A Refugee's Story

One important aspect about a refugee’s story is that it is entirely unique and entirely his or her own. As Fadlallel said in his discussion of refugees, “the life histories of these Lost Boys of Sudan were reduced to a narrative.” This is often the case when sharing refugee stories. These stories are powerful, and it is most unfortunate when entire groups of refugees have their stories clumped together to make a selling point. After having gone through more pain and hardship within a few months than most experience in a lifetime, the least we can do for refugees is to be available to listen to them share their stories. There honestly is something healing about being able to openly share what one has gone through, and knowing one will be accepted no matter what is presented. A problematic feature of most refugees’ stories is that, due to the trauma experienced during their time of flight, refugees often cannot recall details from their exodus. As Mawi explained in Of Beetles and Angels, in order to learn what happened to him and his family when they fled Ethiopia, him and his siblings would often eavesdrop on the adults sharing their stories from that time over coffee. Imagine not being able to even remember the most defining and traumatic event in your life. By listening to the stories of other refugees, these individuals may begin to reshape their own story as events begin to come back to them. An additional value to a refugee’s story is that it can change us, as the listeners. Hearing what a refugee has been through and then seeing their manifesting spirits of unbroken hope and joy, as so clearly displayed within the Lost Boys in God Grew Tired of Us. Refugees can alter our perspectives and shape our viewpoint from our “American bubble” to a compassionate and accepting global viewpoint—the simple telling of their stories has as much to offer us as we could ever offer them through our service.