was raised very, very Americanized. I did sports, I did community service, I worked," Lina says. (NPR is not using her full name because she fears retribution from her family.)
When people hear her story, she says they tell her, "I never thought that this would ever happen to you."
A year ago, Lina says her parents took her to Yemen, claiming her grandmother was gravely ill.
