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Essay / Portrayal of refugee struggles in Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai
The universal refugee experience of fleeing and finding a home has been very difficult for refugees. A refugee can be anyone forced to flee their home due to conflict, war, etc. In the novel “Inside Out and Back Again” by Thanhha Lai tells readers how refugees struggle on a daily basis. The main character of the story is a 10 year old girl named ha. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Ha and his family lived between the Vietnam War. Ha is rebellious and pushes certain limits but always has a family by her side. Ha is very optimistic hoping that the war will end or move away from danger. When things get out of hand, Ha's mother decides that her family must flee to America and find freedom. Ha and her family had to deal with the sadness and loss of other refugee families. Ha also had to change her lifestyle which was backwards when she left Saigon, then went backwards when she found a new home in Alabama, but will never be the same as her old home. Refugees' lives are turned upside down when they lose their homes or families. members and trying to adapt to their new environment. The refugees come from a country at war, meaning many families have had to deal with the loss of a family member. In the article "Refugee Children from Canada" it is stated that "some lost many family members and many lost everything familiar to them." Losing loved ones and having things taken away from you could really turn your life upside down, especially if you have no one to lean on. When refugees begin to lose family members, they begin to feel that life has no meaning. In the text “Children Of War”, Amelia said: “Before the war, I really enjoyed life. But since I learned of my father's death, everything seems so pointless that I no longer see any for my future." Knowing that you have lost a loved one at the wrong time could really change your mood and perspective. In the book "Inside Out and Back Again", Ha had been living without his father for 10 years. She always thought he would come back, that changed when she found out her father was dead. Page 250 says "your father is really gone." It changed Ha's life before she even met him. She had to adapt to current events, during which time she felt like her life was turned upside down. There are many ways to disrupt the lives of refugees. Refugees are used to living in a place where everyone's culture is pretty much the same. As refugees began to change their lifestyle, the environment and other factors impacted their lives. It's heartbreaking to adapt to a new environment with more than one culture and really none of your own. In the text "Refugee Children in Canada", it is said that "the greatest threat to children may not be the stress of belonging to two cultures, but rather living in a trailer that does not belong to none.” Once refugees find themselves in a different environment, they must adapt to it. This might be very difficult for some people at this event. In the novel, Ha thought: "No one would believe me sometimes, I would choose war in Saigon over peace in Alabama." » Ha feels like she doesn't belong in America because she doesn't know anything about America and doesn't belong there. Page 142 says, “I am the only one with straight black hair and olive skin.” Ha.