Refugee

Use these links to supplement and complement students’ reading of the work and to increase their overall enjoyment of literature. Challenge them to discern parallel themes, engage through visual and aural stimuli, and delve deeper into the thematic possibilities presented by the title.

Recommended Texts for Pairing

St. Louis Blues Opera

• An opera in Dutch based on the events of the St. Louis ship in 1939
• A musical representation of Josef’s boat/sea journey

The Kite Runner Novel

• A novel about a boy and his best friend growing up in Afghanistan in the midst of political instability
• Relates to the themes of becoming an adult, home and loss of familial relations

Fiddler on the Roof Movie (1971)

• A Jewish community is forced to leave their village by Russian soldiers in the late 19th century
• Relates to the themes of home, loss of familial relations, becoming an adult and the promise of "tomorrow"  

Other Student Resources

Kristallnacht

• Article from Britannica that gives more information about “The Night of Broken Glass”
• Relates to Josef’s story, particularly on the theme of home

Guantanamo Bay

• Article from Britannica that gives more information about U.S.-operated detention camp
• Relates to Isabel’s story, particularly on the theme of loss of familial relations and invisibility

Arab Spring

• Article from Britannica that provides detailed information on the numerous uprisings in the Middle East during 2011
• Relates to Mahmoud’s story

Inside a Refugee Camp in Turkey Video

• A UNHCR video from 2012 inside a refugee camp in Turkey
• Relates to Mahmoud’s story

Teacher Resources

The Alan Kurdi Photo (WARNING: Sensitive Material)

• A link to the original photo as well as an article about the small boy whose body washed ashore after his family's boat capsized on the way from Turkey to Greece; viewed as a pivotal turning point in the how the international community viewed the influx of refugees in 2015 (i.e., countries became more empathetic, humanitarian aid and donations increased, etc.)
• Relates to loss of familial relations and boat/sea journeys