After the Last Border:Two Families and the Story of Refuge in America

On the night her mother died, Mu Naw resolved to save her marriage. Saw Ku wanted to do so as well. After consulting women from her church, Mu Naw started having family prayers at night. At first, Saw Ku did not join in this family devotional but later did. She also encouraged Saw Ku, who had a difficult job cleaning hotel rooms, to go out with his friends after work. Thanks to her good salary, Mu Naw and Saw Ku were able to purchase their own home. They were thrilled to see their children enjoying their new home and the couple was filled with love for each other.

Throughout 2015, social media sites were spreading fear about refugees and equating these victims with terrorists. In truth, the vetting process for refugees was so comprehensive that it would be virtually impossible for terrorists to gain access to the country via this program. As a presidential candidate, Trump depicted Muslims, and specifically Syrians, as enemies and falsely claimed that the latter had no documentation.

As president, Trump issued an executive order, known as the travel ban, on January 27, 2017 restricting entry from seven countries, including Syria. In fact, all Syrians were banned with no exceptions. For the first time since 1965, family reunification was abandoned as a pillar of refugee policy. The refugee program was suspended for four months. This travel ban resulted in demonstrations at airports across the country and multiple legal challenges. The travel ban went through a few versions, and the third version, which still restricted entry from Syria, was upheld in June 2018 by the US Supreme Court by a 5 to 4 vote.

In 2018, for the first time since the establishment of the refugee program, the US did not lead the world in resettlement. Canada surpassed it. With Assad gaining control of Syria, there “were now 3.3 million Syrian refugees in Turkey, 1.5 million in Lebanon, over a million in Jordan. In 2018, the US resettled 62 Syrian refugees” (278). The Trump administration erased the distinction between refugees and immigrants, deeming all undesirable. Tasked with overseeing the refugee program, the Trump administration used every tool to bring the system to “the edge of collapse” (283). The reduction in numbers and additional vetting impacted budgets for services in the resettlement network. Approximately 25% of the resettlement agencies and services closed or shifted from refugee work as a result. It was a disastrous loss, including for traumatized refugees in need of services.

Part 3, Chapter 30 Summary: “Hasna: Austin, Texas, USA, January-July 2017”

It was very difficult for Hasna and Jebreel to meet their expenses. Without their adult children, the burden of work was entirely on Hasna. When she was injured at work, spraining her ankle and breaking her wrist, she not only received no compensation but was told that her job could not be held for her. The people at the mosque helped with expenses.

Hasna was shattered when she heard about Trump’s travel ban. She had been promised family reunification and now that promise was about to be broken. Yusef and Laila went to Greece given the dangers in Turkey. With the travel ban, Amal’s family was resettled in Quebec, Canada and it would most likely be five years before Hasna could visit them.

Despite her sense of high anxiety, Hasna was pleased to see Americans protest the travel ban. When her neighbor’s daughter married, Hasna rejoiced in these two young Syrians finding each other despite all that had happened. She resolved to find a groom for Rana and prayed for the safety of her family.

It was very difficult for Hasna and Jebreel to meet their expenses. Without their adult children, the burden of work was entirely on Hasna. When she was injured at work, spraining her ankle and breaking her wrist, she not only received no compensation but was told that her job could not be held for her. The people at the mosque helped with expenses.

Hasna was shattered when she heard about Trump’s travel ban. She had been promised family reunification and now that promise was about to be broken. Yusef and Laila went to Greece given the dangers in Turkey. With the travel ban, Amal’s family was resettled in Quebec, Canada and it would most likely be five years before Hasna could visit them.

Despite her sense of high anxiety, Hasna was pleased to see Americans protest the travel ban. When her neighbor’s daughter married, Hasna rejoiced in these two young Syrians finding each other despite all that had happened. She resolved to find a groom for Rana and prayed for the safety of her family.

At Saw Ku and Mu Naw’s new home, the couple watched their children run and play. They noticed that the children took their safety and freedom for granted, something for which Saw Ku and Mu Naw were grateful. After 10 years in the US, Saw Ku and Mu Naw were citizens and they were pleased to know that their children could grow up to do anything. The couple invited the entire Karen Baptist Church for a house blessing. Mu Naw cooked a feast and all gave thanks.

Six months after Mu Naw arrived in the US, Goudeau befriended her. An English as a second language (ESL) class evolved into a women’s cooperative with Mu Naw as leader. Repeatedly, the women expressed concern that their experiences in Myanmar and the camps in Thailand would be forgotten. Goudeau resolved to tell the stories of refugees.

While she did not know Hasna until she began the research for the book, she placed her relationships with these women at the “core of this narrative” (301). Given the anti-immigration climate, Goudeau sought to correct the public understanding of the term “refugee.” She used pseudonyms for all the people in the narrative to protect their safety. Her role was “to hide what needs to be hidden and tell what needs to be told” (302).

She was unable to corroborate some of the details of Hasna’s story. For example, the age of the boys executed for writing on the school wall was older, according to other sources. Given the trauma that Hasna experienced, there were gaps in her story. Laila typically had the more accurate rendition of dates and timelines. With Greece swamped with refugees, Yusef and Laila had gone to another European country and were awaiting permission to work there. The family was in contact via social media daily. Goudeau compared Hasna to the fire ants of Texas: She was fierce and tenacious, fighting for her family.