Inside Out And Back Again By Thanhha Lai
How Was Ha’s Life Turned Inside Out Ha, a ten year old girl and her family have to flee their home in Saigon in the novel Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai. Ha’s story is very similar to that of other refugees around the world. Refugees are defined as “people who are residing outside their countries and cannot return due to a well-founded fear of persecution because of their race, religion, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group”. Ha’s story is similar to other refugees because all refugees need to relocate and learn a new culture. Some refugees get teased at school, neighborhoods or even stores. One thing all refugees have in common is they are all people who had to flee their home and are having to learn to live in a new place due to destruction in their home land. Ha complains multiple times because she doesn't like having to English and is having a hard time learning the new language. In the
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article “Refugee Children In Canada”
( Fantino and Colak 13) “ the teachers back home always told us to wait and think before answering a question, here everything is fast.
When all the other kids have answered, I am still translating the question in my head.” Ha’s family learns about the holiday Christmas “Early Christmas” (lai 230). Ha and her family are embarrassed because they didn't have anything to give to their cowboy or Ms. Washington because they did not know about the upcoming holiday. Other refugees have said “Children of War” (Brice 10) that they often feel upset or out of place during the holidays. Ha describes her walk home on multiple days where she often tells of how beautiful the flowers and gardens are compared to the bare dry gardens of Saigon. “Refugees: Who, Where, Why” (Gevert 2 ) it says “most refugees hope to return home” , which I think means that most refugees want to go back home, but know that they will most likely not be able to return so they resettle in a new area with new
surroundings. Many refugees get teased for several reasons “refugees: Who, Where, Why” (Gevert 1) says “refugees are also people just like us.” In Inside Out and Back Again Ha gets teased or made fun of at school by a boy she refers to as pink boy. Emil Hadzic, a 14 year old refugee said that he didn't ever want to go to school because other boys were making fun of his name. “Sadder Laugh” (Lai 140) It is Ha’s first day starting school in America and her teacher talks and has other students talk as if they were trying to teach a baby how to talk and it frustrates her because she wants to be treated as if she were one of them. For christmas Ha gets three packages of dried papayas from Ms. Washington. Ha is overjoyed to have something that reminds her of home, but once she tastes the difference between sweetened, fresh, ripe papayas and processed dried papaya she thinks that Ms. Washington is trying to poison her with a fake papaya. Ha did not understand that Ms. Washington wasn’t trying to harm her she was just trying to give her a gift of what she truly wanted.
One thing all refugees have in common is that they all have to flee their home country for one reason or another. Ha’s experiences shows having to make more adult like decisions while leaving her beloved home. “Children Of War” (Brice 10) “everything changed. One minute we had everything and the next we had nothing.” Ha often wonders about her friends and if they made it out safe. In “ Refugee Children In Canada” ( Frantion and Colak 13) “ I had lots of friends back home and I remember all of them. We used to play soccer together”. refugees leave a lot behind: things such as homes, friends, and even families, but on top of that they are not allowed to bring very many of their personal belongings. During Ha’s story she and her brothers were allowed to bring one thing that they would carry with them. Often refugees only escape with their family and the clothes on their back; sometimes even less. Refugees all over the world are just wanting to be accepted and treated the same. Thanhha Lai’s book Inside Out and Back Again, is the story of Ha, a ten year old refugee who tells about how hard it is to be a refugee and how much they get teased as well as how it can affect a child. In Arthur Brice article Children Of War it tells several stories about teenage and adult refugees and how they all deal with being teased because of race or because they don't speak the language or because they are a refugee. During Ha’s experiences she learns the true value of family and the symbol of hope. Ha’s life is turned inside out while she is having to flee her home and trying to learn a new language while trying to adapt to new soundrings and a new school, while being made fun of.
“Refugees: who, Where, Why “ (Gevert 1) Many refugee camps around the world are set up to help refugees adapt more easily and to help them feel like they have more of a home, but refugee camps are not a permanent situation. Ha’s story is similar to other refugees in many ways.
article “Refugee Children In Canada”
( Fantino and Colak 13) “ the teachers back home always told us to wait and think before answering a question, here everything is fast.
When all the other kids have answered, I am still translating the question in my head.” Ha’s family learns about the holiday Christmas “Early Christmas” (lai 230). Ha and her family are embarrassed because they didn't have anything to give to their cowboy or Ms. Washington because they did not know about the upcoming holiday. Other refugees have said “Children of War” (Brice 10) that they often feel upset or out of place during the holidays. Ha describes her walk home on multiple days where she often tells of how beautiful the flowers and gardens are compared to the bare dry gardens of Saigon. “Refugees: Who, Where, Why” (Gevert 2 ) it says “most refugees hope to return home” , which I think means that most refugees want to go back home, but know that they will most likely not be able to return so they resettle in a new area with new
surroundings. Many refugees get teased for several reasons “refugees: Who, Where, Why” (Gevert 1) says “refugees are also people just like us.” In Inside Out and Back Again Ha gets teased or made fun of at school by a boy she refers to as pink boy. Emil Hadzic, a 14 year old refugee said that he didn't ever want to go to school because other boys were making fun of his name. “Sadder Laugh” (Lai 140) It is Ha’s first day starting school in America and her teacher talks and has other students talk as if they were trying to teach a baby how to talk and it frustrates her because she wants to be treated as if she were one of them. For christmas Ha gets three packages of dried papayas from Ms. Washington. Ha is overjoyed to have something that reminds her of home, but once she tastes the difference between sweetened, fresh, ripe papayas and processed dried papaya she thinks that Ms. Washington is trying to poison her with a fake papaya. Ha did not understand that Ms. Washington wasn’t trying to harm her she was just trying to give her a gift of what she truly wanted.
One thing all refugees have in common is that they all have to flee their home country for one reason or another. Ha’s experiences shows having to make more adult like decisions while leaving her beloved home. “Children Of War” (Brice 10) “everything changed. One minute we had everything and the next we had nothing.” Ha often wonders about her friends and if they made it out safe. In “ Refugee Children In Canada” ( Frantion and Colak 13) “ I had lots of friends back home and I remember all of them. We used to play soccer together”. refugees leave a lot behind: things such as homes, friends, and even families, but on top of that they are not allowed to bring very many of their personal belongings. During Ha’s story she and her brothers were allowed to bring one thing that they would carry with them. Often refugees only escape with their family and the clothes on their back; sometimes even less. Refugees all over the world are just wanting to be accepted and treated the same. Thanhha Lai’s book Inside Out and Back Again, is the story of Ha, a ten year old refugee who tells about how hard it is to be a refugee and how much they get teased as well as how it can affect a child. In Arthur Brice article Children Of War it tells several stories about teenage and adult refugees and how they all deal with being teased because of race or because they don't speak the language or because they are a refugee. During Ha’s experiences she learns the true value of family and the symbol of hope. Ha’s life is turned inside out while she is having to flee her home and trying to learn a new language while trying to adapt to new soundrings and a new school, while being made fun of.
“Refugees: who, Where, Why “ (Gevert 1) Many refugee camps around the world are set up to help refugees adapt more easily and to help them feel like they have more of a home, but refugee camps are not a permanent situation. Ha’s story is similar to other refugees in many ways.