The Face of a Refugee

Before taking a class that informed me of the actual definition of a refugee, displaced person, or asylum seeker, I often found myself thinking of a refugee as someone, or something, that they are not.  Growing up in a small town limits your views of the world, because all of the views are influenced by what your parents think and what your friends think.  So, as you can imagine, my view on the term “refugee” was very stereotypical.  I had always thought that they were coming to the United States to do harm.  I always heard, “Those ‘foreigners’ are taking all of our jobs,” but that is not the case either.  I am slowly but surely understanding what the face of a refugee actually and truthfully stands for.

The face of a refugee shows fear.  The face of a refugee shows sadness.  The face of a refugee shows a history of wrong doings that the world will never get to repay.  The face of a refugee exemplifies hope.  How hope can make people do miraculous things, such as seeking refuge in another area, state, or country.  A refugee, displaced person, or asylum seeker is just another normal person trying to live a normal life while they are awaiting the day to be repatriated to their homeland.  Imagine going through the pain of having to leave your native land due to conflict or other reasons, then seeking protection in a camp, like the ones sanctioned by UNHCR.  Imagine having to live every day with a hope of going back “home” slowly slipping out of view, or even worse, having to lose hope of being resettled into another country because the chances are so low.  These are the common realities of those seeking temporary refuge from their homelands.  They are likely never going to get back to their “reality” during their lifetime.  Put yourself in their shoes and it will open your mind up, just like it did mine.

References:

Prickett, Ivor. 2014. Syrian Kurdish refugees cross into Turkey near the town of Kobani, Syria.

UNHCR Website. http://www.unhcr.org/news/latest/2016/12/584036047/qa-1951-refugee-convention-relevant-today-time.html