Short Essay 1

Moulid Hujale has lived in a refugee camp in northeastern Kenya since he was 10 years old, when him and his family were forced to flee their native Somalia. It embarrasses him when he introduces himself as “a Somali refugee living in Kenya.” (Hujale. 2011), but he believes in who he is. Although all of this information is entirely true, ultimately I cannot share who Moulid Hujale is, and I especially cannot say where he is going. That is a gift left to Hujale alone to give, and that is exactly what he does in his article “KENYA-SOMALIA: A refugee’s story.” Similar to Asgedom, in his book Of Beetles and Angels, and many of the Lost Boys of Sudan, in God Grew Tired of Us, the protagonist is left to lead the audience through a story all their own, on their own, and this is precisely what makes these stories so powerful. No third party can share what refugees have gone through: how their identities have been affected, how hard they have had to work, or how they have kept their spirits alive through it all, quite like they themselves can.

In Hujale’s article, he portrays the Kenyan government as doing the bare minimum to keep him and his people alive. It’s an interesting situation, as 24 year-old Hujale has spent the majority of his life stuck in a limbo identity. “I am no longer in Somalia and yet I am not a Kenyan citizen; so where do I belong?” (Hujale. 2011). The Kenyan government was willing to take these refugees in, but they are not even given the right to attend the University to obtain a vital education. “I wonder what makes us so different. Are we not human beings like them?” (Hujale, 2011). This sense of isolation and identity crisis is common among refugees. In God Grew Tired of Us, the audience watches as the Lost Boys attempt to acclimate to this strange new culture through entering the workforce, attending school, or advocating for their people still in Sudan. In Of Beetles and Angels, readers waited as Asgedom struggled to find his place within American culture and American peers. He fought persistently through persecution at school, in sports, and even at Harvard University in order to eventually find peace in where he is and what he is doing. He eventually makes the conclusion, “I have found greater value in other dreams.” (Asgedom. 2001.pg 134.). Refugees are always forced to develop a new identity, or adapt to being torn between what has been left behind and what lies before.

Refugees hold an unbelievable amount of strength and determination. This is personified brilliantly in Asgedom. The manner he describes waking up early to train for track, or how he put every ounce of strength he had toward gaining outstanding grades and ultimately a full ride scholarship to Harvard University—if only everyone had that amount of motivation. Refugees have gone through so much, and their stories are what give them their unceasing drive. Their stories also provide them with a sense of incessant compassion towards others dealing with pain caused by suffering. As Asgedom described the story of his brother, Tewolde, and how he would continually give to others, even when he had no resources, he always had something to offer a fellow sufferer. As soon as Hujale learned that education was his gateway to a better life, he gave academics absolutely everything he had. “At the end of my final days in high school, my enthusiasm to keep learning was almost palpable.” (Hujale. 2011.) This is a sharp contrast to the typical “senioritis” experienced by American high school graduate hopefuls. Refugees have a sense for knowing what it is going to take to make their life better, and they display the willingness and dedication to do everything it will take, no matter what the price is. This makes sense, because when one has lost everything, one has nothing left to lose, and this results in an incredible drive and fortitude.

The most impactful part of a refugee’s story is looking at their spirits, which continuously shine through, despite everything they have been through. Refugees continue to dream.

My ambition is to be a professional journalist and report on humanitarian news. I would like to change the world through writing and document refugee crises or stories that are not heard and extract them for the world to see, and act…my spirit is so alive, and I have a feeling that one day I will see the reality of my dreams. (Hujale. 2011.)

Hujale describes his home for nearly two decades as desolate, hopeless, and unjust. How, then, is he able to see past this into the light that his future beholds? How are the Lost Boys able to never lose faith that their families remain alive, and never stop looking for them? How is Asgedom able wish his audience to “remember this story about an immigrant’s dream, because as long as you remember, you’ll share the spirit of the two who dreamed it.” (Asgedom. 2001. pg. 134) There is something about the undying light within a refugee’s spirit, and this light is amplified exponentially when one experiences it through the refugee firsthand. Refugee’s have gone through much, they have learned much, and they have much to share.