And That Is A Refugee

When you think of the word refugee what is the first thing that comes to mind? Take a second to close your eyes and try to picture what you think a refugee looks like. When I asked students here at UT to do this many of them said they saw: a short brown skin tone man with black hair jumping the border into the United States. After getting basicly the same reply from most of the students I asked I felt like it was safe to say that many people’s first thought when thinking of the word refugee is a Mexican.

According to the Oxford English Dictionary the earliest printed definition of the word refugee was in 1685. Its defines a refugee as, “ one who, owing to religious persecution or political troubles, seeks refuge in a foreign country.” The OED says at that time the English used the word when referring to, “ French Huguenots who came to England after revocation of the Edict of Nantes.” The word changed several times over the next three centuries before coming to the most recent definition recorded in the OED which simply defines a refugee as, “ some one driven from their home by war or the fear of attack or persecution” which was formed in 1914. The United Nations Convention relating to the Status of Refugees 1967 Protocol formed a definition that was agreed upon by many countries (including the United States on November 1, 1968). According to it a refugee is:

A person who owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality and is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country; or who, not having a nationality and being outside the country of his former habitual residence as a result of such events, is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to return to it.."

In this essay I plan to search for the true meaning of the word refugee, and answer the question posed after Hurricane Katrina, “ Can Americans be refugees in America?”

Also one of the most recent issues with the word refugee is when reporters from big news stations started to refer to Americans who had to leave their homes due to the destruction of Hurricane Katrina. During the events following the destruction of New Orleans and several other cities in the United States by Hurricane Katrina news articles and broadcastings covering the story went out all over the country. Pictures of men and women born and rasied in the U.S. searching for food, shelter, or just a way for their fellow Americans to take notice with captions under them reading “A Hurricane Katrina refugee searching for food.”

Many people argued that one cannot be a refugee in their own country. According to the associated press many people, “argued that “refugee” implies that the displaced storm victims, many whom have been black, are second –class citizens- or not citizens at all.” By calling people from America refugees it makes it seem like they don’t belong. President Bush said during a press conference that, “ The people we are talking about are not refugees. They are Americans.” But the words of the president couldn’t stop the press.

Even after that big time publishers like the AP and New York Times continued to refer to the displace citizens of New Orleans as refugees. According to the Associated Press both were using the word only where appropriate. Referring to someone as something they are not never seems appropriate to me but I guess that why I’m not in journalism. When Kathleen Carroll, Executive Editor of the AP was asked why she issued this statement:

"The AP is using the term ‘refugee’ where appropriate to capture the sweep and scope of the effects of this historic natural disaster on a vast number of our citizens. Several hundred thousand people have been uprooted from their homes and communities and forced to seek refuge in more than 30 different states across America. Until such time as they are able to take up new lives in their new communities or return to their former homes, they will be refugees."

After reading this comment I went back and looked up the word refuge. I felt like in every definition I found in the OED one sought refuge because he/she was running from something. The people of New Orleans weren’t running from anything. Yeah, they needed shelter because their homes were destroyed by the hurricane, but if those people had a choice they would still be in New Orleans.


Another issue in this debate is can one loss the refuge title? Some say yes because they feel that once a person becomes a US citizen then they no longer fall under the umbrella of being a refugee. While others say anyone that is not born a US citizen, yet they reside here in America will always be considered a refugee. Personally I think that the definition of the word plays a key role in this argument.

So what is a good definition for the word refugee? Well, let’s see. Most “refugees” flee their country for many reasons and come to America because they think they are going to have a better life full of opportunity. So for that reason along with others I feel that the perfect definition for the word refugee is, a person who leaves his/her country of birth, for any reason, and never returns. With this definition people in could not be labeled a refugee in their own country. Plus, once one becomes a refugee they will be one until they return back to their country of birth.

Mom, What's A Refugee?

Refugee, one who seeks refuge in a foreign country. This is the first definition for the word refugee, which was printed in England in 1685. The most recent definition for the word was printed in 1914 and according to it a refugee is someone driven from his home by war o the fear of attack or persecution. It’s been nearly a century since this definition has be rewritten and I feel that maybe its time for a change.

When the word refugee first came about it was used mainly for the purpose of the church. Those who had trouble with the church would leave England and therefore referred as refugees. But, in today’s society this issue really doesn’t come up. Most people leave their country because they simple don’t agree with the way things are being run. It doesn’t mean that they are in trouble in their country.

Also one of the most recent issues with the word refugee is when reporters from big news stations started to refer to Americans who had to leave their homes due to the destruction of Hurricane Katrina. Many people argued that one cannot be a refugee in their own country. By calling people from America refugees it makes it seem like they don’t belong and that are states are divided.

Another issue in this debate is can one loss the refuge title? Some say yes because they feel that once a person becomes a US citizen then they no longer fall under the umbrella of being a refugee. While others say anyone that is not born a US citizen, yet they reside here in America will always be considered a refugee. Personally I think that is a very interesting debate and can’t really say who I agree with when it comes to that topic.

So what is a good definition for the word refugee? Well, let’s see. Most “refugees” that come to America come become they think they are going to have a better life full of opportunity. People who live here in America cannot be referred to as a refugee. Nor, does anyone really just come because they are running from the law in their country. Refugee, a person who leaves his/her country, for any reason, that is expecting to never return.

march 7

This week was interesting. I really enjoyed the conversations we had. As far as what makes good writing I believe last weeks reading proved that you do not need perfect grammar to be a good writer. To me what makes a good writer is the word usage. If you can put words together in ways that wouldnt normally be, you can be on the way to being a good writer. Think about all great writers have their own unique way of wording things. Shakespeare was a great writer not because he knew what verb to use but because he knew how to word things in a way that captured the hearts of his readers. Maya Angelou Mark Twain and other great writers also had there own way. But is writing all about poems plays and novels? I think when we think about great writers we forget those in the music industry. What makes a good song? To me it takes a great writer along with a good producer. When u look at a song on paper most of the time all u will see is words. They don't really make sure that they have every punctuation. If we wrote without all the punctuation would it take away from what we write? Whats the difference between talking and writing. We dont stop a conversation to correct a persons grammar as long as we can understand what it is they are saying. And now with texting as popular as it is we are learning we dont even need complete words to get our message across.


What am I black African American or a Negro? Why do I have to be either? I understand that my ancestors were dragged from Africa to America to be slaves and I really do appreciate my history but I have gone as far as 6 6 generations of my family history and everyone I found was born and raised in columbia south Carolina. I myself have never been to Africa although I would love to go. Therefore I dont consider myself an African American just an American. I was born here and have lived here for most of the 18 years of my life. We dont call whites European Amercians . The only true Americans are Indians. They are the only true race that came from these lands. I think that America should get away from the labels of race and color and except all American born people as Americans and thats it.

Hopefully u noticed that I left off many punctuation marks. How was the read. Was it affected due to the absenceof the punctuationarks?