The United Nations reports that approximately 26 million individuals globally are refugees, a number three times the population of New York City. These refugees are denied fundamental human rights, such as the right to exist in a place without fear of eviction. While this statistic is a global disgrace, it often remains in the shadows of mainstream news and is overshadowed by more prominent topics like domestic politics or financial markets. Although refugees occasionally surface in headlines, their stories typically do not receive the attention they deserve, and their voices are often unheard.
In her book Somewhere in the Unknown World: A Collective Refugee Memoir, Kao Kalia Yang, a Minnesota writer and advocate born to refugees, amplifies the voices of these often overlooked individuals. The book shares stories of immense resilience and unwavering hope or endurance of these refugees.
The individuals in this collection, all residing in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota, come from various countries and backgrounds but share a common narrative of heartbreak – being unwelcome in their homeland and unsafe in the place they once called home. Through Yang’s poignant storytelling, she vividly portrays the challenges they faced in escaping to the US and the poignant moments of the lives they had to leave behind.
These refugees, once in the US, encounter a different set of hardships despite being physically safe. From struggling with menial jobs to grappling with past traumas, their experiences shed light on the complexities of resettlement. The book encapsulates stories like that of Hawra Alnabi, an Iraqi woman, reminiscing about sharing food rations with her starving family in Iraq while living in a Sudanese refugee camp.
One of the most powerful and poignant stories in the collection is “Certificate of Humanity” by Afghanzada Achekzai, highlighting the dehumanizing refugee processing systems. His journey from Kandahar to eventual sanctuary in the US underscores the harsh realities refugees face in their quest for safety and stability.
The book concludes with an overview of the refugee resettlement process in the US and the challenges refugees encounter post-resettlement. Despite the grim realities, Somewhere in the Unknown World serves as a beacon of awareness, allowing readers to understand and empathize with the refugee experience in a new land.
