The Happiest Refugee Belonging Analysis

The development of acceptance is a process laid upon several significant factors and by belonging, one may gain confidence and feel tolerated. Likewise, being alienated and ostracised can have a negative influence on how one may act, and thus social outcasts are made to feel inferior because of the harmful manner in which they are treated. These concepts of inclusion and discrimination are explored through the contemporary memoir of Anh Do, which focuses on a refugee’s journey from Vietnam to Australia. The Happiest Refugee methodically displays an array of perspectives surrounding belonging, and presents factors of both family and community allegiance.

Belonging is defined as the feeling of security and support when there is a sense of understanding, inclusion and identity to a member trying to fit into a certain group and place. It is a perception of acceptance.

Anh Do perpetuates that he and his family had a prosperous future in their journey to Australia, between the life lessons Anh learns. During his childhood and early years as a student Anh learns valuable lessons from his family although his dad is away for most of his childhood years. As shown through family relationships Anh has a sense of stand up for all his family’s positive values that he eventually assimilates from when he migrates to Australia. When Anh and his family could not afford the farm for their breeding ducks, Anh’s father was not the one who they could stop. His famous Vietnamese line, “There's only two times in life, there now and there too late,” symbolises that Anh’s father has a very built of nature

The Happiest Refugee is a novel that effectively portrays the importance of family relationships, emphasising the power of strong family ties. A family relationship, is a bond of love and care that is shared between almost all human civilisation. This connection acts as a pillar of strength throughout tough times, as exemplified through Anh and his family’s journey to Australia. The incorporation of anecdotes throughout the novel allowed Anh to pin point specific events in his life and discuss it in a short amusing story. He was able to use this technique to further value the importance of family relationship. This is reflected from the following example; at the age of thirteen, Anh’s father left him and his family due to his alcoholic problems, however a few years later the drunken father walked into the house asking where Anh’s mother was. However Anh stated “You stupid fool. You no longer have the right to order

Our cohort is nearing the end of its secondary education and therefore it is important that we reflect on the ways in which it has shaped our attitudes, values and beliefs. For example, over the past five years, we have read, analysed and evaluated various literary works such as novels, plays, poems and films in our English studies. These texts have expressed various ideologies, explored interesting themes and introduced us to fascinating characters. These elements have left a lasting impression on our attitudes, values and beliefs. In addition to this, English literary texts have provided us with historical knowledge as well as a thorough understanding of the role that aesthetic devices

Anh Do’s story is a timely reminder of the plight of refugee in our country. Discuss the Happiest Refugee in the light of Do’s universal message about the suffering of human beings during times of war and the struggle to make a better life in a foreign country.

His mother sacrificed a lot so Anh could pursue his dreams and passions. His mother Hein is extremely hard working. When she left her home country in Vietnam and arrived in Australia she immediately began working in her own business. The transition from country to country was very difficult for the Do family. They had language and cultural barriers to overcome. Hein owned a sewing business and worked tirelessly. It was critical for Hein to work long hours to provide Anh with the best education and opportunities. After Anh's father left, Hein was left to support three children on her own, as a single parent. Anh’s parents sent him to a fancy private school that cost a lot. Anh describes his mother as “beautiful, unselfish, loving and willing to sacrifice anything” to assist Anh with achieving his goals. His mother's sacrifice was an inspiration to Anh. Hein worked hard during the

The laws that they lived by were unfair and they lived a unhappy life, until his father and uncle’s planned a dangerous trip which if successful would lead them to Malaysia where they would be safe and give the children including Anh Do himself a happier life. “My dad and uncles huddled together at night planning the escape. The goal was to reach Malaysia and the journey was going to be complicated and potentially life threatening.” (Page 10) Indeed the trip was harsh, as they faced pirates, lack of water, food and the hygiene in the small boat they had was lacking which is something no person should go through no matter where they come from or who they

Yes, It IS an essential human need, but…. then…. What happens when an individual doesn’t feel like they belong. What if… this same “essential” sense of belonging, the same “need” to belong, is what barricades and imprisons us? What effects can not belong have on individuals?

People’s perceptions of belonging can change over time, but this isn’t the case for all. When people experience moments of crisis in their lives they sometimes force a change within themselves and that is what helps them find an individual sense of belonging. This is highlighted in many texts and even composers life works. Texts that support this statement include Peter Skrzynecki’s Immigrant Chronicle poems, of which I have chosen St Patricks College and Feliks Skrzynecki. Skrzynecki’s poetry expresses the difficulties he faces when change doesn’t occur throughout time, as time alone isn’t a factor and that your sense of belonging is something that comes from within, with or without anyone.

Belonging to a person or group of people is the fundamental basis for happiness in life, bringing a sense of similitude, comfort, and safety, impacting on the choices you make and your life’s course. Two things that greatly influence an individual’s perspective of belonging are your family, and social status, as they can shape how a person perceives themselves, and ultimately how they perceive belonging. The heart-warming story of a Vietnamese refugee portrayed in the memoir “The Happiest Refugee” (2010) by Australian author and comedian Anh Do reveals how important an individual’s sense of belonging is, as it influences who you are, and what you will become.

Belonging to place/culture is a major concept in ‘Migrant Hostel’ to show how the migrants use their background as a sense of affiliation and belonging. This can be seen through the use of a in “Nationalities sought each other out instinctively like a homing pigeon circling to get its bearings” This example shows how the migrants felt isolated and alone when they first arrived at the migrant hostel. As they came together the “sought each other out” through the use of nationally and culture which made them fit in and feel excepted into the place.

An individual’s sense of belonging is determined not only by their own choices but also by the attitudes of others.

This essay is about the universal refugee experience and the hardships that they have to go through on their journey. Ha from Inside Out and Back Again and other refugees from the article “Children of War” all struggle with the unsettling feeling of being inside out because they no longer own the things that mean the most to them. Ha and the other refugees all encounter similar curiosities of overcoming the finding of that back again peaceful consciousness in the “new world” that they are living in .

For the podcast, I interviewed Lina Abdulnoor, with the intention of exploring the intricacies of refugeehood by analyzing Lina’s refugee experience. Lina lived in Iraq with her family until they began receiving death threats due to their religious beliefs. Convinced that they needed to flee the country to survive, they left Iraq as refugees. After leaving Iraq, they settled in Jordan, where they waited two years until the U.N. to approve their request to move to the U.S. in 2012. Lina and her family initially settled in Virginia, where she experienced culture shock as she adapted to American culture and the English language. However, Lina did not feel accepted in Virginia; her experiences in the state led her to think that Americans treated her according to negative stereotypes of Iraqis. After living in Virginia for several months, Lina and her family chose to resettle in San Diego, California, which harbored a larger Iraqi population than Virginia did. Supported by San Diego’s Iraqi community and various refugee organizations, Lina flourished, and she currently studies at UCSD while holding a stable job.