Topic > Representation of refugee struggles in Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai

The universal refugee experience of fleeing and finding home has been very difficult for refugees. A refugee can be anyone forced to flee their home due to conflict, war, and more. In the novel “Inside Out and Back Again” by Thanhha Lai tells readers how refugees struggle during their daily lives. The protagonist of the story is a 10-year-old girl named Ha. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Ha and his family lived during the time of the Vietnam War. Ha is rebellious and pushes boundaries, but she always has family on her side. Ha is very optimistic hoping that the war will end or that he will move away from danger. When things get out of hand, Ha's mother decides that their family must flee to America and find freedom. Ha and her family had to deal with the sadness and loss of other refugee families. He also faced the change in his lifestyle that was upended when he left Saigon, then turned back when he found a new home in Alabama, but will never be the same as his old home again. Refugees' lives turn upside down as they lose their home or family members and try to adapt to their new environment. The refugees come from a country at war, which means many families have had to deal with the loss of a family member. In the article “Canada's Refugee Children” it says that “some have lost so many family members and many have lost everything that was familiar to them.” Losing loved ones and having things taken away from you could really turn your life upside down, especially if you have no one to lean on. When refugees start losing family members, they start to feel like there is no meaning in life. In the lyrics “Children Of War” Amelia says “Before the war I really liked life. But after hearing about my father's death, everything seems so pointless that I can't see any for my future." Knowing that you lost a loved one at the wrong time could really change your mood and your perspective. In the book “Inside Out and Back Again” Ha lived without his father for 10 years, but that changed when he found out his father was dead ". This changed her life before she could even meet him. She had to adjust to the news, meanwhile, she felt like her life had been turned upside down. There are many ways refugees' lives could be turned upside down. Refugees are used to living in places where everyone's culture is pretty much the same. As refugees began to reset their lifestyle, their surroundings and other things had a heartbreaking impact on their lives a new environment with more than one culture and actually none of your own. In the text “Refugee Children In Canada” we read “perhaps the greatest threat to children is not the stress of belonging to two cultures but the fact of belonging to none”. Once refugees find themselves in a different environment, they must adapt to it. It may be very difficult for some people during this event. In the novel, Ha thought, "No one would believe me. Sometimes I would choose wartime in Saigon over peacetime in Alabama." Ha feels like he doesn't belong in America because he knows nothing about America and doesn't fit in. Page 142 says "I'm the only one with straight black hair and olive skin." He doesn't know where he fits in at his school. Page 143 Ha says “On one side of the bright, noisy room, pale skin..