Hello!

Have you ever experienced one of those moments when you are intently reading but your view is suddenly obstructed by an annoying tear, you realize that a book has truly taken you in and transported you into the life of the characters. Today, I finished reading the first part of Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis an autobiographical graphic narrative about a little girl and her experiences as her nation plunges into wars and the Islamic Revolution, and that is exactly what happened to me as I read the last pages. As Marji turned around in the airport to give a last glance towards her parents, and then regretted it, I was reminded of two very different recent events, first came the idea that this was similar to what I had experienced as I said goodbye to my beloved country little over a month ago, but more importantly, it also brought to mind the children and families that are currently suffering due to the Syrian refuge crisis. Millions of Syrians have had to leave their homes and previous lives behind in a nation that has been under a civil war since 2011. Often we hear people say that they are leaving everything behind “in search of better opportunities” but this politically correct terminology fails to grasp the dangerous and cruel reality behind their journey in search of something even greater than opportunities, journeys in hope of survival. As a UBC international student, I connect the phrase “in search of better opportunities”, to my case and that of my fellow college students. We left our homes but we did so by choice, we can always go back, and the journey posed little or no danger to our lives. On the other hand, these refugees are escaping out of need, they can very likely not go back for the time being, and are risking their lives in harsh environments to reach their destinies. War leads to separation of families, communities, and nations and this separation is very easily felt in Marji’s painfull departure at the end of the book.

Have a great day!

Andrea Barraza

http://syrianrefugees.eu/