'The Happiest Refugee' By Anh Do

Displaced people are people who are forced to leave their home, often due to war, persecution, neglect or abuse. To be displaced is to be separated from a physical place of belonging, one's self, one's friends and family, one's belongings or to be divided from other aspects of their life. Anh Do's memoir ' The Happiest Refugee' and Missy Higgins' song 'Oh Canada', along with the video clip express ideas and experiences of displaced persons.

***

Displacement often leads to experiences of dehumanisation, racism, fear, loss of family and friends, alienation, physical harm and, in severe circumstances, death. Despite these negative experiences, positive aspects also exist, such as escaping danger, finding safety and living a better life.

***

Anh Do’s memoir, ‘The Happiest Refugee’, explores ideas of displacement by retelling his

experiences as a refugee from Vietnam, coming to Australia. The memoir includes literary techniques such as first person perspective, direct speech, humour, clichés, metaphors, juxtaposition, similes, sensory imagery and flashbacks to demonstrate his feelings in these circumstances, provide authenticity and immerse the reader in the situations experienced by Anh.
***
'He held out his right middle and index fingers in the shape of a gun, and he shot imaginary bullets at me' is visual imagery that highlights the feelings of discomfort Anh experienced while in front of an audience of Vietnam veterans. The old man holding his hand out in the shape of a gun creates a sense of alienation and disconnection between Anh and his audience due to his ethnic differences. Tension and suspense are heightened through truncations in 'Everyone looked on, waiting for his response. It was one word. "Fourteen." He'd killed fourteen Vietnamese in the war.' to mimic the atmosphere and express feelings of displacement.
***
In the last paragraph on page 181, shown here, the word 'silence' is repeated to emphasise the absence of sound and the lack of response from the audience due to the uncomfortable circumstances, displaying the disconnection between the audience and Anh, due to his ethnicity and their status as Vietnam veterans. The cliché and metaphor are used to create a tense atmosphere, expressing Anh's displacement because of the alienation from the audience. The oxymoron is used to represent the lack of response and feelings of disapproval and displacement he experienced due to his cultural background.
***
The Missy Higgins song and accompanying film clip, ‘Oh Canada’, describes the experiences of Alan Kurdi, primarily from his father's perspective.

Three-year-old Syrian boy, Alan Kurdi was found on a beach in Turkey, face-down in the sand. Alan and his family were fleeing Syria to escape the war and the occupation of Syria by the Islamic State, in hopes of reaching Canada. Impacts of this displacement include dispossession, fear, dehumanisation, despair, loss of identity and the tragic death of Alan, his brother and his mother.

***

The lyrics make symbolic references to arms and include rhetorical questions along with metaphoric representations and personifications of Canada. “Won’t you open up your arms towards the sea?” is a metaphor which refers to Canada and other developed countries embracing and accepting refugees to prevent tragedies like Alan Kurdi’s case from reoccurring. In the film clip, this is symbolised as literal hands rising from the ocean, supporting the refugees and carrying the boat towards the moon, a representation of hope and the future, and as an angelic being, made from the sun, physically embracing the boat.

***
The darker tones, such as blues and blacks, throughout the film clip are used as colour symbolism to show the dangers and threats refugees face on their journeys to seek asylum. This is juxtaposed with the white colour of the boat and sail, symbolising Alan's innocence and the lives of innocent people lost in conflicts and those lost while refugees attempt to flee their homes. The light colours of the boat seems out of place in the blackness of the ocean, displaying the displacement of Alan. The boat in the middle of the ocean also shows their physical displacement from Syria.
***
The symbolism of the black bird demonstrates fear, danger and death, reincarnating into different ominous forms throughout the video clip. The bird follows the family while they are trying to escape from the conflict, demonstrating the danger that followed them, even once they had escaped Syria. The black bird forms the boat, foreshadowing the future tragedy, as the boat does not carry them to Canada as they had wished, instead the boat capsizes, leading to Alan's death.
***
Overall, 'The Happiest Refugee' by Anh Do and 'Oh Canada' by Missy Higgins both effectively express ideas of displacement through both literary and film techniques.