“Many stories matter. Stories have been used to dispossess and to malign. But stories can also be used to empower, and to humanize. Stories can break the dignity of a people. But stories can also repair that broken dignity.”

― Chimamanda Adichie

As an avid reader, I thought I would touch on the literature we read throughout the semester, as they undoubtedly increased my knowledge on the global refugee crisis and fueled my participation in this exhibit. We began with a fictitious novel entitled Sea Prayer by Khaled Hosseini filled with illustrations inspired by the photo of Alan Kurdi, the three-year-old Syrian boy whose body washed up on the beach in Turkey in September 2015. As we unpacked this piece, we eased our way into this emotional letter from father to son, human to human. We began to see the interaction between literature, words, and the human experience. Following this, we delved into another novel that seeks to connect with a wider audience through the interplay between words and image. Cartoonist Thi Bui shows us the pain and healing that can result from self-examination and a consideration of the different generational perspectives inherent in the refugee experience throughout  her graphic novel, The Best We Could Do. Through this work, we learned that our perspective is not the entire truth, but an important stepping stone to get there. 

Next, we examined the juxtaposition of politics and the refugee experience. A compilation of stories of refugee writers from around the world, The Displaced: Refugee Writers on Refugee Lives exposes the bitter realities lingering behind current headlines. As we discussed each individual narrative, we noted the commonality amongst them and their resilience in the face of unthinkable trauma. We also experienced the power of individual testimony and its place in constructing an identity while reading Refugee Tales, edited by David Herd and Anna Pincus.  The creative retellings of true refugee narratives included in this volume offered us multiple ‘outsider’ perspectives that challenged our role as intermediaries throughout this journey. 

Finally, we ended with two distinct narratives that bring our journey full circle. First, Loung Ung’s autobiographical memoir allows us to experience life under the Khmer Regime through the eyes of a child. Perhaps the most powerful testimony yet, we truly began to comprehend our powerful role in this project. Lastly, in his novel Exit West, Mohsin Hamid frames a painful issue within the picture of a young couple falling in and out of love. As they move from country to country, place to place, their love evolves and changes. Although humans are capable of destruction on a massive scale, Hamid demonstrates that altruism can come out of the most difficult situations. By not shying away from the gruesome and defeatist moments of life, he creates a realistic and raw narrative where human connection and love prevail over everything. 

Despite the overwhelming amount of information, emotions, and time put into this project, the takeaway is quite simple: knowledge is power. I have learned that we hold a substantial amount of power as seekers of knowledge and compilers of information. Refugees and their allies act as catalysts that inspire progress when they use their experiences and passions to advocate for a more compassionate and just world. In the future, I hope to become a high school social studies teacher with a particular focus on ESL populations. After this project, I am extremely anticipative of my future profession. I hope I can foster a sense of empathy and acceptance amongst my students. With this in mind, I hope that after viewing this exhibit, you feel the same sense of hope and optimism for the future, as it is all in our hands. 

Monica Theresa Rzepka
Class of 2021
Global Studies & Spanish Majors, ESL Minor