Smitha Agy's Reviews > American Refuge: True Stories of the Refugee Experience

I found this book very interesting as the author has brought into light true stories of refugee experiences by interviewing them at American Guilford College who are volunteers and students hosting their stories of displacement, of waiting in limbo, of resettlement, and the author Diya's own refugee story. As an adult immigrant to the US and a child of Palestinian refugees who was born and raised in Jordan ("the alternate homeland"), the author highlights some of the challenges that are unusual the refugees faced: affording safe housing, accessing appropriate health care, and finding fulfilling and well-paying work. Barrier of language is another trauma they carry.

Refugees have so little times to settle in and find themselves in immediate poverty and debt - including the the airfare that needs to be paid back. To secure employment is the first and foremost necessity for refugees. Their first job would be non-commensurate with their skills, certifications, degrees, or interests, an added obstacle as many credentials and degrees from their home countries are not recognized in the US. To find employment and successfully integrate learning English and taking time to adjust emotionally, mentally, and culturally overtakes their needs. sometimes the payments could be too low even to afford rent, not even minimum wage either. The commute could be long and the work exhausting and painful.

The author of this book gives impressive and brilliant definitions and latest statistics of refugees in the world today in a detailed manner. Everybody wants to be US, with US, in US. Everything else is worse - a Eurocentric/Americentric ideology - a harmful belief. I would rate this book 4 star!

I just reviewed the book, American Refuge: True Stories of the Refugee Experience by Diya Abdo. Thanks to the author Diya Abdo and Publisher Steerforth Press, and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book for my honest review.