The poem, ‘Be Good, Little Migrants’ by Uyen Loewald, thoroughly explores the concept of identity throughout the poem. Uyen Loewald is an Australian migrant of Vietnamese background who has been subjected to racial oppression and degradation when first migrating to Australia. As a result, she created the poem, ‘Be Good, Little Migrants’ to express her emotions of frustration and anger at the plight of new Australian migrants. The poem conveys the notion that migrants of a non-British background, more specifically Vietnamese and Asian, had to discard their own cultural identity. Furthermore being forced to change and adapt to an “Australian” identity. This process is known as assimilation. The continuous repetition of the imperative, “Be good, little migrants” in each stanza,
Since about the late 1900’s Somali Refugees have been coming to the United States in hope for a better lifestyle than they had at home with famine and war. Somali refugees are brought to the U.S. by different organizations that support families from other countries that have had a hard life styles and isn’t easy living in their home country. They arrive in the U.S. being new to the country and not having much understanding of the daily living and also feeling unsettled. In spite of all these situations that Somali Refugees have to go through many people seem to judge the Somalis on why they’re here and by the color of their skin. However many of them don’t know the reasons that they had to leave their home country and be put in refugee camps as well being brought to the U.S. by charitable organizations with religious thoughts. Those organizations help those Somali Refugee families that have been forced out of their home country due to war to live in a better and stable country. With the help of those charitable organizations change for many Somali families to be able feel safe at all times of the day and not feel threatened or scared to leave their homes. Yet many people to judge Somali Refugees in America, people don’t have understanding the motives
lack of language skills, changing gender expectations and cultural uncertainty. The diagnosis of PTSD among Afghan adult refugees and other refugees alike in the U.S. and other Western countries is exceptionally higher than the general population (Gernaat, 2002; Fazel, Wheeler & Danesh, 2005). Such high rates of PTSD are attributed to a disconnect with Western treatment which is individualized and not in line with Afghan values which are more receptive to family involvement. Based on a 2002 study, researchers concluded that the likelihood of developing a mental disorder directly correlated to a lack of language skills, loss of educational status and unemployment, based on 51 Afghans suffering from depression (57%) and PTSD (35%) (Gernaat,
Refugees are people who have been forced to leave their countries in order to escape war, persecution, and natural disaster. Most refugees are ordinary people coming from ordinary places. One of these ordinary people, Kim Hà from South Vietnam, was created as a fictional character for the novel Inside Out & Back Again, written by Thanhha Lai, who modeled it after her own life as a refugee. Lai, just like her character Hà, was forced to flee her home during the Vietnam War, and ended up in the United States, in the state of Alabama. While Hà is a fictional character, Lai gives her certain characteristics so readers of her novel will realize the struggles refugees have to face, and the ways they must recover from them. For example, during her
This stanza is implying that all refugees have no English background and therefore cannot "distinguish ESL from RSL". They are completely degrading refugee’s ability to learn a new language and judging their educational abilities based on their past experiences and culture. The poem also mentions in stanza 5 that refugee children have no respect for "institutions". Just because these children may have come from a predominantly violent culture, it does not mean that they have no respect or manners. As a culture, Australia needs to encourage refugees as much as possible. Australians need to help refugees learn our culture and language, without degrading and eroding their culture and language. Just because Australians are blessed to be able to have a decent education from a young age, it doesn't mean that refugees are denied any opportunity for a successful
The novel “Inside Out and Back Again” describes the life of a family of refugees searching to find home. It describes the highs and the lows of day-to-day life for the family, perfectly describing the universal refugee experience. The universal refugee experience is an umbrella term used to describe the myriad of trials and tribulations refugees endure as they move to a foreign place. These are experiences that all or most refugees typically go through in their process of finding a new home. Ha’s journey is a perfect example of the universal refugee experience. She faces racism, discrimination, loneliness, and, over time, a growing sense of love for her new home. Ha’s life is turned “inside out and back again”. Before Ha had to flee Saigon, she was headstrong and selfish, but she was also a girl who loved her mother and couldn't wait to grow up. She wanted to be able to do something before her older brothers did it, and do it better. But most of all, Ha wanted to fit in, to be liked. At her core, Ha was a normal little girl.
In The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, Holden Caulfield is a peculiar character portrayed as a skeptic living in “a world of phonies” in circa 1950. These personality traits can be seen through his doubts of society as well as his way of thinking and acting toward others. He also demonstrates a lack of responsibility adding to his role as a slacker. Holden flunks out of school repeatedly and has no desire to confront his parents. He mopes around the city for days, delaying the inevitable punishments he’s sure to get. Holden Caulfield is an irresponsible character and this can be proven time and again through his thoughts and actions toward himself and others.
Imagine if you were born into a country filled with poverty, fear, anxiety, despair and sorrow. The pain and suffering you would go through every day was so violent that you and your family had given up on all measures of hope. Every day you would fear persecution and you couldn’t even feel safe in the comfort of your own home. But what if there was a sliver of hope of escaping this drama occurring in your homeland by leaving by boat. All this drama gone in a flash, wouldn’t you want to try? putting your life at risk, but anyways what is the point of staying back, where you are just suffering emotionally, psychologically and physically as the day passes. 51 million people worldwide and 800,000 people in Australia have experienced these feelings
The lives of refugees are turned “inside out” out when they are forced to flee because they have to leave the only home they have ever known and try to figure out a way to leave their old lives behind. They are not leaving their country because they want to but because they are forced to and it can feel like
Have you ever been involved in a family conflict that was difficult to overcome? In The Kite Runner written by Khaled Hosseini, Amir wishes to gain his father 's attention, recognition, and approval. “It 's important in the beginning of the novel -- as the protagonist feels neglected by his father -- and it becomes important again at the end, in an interesting way” (Singh par. 8). Baba is a wealthy man in Afghanistan. His son, Amir, has always been greedy because he has never learned to appreciate things. Instead, he expects them. As Amir grows older, he desires more attention from his father. For example, Amir loves to read and write, but his father wishes he had an interest in something more masculine. He sabotages Hassan, a servant,
Born to Bengali parents in July 1967,in London and with her family’s move to Rhode Island, Jhumpa Lahiri began life in the U.S.A. She grew up in the background of traditional Bengali culture. From childhood, she often accompanied her back to India-particularly to Calcutta (now known as Kolkata).. She observes that her parents retain a sense of emotional exile and she herself grew up with conflicting expectations. In her work, Lahiri, is a second-generation immigrant, reflects on the Indian diaspora and creates a narrative that reveals the inconsistency of the concept of identity and cultural difference in the space of diapora.
This comprehensive annotated bibliography discusses about the poor mental health of the refugees and asylum seekers under detention in developed countries. This sits within the “Social Work Practice in Mental Health” and “Social Work with Refugee Survivors of Torture and Trauma” categories of Social Work fields of practice (Alston and McKinnon, 2005) and uses sources from Australian publications on these issues.
The role of a father-figure, shared by Baba and Rahim Khan is a complex relationship that heavily impacts Amir’s actions and emotions. Whilst Baba is the biological father and role model of Amir, it is Rahim Khan who is the one to provide emotional support, and stability. Amir’s selfish tendencies are a result of the lack of affection that is given to him by Baba, a man who wants to, but struggles to find similarities between himself and Amir. As a result, he often has difficulty relating to his son, leading him to think that “there is something missing in [Amir]”, because he is not like himself (Hosseini 24). Amir continuously tries to impress Baba, a longing that has a lasting negative impact, as he bases his self-worth on the approval his father. As a result, Amir develops a habit of being overly jealous towards people, such as Hassan, that hold Baba’s interest. Even trivial items-such as the construction of the orphanage-have the power to provoke
“When I listened to the media reports about the increasing tension, anxiety, distress and fear at the refugee registration center, I was persuaded to stay at home and not to participate in this event.
People all over the world have to leave their home and country because of natural disasters, persecution by government, war and many other tragedies. These people are called refugees, which is an individual that flees their homeland in fear of what will happen to them if they stay. Refugees face many hardships and challenges that can make their lives seem “inside out” while trying to find a new place to call home, such as discrimination in their homeland and also when they’re trying to make a living in a new country. Their traditions and culture remind them of who they are and why they’re doing this, and while trying to find a new home being reminded of these things can help raise their spirits and hopes and make the journey a little bit easier.