We Are Displaced
We Are Displaced by Malala Yousafzai
Reviewed by Sierra Ruiz, Soraya Naranjo, Etna Sanchez, Isabel RosasReview:
The non-fiction novel We Are Displaced: My Journey and Stories from Refugee Girls Around the World features part of Malala’s story as an activist for female education who had to leave her home after being shot by the Taliban. Malala traveled to different refugee camps worldwide and listened to the stories of other girls like her to highlight how every day and terrifying these experiences are. Malala prefaces each chapter by explaining how she met the ten girls included in the book and lets them tell their stories about how they became refugees and how the experience of being refugees has affected them. Mala puts in her first impressions of the girls and what she heard about them before the girls tell their own stories, putting the reader in Malala’s position of discovering who these women are. These girls come from all over the world, not just the Middle East.
The book discusses themes of misogyny, violence, and human trafficking. Each young woman discussed their challenges while trying to move on for a better life. We Are Displaced: My Journey and Stories from Refugee Girls Around the World presents numerous stories from young women across the world who are facing global displacement due to various political and environmental factors that forced them from their homes. The book does not feature one author but a series of stories told by many young girls, making it into several shorter memoirs than one memoir of Malala’s most well-known story. Zaynab and Sabreen have two very different journeys as sisters who tried their best to stay together. Muzoon has to leave Syria for a refugee camp in Syria and became well-known in the camps for her generosity and passion for education. Najla flees terrorists in her hometown in Iraq. Maria has to run with her family from civil conflict in Colombia. Analisa was smuggled from Guatemala into the United States, where her older brother could sponsor her. Marie Claire escaped the Congolese War thanks to church volunteers who brought her to Pennsylvania. Ajida walked her family through jungles at night to escape religious persecution. Farah and her family were exiled from Uganda when she was only two years old. All these stories are prefaced with Malala’s words on her first impressions of them. Some of these women she met when they were still refugees. Others she met in a professional setting.
The book’s short stories provide young readers, particularly students in late middle school to early high school, a glimpse into someone else’s past and the worldwide struggles to obtain education and human rights in multiple countries. Malala hopes that by reading the stories of these women who are not in the public eye, she hopes for young readers to relate more to the authors. These people are ordinary people who have been globally affected by countless crises that displace and harm them. These stories are meant for the readers to relate to and see the stories not told in mainstream media. Despite these hardships of misogyny, violence, and xenophobia, these women were still willing to share their stories and pain in a global publication.
Biography:
Malala Yousafzai is a Pakistani female education activist and human rights activist, as well as an author. She is the founder of the Malala Fund, an organization founded in 2013 to advocate for the right for young women to earn free and safe education. The Malala Fund invests in education advocates who are challenging policies and restrictions against education in their communities. She is also the recipient of the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize, in recognition for her struggle against the suppression of young adults and their right to a fair education. Malala, as mentioned previously, is also an author, with her works including bestseller I Am Malala, We Are Displaced, and several children’s books that adapt her story for younger audiences to understand.
Growing up, Malala was raised by parents that wanted to give her every opportunity possible, regardless of gender. Her father ran the small school she attended, fueling her drive to continue her education, despite when restrictions for women’s education began in 2009. Due to this, Malala began reaching out to any media she could, such as BBC, which allowed her to speak on her experience during this era. As a result, her exposure in the media made her a target in the eyes of the Taliban, which began the stream of a sense of danger and death threats upon her. When riding the bus home from school in 2012, a member of the Taliban shot Malala in the head, which traveled from her neck to her shoulder. Two other girls were also shot, all three of whom survived to recount the details of the attack to the media. Following her recovery in Birmingham, Yousafzai was discharged, and the recounts of the attack reached a worldwide scale, shedding even more light on what occurred in Pakistan. This level of exposure increased the effectiveness of Malala’s activism, and allowed her opportunities she has dreamed of, including graduating from Oxford University with a degree in philosophy, politics and economics.
Despite all that Malala has endured, she still fights for the mindset that bodies of government everywhere should “invest in books, not bullets”.
Instructional Resources:
1. Malala’s New Mission by Mirren Gidda- The article discusses Malala’s achievements and how she balances her “normal life” with her acquired fame. The article elaborates on all her achievements while the book analyzes one, and details how it has affected many other young women.
Guido, Veronese, et al. “Child Psychological Adjustment to War and Displacement: A Discriminant Analysis of Resilience and Trauma in Syrian Refugee Children.” Journal of Child & Family Studies, vol. 30, no. 10, Oct. 2021, pp. 2575–88.
- The article discusses a study based on “311 Syrian children living in Jordanian refugee camps as a consequence of the war in Syria” that evaluated their mental health due to their exposure to trauma. By reading this study, it connects to Malala’s novel through the effect that the war has on children and how it affects their overall mental state.
Lewis, Kristin. “Malala the Powerful: The Inspiring True Story of Malala Yousafzai’s Crusade for Girls’ Education.” Scholastic Scope 69, no. 2 (October 2020): 4–10.
Considering that Malala’s novel is recommended for young girls, usually who are 14 years old and older, this magazine can help the lesson that is being taught to them. Within this magazine, it summarizes the suffering Malala has endured and the effect Malala’s legacy has on the world, nonetheless young women.
Mujeeb, Arooj. “Mental Health of Internally Displaced Persons in Jalozai Camp, Pakistan.” International Journal of Social Psychiatry, vol. 61, no. 7, Nov. 2015, pp. 653–59.
This literary work discusses the research done on the mental health of internally displaced individuals in Syria, which ultimately concludes that “females were more at risk for developing psychological problems during internal displacement and that females of any age were more prone to developing depression and post-disaster stress as compared to males” and “gender is a significant moderator of relationship between psychological well-being and internalizing problems.” Therefore, this research supports Malala’s choice to campaign for change regarding the way young women are being raised and prepared for success.
Rashid, Audil, and Mian Nazish, Adnan. “Pakistan’s Refugees Face Uncertain Future.” Lancet, vol. 374, no. 9683, July 2009, pp. 13–14.
The article elaborates on the conditions in which internally displaced Pakistan Refugees are living in, how women are more affected than men, and how there is a lack of women in the medical field. So, this study exhibits the need for Malala’s perspective on the situation and how she learns to overcome it.
Seddique, Bushra. “My Escape From the Taliban.” Atlantic, vol. 330, no. 2, Sept. 2022, pp. 20–28
The text discusses the damage of the Taliban and details Siddique's perspective of her story. This story is similar to how the stories in Malala's novel are told, in which they experience loss, trauma, and suffering.
Vitullo, Adrienne. “Displacement in Young Adult Literature: A Thematic Analysis.” Children’s Literature in Education, vol. 53, no. 3, Sept. 2022, pp. 296–312.
- After reading Malala's perspective and overall story on her experience with displacement, reading more about how displacement can be viewed in more young adult literature will help spread awareness to the dangers of it. So, this article further explores and discusses the role of displacement in the novel that ultimately affects the readers' outlook on this type of circumstance.
- Considering that Malala's novel is connected to her website that further elaborates her activist work toward young women's education and how to overcome obstacles of disillusionment. Therefore, if students are interested in exploring more narrative stories from young women that discuss their experiences, they can find more material in the website.
Instructional Activity:
Preview:
Overall goal is to expand and explore student understanding on the term 'Displacement' and discuss deeper issues and themes that the book represents. Discussions will serve to help students articulate and develop a literary understanding of key ideas and key terms using non-fictional narratives with ties to real world historical and social issues as well as actively share and listen to other developing ideas from their fellow students. Students will have the opportunity to write a narrative of their own based of a verbal interview in which the student will turn into a narrative that meets 8th grade writing standards.California Common Core Standards:
READING LITERATURE AND INFORMATIONAL TEXT
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.8.1
Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an
analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the
text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.8.2
Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its
development over the course of the text, including its relationship to the
characters, setting, and plot; provide an objective summary of the text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.8.3
Analyze how particular lines of dialogue or incidents in a story or drama propel the action, reveal
aspects of a character, or provoke a decision.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.8.2
Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development
over the course of the text, including its relationship to supporting ideas;
provide an objective summary of the text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.8.3
Analyze how a text makes connections among and distinctions
between individuals, ideas, or events (e.g., through comparisons, analogies, or
categories).
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.8.4
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used
in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze
the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including analogies or
allusions to other texts. (See grade 8 Language standards 4–6 for additional
expectations.) CA
WRITING
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.8.3
Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or
events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and
well-structured event sequences.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.8.4
Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development,
organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific
expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1–3 above.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.8.10
Write routinely over extended time frames (time for
research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting
or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and
audiences.
SPEAKING AND LISTENING
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.8.1
Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions
(one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners topics, texts,
and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
LANGUAGE
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.8.1
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English
grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.8.2
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English
capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.8.4
Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning
words or phrases based on grade 8 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a
range of strategies.
Instructional Plan:
Lesson Length: 2 weeks
On the first day the novel is discussed the students will be asked to fill out a worksheet that touches on education and displacement which are central themes of the novel. The work sheet will work as a type of icebreaker to begin exploring themes and ideas that are brought up in the book. Students will then be given 5-15 minutes to share their answers in small groups.
The main topic that should be discussed during class lecture should focus on displacement and what it means to be displaced. An important point of discussion should also be the importance of education and the role education had in the stories. The focus of the lesson is for the student to gain a deeper understanding of the novel and how that correlate to the outside world and their own lives.
Before the end of class, a paper essay should be introduced that will focus on two parts. The first part will be an interview worksheet that needs to be filled out and the second part will be turning that interview into an essay. The book focuses a lot on hearing the stories of people moving from one place to another due to necessity, this essay will work as a bridge for the students to attempt to further understand the concept of displacement by drawing parallels to their own examples. The first part of the activity will focus on interviewing a family member, a friend, a neighbor, or anyone they choose about a time in their lives where they had to move, whether that be moving to a different country, a different state, a different neighborhood, or a different school. Students should be given the interview worksheet and the essay prompt sheet should be explained, students should have the rest of the week to have their interviews filled out.
The second week
should focus on writing the essay based off the interview question worksheet that was completed a week prior. 2 days of
the second week should focus on giving the students a workshop on writing
essays and narratives, a day should also be focused on a peer review workshop and essays should be
turned in by the end of the week.
(Actual timeline should be left to teachers' discretion)
Resources and Preparation:
In-Class Worksheet
Interview Worksheet
Bibliography
"Malala Fund". Malala.Org, 2022, https://malala.org/newsroom/zaynab-safe-schools. Accessed 7 Dec
2022.
Guido, Veronese, et al. “Child Psychological Adjustment to War and Displacement: A Discriminant Analysis of Resilience and Trauma in Syrian Refugee Children.” Journal of Child & Family Studies, vol. 30, no. 10, Oct. 2021, pp. 2575–88.
Lewis, Kristin. “Malala the Powerful: The Inspiring True Story of Malala Yousafzai’s Crusade for Girls’ Education.” Scholastic Scope 69, no. 2 (October 2020): 4–10.
Mujeeb, Arooj. “Mental Health of Internally Displaced Persons in Jalozai Camp, Pakistan.” International Journal of Social Psychiatry, vol. 61, no. 7, Nov. 2015, pp. 653–59.
Rashid, Audil, and Mian Nazish, Adnan. “Pakistan’s Refugees Face Uncertain Future.” Lancet, vol. 374, no. 9683, July 2009, pp. 13–14.
SBE. edit, CDE Press. "California Common Core State Standards". Common Core State Standards California. California Department of Education. 2010. Mod.2013. Sacramento, California.
Seddique, Bushra. “My Escape From the Taliban.” Atlantic, vol. 330, no. 2, Sept. 2022, pp. 20–28
Vitullo, Adrienne. “Displacement in Young Adult Literature: A Thematic Analysis.” Children’s Literature in Education, vol. 53, no. 3, Sept. 2022, pp. 296–312.
Yousafzai, Malala, and Liz Welch. We Are Displaced: My Journey and Stories From Refugee Girls Around the World. Little, Brown and Company, 2019.
