Learning America – A Book for Book Lovers Day
August 9th is Book Lovers Day, a day to honor the importance of books throughout history and the readers who love them. To celebrate, I wanted to share a book that I recently read – ‘Learning America’ by Luma Mufleh. This book highlights how reading helps us better understand other people and ultimately makes us more compassionate to those with experiences vastly different than our own.
Perhaps one of our most important tools for communication, books allow us to share stories, concepts, history, emotions, and so much more with one another. They allow us to see into the lives of others, whether what we read is fiction or not.
As a book lover, reading has been my favorite and most relaxing habit since I was a kid. It’s always mind-refreshing to read a book that widens my perspectives and touches my heart. When I finish reading an interesting book, I feel the urge to share it with my friends and let the spark of the words linger in more people’s hearts.
That’s why ‘Learning America’ stood out to me so much; it’s one of the most provocative books I’ve ever read, and therefore, I feel it’s important to spread the word about it to more people.
‘Learning America’ and the Topic of Refugee Children
The book ‘Learning America – One Woman’s Fight for Educational Justice for Refugee Children,’ written by Luma Mufleh, left me with a profound introspection right after I finished it. As an immigrant, it’s hard for me to understand the inner part of the country, especially the parts not transpired by the mass media and the parts that the government tries to conceal. This book talks about the story of a woman helping refugee children, how she fights for educational equality for the kids, and how she becomes the founder of a school designed only for refugee students.
When we talk about aid for refugee children, we tend to focus on how inclusive and helpful our society is or attempts to be. This includes whether we provide medical help, support from governmental organizations, transitional housing, food stamps, and so on. Nonetheless, besides the provided help, we need to ask if there’s anything more we can do to improve the living conditions of refugee children. Are the kids truly happy? Are they really learning and receiving an education at school? Is our society accepting of them? Or are we just pretending to be the heroes, but never stepping forward to lift them up when they’re down?
Why Refugee Children Tend to be Ignored
The topic of refugee children is never put under the spotlight. It’s too much for us to process, too heavy for us to bear the burden of someone we don’t really know, and too subtle that we almost forget there is a group of forsaken people in our country. We are living in one of the most powerful and prosperous countries in the world, so it’s hard for us to admit that we’re not handling the topic of refugee kids well, especially the education provided for them. However, ignoring these problems does no good for our country’s future.
The first step to improving the status quo of the refugee children is to become acquainted with their situation, to know what they need, to hold a fair perspective whenever you are facing them, and to support organizations that provide actual support to them. Reading this book is like opening the windows to look at the states, to see clearly how society is functioning, and how I can help as an American.
A Selfless Woman – The Author of ‘Learning America’
Luma Mufleh, the book’s author, is one of the kindest women I’ve ever read about. Being a refugee herself, she didn’t blame the world for putting her in the situation but strived hard for success and helped others without asking for anything in return. Having moved to the states, Mufleh is like one of us. She even started her own business, working from dawn to dusk for a living.
Mufleh had every reason to ignore the refugee kids playing soccer in the playground, but she didn’t. She cared for them, took care of their families, helped them with not only their soccer skills but also schoolwork and life goals, and most importantly, changed their lives by opening up a school designed only for them.
I am deeply touched by Mufleh. Her work is so selfless and genuine that many refugee kids treat her like their mother. Fleeing from war zones, those kids mostly don’t know how to deal with a brand new place where they don’t know the language, the culture, and the people. I can relate to them. Being an immigrant, I also feel the frustration when you have to restart your life in a place that’s so far from your hometown. Everything is new, and everything seems so surreal. Mufleh knows the frustration. She understands how hard it is to immerse yourself in a new land. Not only does she understand, but she also devotes her time and money to set up a nonprofit organization that aims to save those kids from a gloomy educational system.
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Insights Derived From The Book
Refugee kids are growing in numbers in the country. Education, among all other factors, is the most important and fundamental element when it comes to shaping a kid’s mind. For refugee children, receiving proper and equal education is their only way to improve their lives, not only their lives but their whole family’s.
Education isn’t just about knowledge in books but also the ways we should treat people, the moral values we should embody, and the correct mindset we should develop. And reading and literacy is a huge part of that.
I’ve personally gained a lot from reading ‘Learning America’. I learned about the reality of refugee children, the ways we can lend a helping hand to them, and the biased perception we should abandon.
If you want to know more about Muflsh’s journey of forming the Fugees Family, you can purchase the book online or go to the library and start flipping the pages. I won’t go through all the details of the book here as it’s best to read it yourself and to feel the weight of the words by yourself.
Books Are Essential
Words not only speak louder than other means of communication but also expand our perspectives on looking at the world. Through reading, you’re able to peek at others’ lives, understand people who you don’t really get a chance to meet in reality, and experience the ups and downs of the writers or characters. Then, you relate those feelings back in your own life.
When you feel like you are left in a desolate place where no one truly understands your loneliness, you probably can find comfort in books that are written by some people who have the same experience as you. If you’re struggling with life difficulties, books that provide solutions might rescue you in tough times. And, if you just need some entertainment to ease the stress, there are plenty of romantic comedies to make you laugh and fictional stories to transport you to other worlds.
Celebrate Book Lovers Day by grabbing a book from a library or a local bookstore. You can also gather a group of book lovers to form a reading group and discuss the words that inspire you.
Libraries in the community are worth going to. They have an abundance of resources, after-school programs, free schemes for students, and a variety of book genres for you to borrow. The online library system is well-developed as well. You can renew your library card, check the due dates of borrowed books, and scroll through their recent activities on the website.
