Fighting words: How words and imagery impact sentiment

For those who have followed the political debates, news broadcasts, and social media discussions surrounding refugees and their resettlement options, it’s clear that the sentiment is not overwhelmingly positive. In 2018, it is predicted that only 20,000 refugees will be resettled in the United States despite the nation’s cap of 45,000 (Amos, 2018).

The discussion of displaced people is often filled with words and phrases like “refugee crisis,” “illegal,” “refugee problem,” and “burden.” At first glance, this terminology may not seem to be a particular stumbling block in creating positive resolutions for refugees, but words are powerful. How refugees are talked about, photographed, and portrayed in the media and otherwise shapes public understanding, sentiment, and political policies. The negatively charged words so often used in discussions of displaced people serve to shift the focus and blame from the situations causing displacement to the refugees themselves.

Even the term “refugees” groups all displaced people into a neat category with no consideration for the different driving factors and situations faced by this diverse group of people. Removing the individual people from discussions of refugee rights and resettlement is the easiest way to create policies that ignore the individual needs of refugees for the convenience of the nation-state.

However, the imagery used to showcase the struggles of many refugees searching for asylum can help reshape, individualize, and contextualize what it truly is like to be a refugee.

My first experience truly grasping and understanding the magnitude of displaced people and their struggles was with the photography of Sebastiao Salgado. In his series “Migrations,” he captures the daily lives of refugees from around the world (Brookman, 2016). 

Region of Chimborazo © Sebastião Salgado / Amazonas images. Ecuador. 1998. 

Refugee from the Zepa enclave. Kladanj, central Bosnia. 1995 © Sebastião Salgado / Amazonas images

Rwandan refugee camp of Benako. Tanzania. 1994 © Sebastião Salgado / Amazonas images. All images © Sebastião Salgado, courtesy Taschen

His photography reshaped the issue for me. It was no longer an antiquated problem of distant people. It opened my eyes to the individuality of those fleeing their countries and the need to enact policies that ensure they can redefine their lives.  

“What I want is the world to remember the problems and the people I photograph. What I want is to create a discussion about what is happening around the world and to provoke some debate with these pictures. Nothing more than this" (Salgado, 2005).

Words and images are not arbitrary. They carry an immense power to shape how situations are viewed, felt, and politicized. There is an immense need to change the conversation about refugees to showcase their humanity, agency, and individuality.

References:

Amos, Deborah. 2018. The Year The U.S. Refugee Resettlement Program Unraveled. NPR.

Brookman, Jacob. 2016. Sebastião Salgado’s Eternal Images of Humanity on the Move. British Journal of Photography.

Salgado, Sebastião. 2005. The Photographer as an Activist Talk. University of California, Berkley. 

The Label Game

In today’s community, I feel that there is a massive misunderstanding when it comes to refugees and displaced people. There is too much unsettling tension when the word refugee is spoken. It does not help when there are certain members of Congress and world leaders who spread more xenophobic thoughts and misconceptions unto the masses. Furthermore, I feel that the human condition to compartmentalize everything into categories is the flaw that brings us down as a society. By labeling a group of people or an individual with a title, you dehumanize them. Using the terms of “refugee”, “displaced person”, “asylum seeker”, “illegal alien”, and “migrant” are the most common “legal” terms that are used to describe those who have fled or have been displaced from their home. I myself cannot imagine using any of the terms above to describe someone who is a victim in their own right. Have you ever noticed that when labels are thrown out there it just causes more confusion and misunderstanding? For instance, remember the years of grade school and middle school and the term “cooties”? When someone was associated with the label, everyone was compelled to ostracize that individual or group of people; making them feel like outsiders instead of a fellow student. Is this not the same thing that we do to those who are displaced or who are in need of aid? By labeling them as “refugee”, we have placed a target on their proverbial back. Signaling them out to be the scapegoat for the next economical or global crisis.  The video I have attached presents the Syrian refugees being placed on the Greek island of Kos, and the reaction that tourists had to their presence. The video shows the two sides that these victims are used as within society. They either were supportive of the survivors and wanted to help them through this traumatic time in their life or they saw them as “pests” that were ruining their holiday. The idea that someone can compare another human as inferior of living is astounding. It leaves me speechless every time I hear something like this come another human being’s mouth. It just shows how distanced some members of the community already are from the words of accusation and hate they spew.  In a parallel comparison, when I saw this video I started to think of the controversy of refugees and veterans in the United States. The common misconception that the United States government is spending or going to use the funds meant for veteran care to fund the resettlement of refugees into U.S. territory. The other video that I will have attached is a bit crude at some points, but shares a keen insight into the political agenda when it comes to veteran spending and refugee funds.

https://youtu.be/xQzyKYo7ggo

https://youtu.be/01ZCGoXm2NU

Citations

1.     AJ+. “Tourists on Greek Island Disgusted By Refugees.” YouTube, YouTube, 29 May 2015, www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQzyKYo7ggo&feature=youtu.be.

2.     Full Frontal with Samantha Bee. YouTube, TBS, 19 Dec. 2016, www.youtube.com/watch?v.

Mental Health in Child Refugees

For this blog I was trying to pick something that is not necessarily seen in the media. You hear about refugees “taking our jobs” or how we have lowered the budget because we need more money for OUR country’s problems. All of those issues are more talking about how refugees may affect us and how we as a population, who seems to lack a natural sense of caring for others, need to take care of ourselves. I was curious though and wanted to focus more on the refugees themselves as actual people and not some burden we have been stuck with. The topic I found the most interesting was mental health, specifically in children, that are raised or sometimes even born in refugee camps. Mental health may not be top of the list when speaking on the topic of refugees. I was curious as to how refugees or those seeking asylum may be affected in the process of becoming a refugee and being placed in a refugee camp. Finding articles for this topic was not difficult as there have actually been recent studies of mental health found in children and young adults in refugee camps.

First I just want to give you all a small look into just how many people can be affected with mental illnesses. For example in America, 1 out of every 5 people will be diagnosed with a mental illness. Of the 40 million people that are diagnosed with a mental illness, 8.2% of those are children. Compared to the U.S however, the average amount of children diagnosed with mental illness, such as PTSD and major depressive disorders, can be from 50% to 90% depending on the refugee camp location. This to me was alarming and just sad to learn. These children, most that had to flee their country at a young age, have only known the stressful life of living in a refugee camp. They as small kids, sometimes infants, were fighting for their lives even before most of them could read.

It has been found this alarming statistics stems from a few very important aspects that may go unnoticed. Children in refugee camps will likely give up their cultural norms, having to learn the language of the country they were placed in. Having to immediately give up everything you’ve ever known as normal can wreak serious havoc on a young and already confused child’s mind. Another major cause is most of these children may have experienced some traumatic event such as witnessing death/murder or seeing their country torn apart by war. Another issue is forced family separation. Children and adolescents are often separated from their families and at the mercy of others for care and protection. 

Although mental illness has been noticed as a problem in refugee camps the next issue is treatment. With a lack of money comes a whole other set of issues. Also things that don’t allow us to properly communicate, such as language or cultural barriers make it almost impossible to properly treat mental illness. Until we can create a better quality of life for those in refugee camps, I believe the mental health problems found in refugees will only make it harder on these people who already have it hard enough as it is.  

Birman et al. “Mental Health” RefugeeHealth, Technical Assistance Center, 2011 

Silove, Derrick, et al. “The contemporary refugee crisis: an overview of mental health challenges.” World Psychiatry, John Wiley and Sons Inc., June 2017.

Arabic Language Learning and the Discursive Impacts on Perception and Engagement in the Middle East

"War," "United Nations," "Death," "God rest their soul."

These were only a few of the words that comprised my first textbook for Arabic, Al-Kitaab. Where other language learners in French, German, and other non "critical languages" begin their first semesters in those courses building vocabularies of food, greetings, colors, and the like, our Arabic textbook--indeed, the general Arabic curriculum in the US--had other, far more nefarious pedagogies and ethics (Critical Language Scholarship). It would take me to the end of my second year in Arabic to learn more than eight colors and more foods than just chicken, bread, rice, and varied beverages. Now, this is not to say that we didn't learn useful and expressive things in the course like one would in a romance language, for instance, but the reality was that for all of the time reading and studying these words, it painted the Middle East as a region prone to violence, intervention, and displacement.

Before even beginning my first Arabic course during my Freshmen year of undergrad, my interest in working with forced migrant populations from the Middle East had been cemented. I had spent my middle and high school years working with Iraqi refugees in Knoxville; these experiences inspired my work and activism for forced migrants while allowing me an opportunity to commune and learn with/from people from the region. These continue to be some of my most fond memories; however, the disconnect between those past experiences and the vocabulary/interpretation I gleaned from the University of Tennessee and the general Arabic textbook of Al-Kitaab could not have been farther from reality.

Al-Kitaab, the standard Arabic instruction materials for English speakers in the US, was created by Georgetown University. It has been utilized as the primary textbook for the State Department's language instruction for officers, for study abroad programs like the Critical Language Scholarship and the School for International Training, and for classrooms at universities across the nation. Georgetown, a major academic/theoretical player in the world of foreign policy and international relations, has churned out thinkers and leaders of our nation including the likes of President Bill Clinton; however, given the interventionist policies and subjugation of the Middle East to US occupation and neocolonial endeavors in Iraq, Kuwait, and Syria, it is abundantly clear that the utilization of this textbook and its presentation is meant to create and instill ideas of brutality, danger, and fear in those US citizens seeking to learn Arabic. When one fears a community, the Other, it becomes easier to maim, torture, neglect, rape, and subjugate those same peoples. This has and is the work being done via Al-Kitaab and the systems that support it.

These moments of reflexivity continue to offer points of growth and reflection, though it does raise grave concerns with lived consequences for many peoples--indeed, racialized and marginalized peoples--around the globe. Are these the same materials that US State Department officials use to learn the language? How do these presentations of the language impact those same officers' views and choices in their official capacities? When academics pursue area studies and language studies explicitly supported by these kinds of texts, how does this change their ability to engage with and learn from populations that share that language? These questions, and a host of others, are but some of the primary questions one must reflexively dive into. Knowing that my education in Arabic was part of a greater system aiming to reproduce orientalist ideas of the Middle East, it is now my responsibility--and all those who come from the dominant group--to share the experiences, fieldwork, and stories that refute the brutal image painted by Al-Kitaab and the broader system of domination it represents. Where the vast majority of the US will never attempt to learn Arabic, it is the responsibility of the privileged few who study it academically to use their place in various communities (gender group, religious group, living community, etc.) to dispel these atrocious and unfounded perceptions. Where it is easy to consume another marginalized group's language, history, and culture from the dominant group, reciprocity must be the primary motivator for addressing injustices like these within the US.

Becoming A Refugee

“I am no longer in my house. I am not sitting in my kitchen with my family, waiting for my mother to prepare a nice meal. This is my new temporary life now (Jamous, 2016).” This is what Hassan Jamous says his first thoughts were after being smuggled into Germany. Hassan Jamous is a 24 year old Syrian refugee who left his home town of Damascus due to the fighting between the Syrian regime and the rebel forces. Jamous gives a first person inside account of what it was like for him to become a refugee. In his story he describes traveling to a refugee camp to receive help. When he arrived to the refugee camp he was transferred to another within just a few days. This was considered a normal practice. He then describes the new camp as being overcrowded. He also expressed concerns about not having anywhere to sleep and having to spend hours in line for basic needs like food and showers. He said he felt uncomfortable and would think things like “Is it really okay to be here?” He eventually got adjusted to the camp and figured out strategies to ensure he got his basic needs. In the end Jamous got transferred to a house and was given a three year visa to live and start a new life in Germany (Jamous, 2016). Jamous was transferred to a house very shortly after arriving in Germany but many other refugees often spend years in refugee camps. This is very unsettling and is something I would like to bring awareness toward. How would it feel to become a refugee and know most of the rest of your life was confined to a camp?

As I sit here and ponder on Jamous’s story I wonder what it would be like for myself to become a refugee. What does it feel like to give up everything and flee for safety? Where would I go? Who would accept me? How would I feel? These are the questions that run through my head. Tomorrow, if North Korea or some other world power was to wage war on United States soil I would hope the feeling of self-agency would kick in. My first response would be to save my own life. Mexico or Canada seems the most logical place to flee too, but would Mexico accept me after all my country has done to them recently? I understand where Jamous is coming from because I would also feel like I do not belong. I would feel anxious, scared, and an overall feeling of being alone. I risk my life being smuggled, but when I arrive does anyone actually really want to help me? Or am I just another number added to the problem? I no longer have friends or family it’s just myself. I am shoved in a camp where I wait hours on basic necessities. I would feel like the world was against me. I would want people to know I am a person too just like everyone else, as I am sure many other refugees feel. I have hopes, I have dreams, and I do not deserve to put my life on hold because most of the world sees me as an inconvenience. Like Jamous’s story I would hope to get a visa to restart my life, but almost little to no one is that lucky. Putting myself into those many unlucky peoples shoes I believe this is how I would feel, and I’m sure many others feel, as a refugee.This is my life now. 

For perspective I have attached a video of refugee’s phone while fleeing the country. Put yourself in their shoes. How would you feel?

Citations 

1.       Jamous, H. (2016) ARRIVAL: A NEW HOME. Retrieved from https://www.pri.org/stories/2016-05-31/becoming-refugee-essays-syrians-living-germany

Response: The President’s Remarks on African Countries and Haiti Amid Immigration Policy Discussion

On January 11, 2018, TIME gave a report stating that amid a bipartisan discussion on immigration policy and protections for children and young adults “illegally” in the United States aka. “Dreamers,” President Donald Trump questioned why there was immigration expansion for “s**thole countries” such as Haiti and African countries and that he would prefer immigrants from Norway or Asian countries that could more easily assimilate into American culture and benefit the economy (Beckwith). This also comes amid the President’s decision to remove DACA protections and the temporary protected status of El Salvadorians escaping violent conflict.

With the current situations within Africa, South America, and Haiti this type of thought towards those countries’ immigration to America is counterproductive to the world-wide refugee and asylum-seeker crisis. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) 2016 Global Report, 2016 marked a 16 year high in people of concern bringing the population to 67.7 million. Many of those people are located in the countries that the President mentioned. I am not going to say that this train of thought is unique to the President nor am I going to say that the thoughts were not held by previous Presidents or their cabinets. However, with the modern discussion on refugees and the best courses to manage the placement of these people, this type of thinking is counterproductive to the management of refugees.

As a global super-power and a nation that is a signatory on the 1967 Protocol enacted by the United Nations, we have a duty under national law to uphold refugee policy and promote their resettlement and integration here just as other, non-super-power countries, are already doing for the vast majority of refugees. It increasingly seems apparent that we as a country are beginning to see these people as a problem and not as a result of the real problems that they are escaping. Ultimately, much of the conflict that these people are escaping are the result of global super-power intervention in these countries. Due to this there is a moral obligation to help these people that is more than just international law and the Protocol. It is the right thing to do and in a time where the way of thinking is like the President’s, we retreat not just from international policy, but from our humanitarian obligation to provide for those seeking asylum or refuge.

Citations

Beckwith, Ryan. “Trump Called El Salvador, Haiti 'Shithole Countries': Report.” Time, Time,
          11 Jan. 2018, time.com/5100058/donald-trump-shithole-countries/.