Blog Post 1: What is a refugee?

I am extremely left-brained in most things that I do, so whenever I’m asked to define anything I always turn to the dictionary. Dictionary.com defines a refugee as “a person who flees for refuge or safety, especially to a foreign country, as in time of political upheaval, war, etc.” I would add to this and say that a refugee is someone who is within a state of crisis and does not have another option but to flee. Whenever I think of a refugee, I tend to think, “oh that’s like an being an immigrant.” However, I recognize that being a refugee goes much deeper than simply being an immigrant. A refugee leaves their country not because they want a new start or a better life; they leave because they literally have no other options. If a refugee were to stay in their home country, they would not survive. The decision to leave is one of life or death. Thinking of the bravery and strength accompanying these people is astounding, because when a refugee leaves their country they are choosing to get out of the chaos and danger and start afresh in an environment that displays hope. A refugee is someone who has chosen life.