Refugee Interview Essay

Refugee Interviews Human displacement can be found in any time period since human existence but the numbers have been drastically increasing in the past couple of years. In order to understand why people leave their countries it is important to understand the causes of human displacement. The reasons can differ by geographical area, country, faith, family and individual. “Globally, one in every 122 humans is now either a refugee, internally displaced person (IDP), or asylum seeker.” (UNHCR). This shockingly high number is a result of conflict including political, ethnic, and religious tensions, exploitation of economic resources, and organized crime. Women and girls are at greater risk because many authorities in instable countries tend

The church is very powerful in that country, even more poewerful than the goverment. Therefor, Mr. Mongongo had a very important position and as the protests and rebellions against the leaders arose, he became a huge target. He had to leave all of his loved ones as well in order to protect himself but also his family. His son had been picked up by rebels after school. They drove all the way across town with him and dropped him off at a dirt road. He carries a scar on his forehead to this day, where he had been hit with a gun by one of the rebels. Fleeing his country was not theonly challenge he would face because upon his arrival he was confronted with many different struggles. He barely knew the English language and all of his money had been taken from him by the airport officials. So, with just $15 that a kind stranger had given to him, he made his way to his friends house in L.A. Now Bertin Mongongo is a successful business man and his wife and four kids live in Charlotte with

Mongongos’ story. We learned about a refugees work ethic, their curiosity, their willingness to make a better life for themselves and their families. Many refugees arrive with almost nothing in the United States and they work their way up. They come closest to what we call the American dream because they are willing to work for it. Another challenge many refugees face is community, being accepted, fitting in. Mrs. Minela Terzic from Bosnia-Herzgevina found it particularly difficult because she was not able to communicate with her fellow high school students. Minela could not speak any English and she would often get frustrated because she could not talk to anybody about her feelings and problems. She found friends in her ESL classes, where it did not matter whether you could speak good English or not because they were all able to relate to each others situation. Later, when she moved to Charlotte, where a bigger Bosnia community was located, she finally felt like she has found a second home. Once she settled down in Charlotte and she actually had somebody to talk to she was much happier and the transition became a lot easier for