Oppression In Syria

Migration to escape oppression and socioeconomic problems has been a recurrent theme throughout history. Currently, millions are trying to leave Syria and North Africa because of the total war zones these areas have become. This is similar to what some Americans living in the 1930s experienced as a result of the Dust Bowl. During the Dust Bowl, the dirt from the overplowed farms would create large, overpowering clouds of black dust. About one third of the entire population of those affected by the Dust Bowl migrated to flee the horrors they were encountering (“The Drought”). Unfortunately for both of these groups migration did not necessarily solve all of their problems. The Syrians are facing major economic and hygienic struggles while
The terrible conditions faced by both groups of migrants motivated them to leave the comforts of their homes and voyage to a foreign place. In Syria, “[e]veryday decisions — whether to visit a neighbor, to go out to buy bread — have become, potentially, decisions about life and death” (Yourish and Rebecca). The on-going war in Syria is escalating to the point that citizens of this area cannot complete daily tasks without having to fear for their lives. Throughout the four and a half year civil war, it is estimated 200,000 Syrians have been killed, although “the country is so dangerous that a definitive tally of deaths is not possible” (Yourish and Rebecca). Death of friends, family, and neighbors has become a regularity for most of the Syrians, and although migrating to a new and unknown place brings along its own set of challenges, seeing people murdered for four and a half years is worse in comparison to previous obstacles that Syrian migrants have faced. The conditions that the people in the Dust Bowl faced back in 1930 were not much different than these that the Syrians are facing today. Many people lost their lives in the Dust Bowl as well, but in this case a civil war was not the issue; it was the dark, terrifying clouds of dust that engulfed entire towns, came without warning, and left “ dust everywhere—in food, in water, [and] in the lungs of animals and people” ("Introduction: Surviving the Dust Bowl "). The Dust Bowl also caused a slew of other issues which forced migrants out of the affected areas. The “severe drought, economic depression, unsustainable farming practices, and the advance of mechanized farming all combined to displace tenant and subsistence farmers” (Westphal). The conditions for both the Syrians and those from the Dust Bowl era are completely despicable and inhuman, ultimately causing