Announcement
Hind Osman, refugee youth in San Diego
At this year’s International Documentary Film Series, we were joined by two special guest speakers from the IRC in San Diego’s Peacemakers program who shared their thoughts and reactions to the film “This is Exile: Diaries of Child Refugees” which focused on Syrian refugee children.
One of our speakers, Hind Osman, shared her story of coming to the U.S. as a refugee when she was a child, including the challenges she faced and insights she gained through her experience:
My name is Hind Osman and I am currently a junior in high school. I came to this country with my parents nearly eleven years ago as a refugee from Cairo, Egypt. I was born and brought up in Egypt but I am Sudanese. I did not have the chance to visit my country of origin until recently in the Summer of 2013. As a refugee, I have learned more about my identity and that others share similar stories to me. I hope to share my voice in order to raise awareness to the public about refugee issues as well as to encourage community, acceptance, and awareness.
“The only family members I had the chance to meet were my maternal grandparents”
The most unforgettable day of my life was the day I stepped outside of the airplane and into the native country of my parents and ancestors. I was born in Egypt so I didn’t have the opportunity to visit the country that made them, the country they always reminisced about. Before my visit to Sudan, the only family members I had the chance to meet were my maternal grandparents in Egypt. It was an intense experience for me because I finally got to see their faces and build deeper connections. I did not have any expectations when we first bought the tickets, it was just “oh I’m going to AFRICA.” The only thing that I was certain of was that the people were going to be extremely welcoming and kind.
I saw dirt, no concrete floors, no streetlights, no street signs. The weather was humid. I was nervous; I had never met my family before. My Arabic was poor; I feared not being able to communicate with them. I had forgotten most of the Arabic I had known in an attempt to fit in during elementary school, where I struggled to make friends. As I walked into my aunt’s house, I was greeted with hugs, kisses and tears of joy. The only words that my tongue allowed me to pronounce were “hi” and “thank you.” I observed the confusion and disappointment on each one of their faces. At that very moment, I realized that I was the embodiment of the stereotype they all held of Sudanese Americans. I was thought to be a teenager who was so ashamed of her language and culture that she abandoned it to become something or someone she was not.
“I quickly learned that a person’s first instinct isn’t to give you the benefit of the doubt”
If only they were there to witness how an important part of my childhood was affected as a result of being introduced to a completely different environment. If only they understood why I was forced to make the (unconscious) sacrifice of leaving a part of myself behind in order to adapt. I vividly recall being singled out in school for the majority of the first five years when I came here, whether it be in classroom activities that involved finding a partner, sitting on a bench alone during recess, or being selected last for a team during P.E. Making friends became my top priority, so much so that I completely stopped speaking my native language in my own home. I quickly learned that a person’s first instinct isn’t to give you the benefit of the doubt. Having gone through this, I have become more empathetic and learned that there is a story behind everyone. I am currently relearning Arabic so that I can develop a deeper connection with my family.
When I first watched this film, a part that really stood out to me was the young boy who was forced to start working in construction in order to help support his family. He was in the middle of a WAR, yet he was thinking about attending SCHOOL. This part hit me hard because I so often forget about all of the things that I have been blessed with. I remember the education system in Egypt was very poor. In private school, the discipline was very rough, teachers abused their authority often, and bullying was a norm that was never addressed. I can only imagine how much worse public school would have been. It was a chaotic experience for me as a five year old.
“Sometimes we have to really remind ourselves to count our blessings instead of all of our problems”
Many families could not even afford to send their kids to private schools. Textbooks and tuition had to be paid by the parents, no matter the grade level. One of the girls talked about the landlord demanding overdue rent money which her family did not possess, so they were left with no choice but to leave. I strongly relate to this because it happened to my family too, twice. Many students were forced to drop out mainly due to poverty and sought work to assist their families financially. I personally have a few cousins that have had to do this not too long ago. I have food, shelter and free quality education. Education is a luxury and a privilege that many often take for granted, including myself. I sometimes forget the significance of quality education, complaining about waking up too early and excessive involvement in extracurricular activities. If you were to ask any of my friends, they’d tell you that I do this sort of whining no less than 15-20 times per day. Fortunately, I never had to face many of the difficulties that some the refugees did in this video. Sometimes we have to really remind ourselves to count our blessings instead of all of our problems and to also humble ourselves. I am currently working hard to take advantage of my education by graduating high school, then going on to college at UCLA or UCB in chemical engineering or pharmacy.
“The biggest reason to be aware of refugee issues is simply humanity"
In 2014, I asked myself: “Why should I bother about global issues?" I noticed that someone could exert energy to drive an extra hour to eat at their favorite restaurant but not spend that same amount of time reading and watching credible news sources. I began to realize that if everyone shared this self-serving mindset then we would live in a compassionless world, but if each person starts to care and express altruism then issues like disease, famine and warfare would cease to exist. Fortunately, one of the unique characteristics that many of the people in this room us do share is the ability to assist one another. The biggest reason to be aware of refugee issues is simply humanity. Acknowledging a problem may not be enough, but it is the first step. You can take action by contributing in any way you can, small or large, and through supporting organizations such as the IRC. Refugees are just like you, they want to lead a normal life.