This World Refugee Day, we honor the courage, resilience and humanity of people forced to flee their homes by uplifting the stories that reflect their lived experiences. From memoirs to films, these powerful works offer intimate, eye-opening perspectives on displacement, identity and the search for safety.
Books Highlighting the Refugee Experience:
Those We Throw Away Are Diamonds by Mondiant Dogon with Jenna Krajeski: Mondiant Dogon’s memoir tells the harrowing story of his childhood escape from violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo, his years spent in refugee camps, and his eventual rise from child soldier to advocate for displaced people, capturing the struggle and resilience of refugees.
A Beginner’s Guide to America: For the Immigrant and the Curious by Roya Hakakian: Roya Hakakian offers a perceptive and humorous exploration of the immigrant experience, blending practical advice with personal reflection to highlight both the beauty and contradictions of life in the United States.
The Ungrateful Refugee: What Immigrants Never Tell You by Dina Nayeri: The Ungrateful Refugee blends Dina Nayeri’s personal journey from fleeing Iran to resettling in America with the powerful stories of other refugees, offering a thought-provoking exploration of displacement, survival, and the flawed narratives surrounding asylum seekers.
The Last Nomad: Coming of Age in the Somali Desert by Shugri Said Salh: The Last Nomad is a powerful coming-of-age memoir tracing Shugri Said Salh’s journey from a nomadic childhood in the Somali desert to navigating war, displacement, and cultural transformation as she forges a new life in North America while holding onto her heritage and resilience.
Brothers and Strangers: A German-Iraqi Memoir by Junis Sultan: Brothers and Strangers is a heartfelt memoir tracing Junis Sultan’s journey from a privileged childhood in Mosul to the challenges of assimilation in Germany, as he navigates identity, family expectations, and cultural tensions while seeking connection, freedom, and self-understanding in a post-9/11 world.
The Fortune Men by Nadifa Mohamed: Set in 1952 Cardiff, this haunting novel follows Mahmood Mattan, a Somali sailor wrongfully accused of murder, as he battles a flawed legal system, racial prejudice, and a desperate fight for his life—revealing the devastating consequences of injustice.
I Just Wanted to Save My Family by Stéphan Pélissier: In this powerful memoir, Stéphan Pélissier recounts his harrowing ordeal of being unjustly accused of human smuggling and facing a 15-year prison sentence in Greece—all for trying to rescue his Syrian in-laws from danger—shedding light on the struggles of refugees and the harsh realities of immigration systems.
A Woman is No Man by Etaf Rum: In 1990s Palestine, young Isra is forced into an arranged marriage and moves to Brooklyn, where she struggles under the pressures of her controlling mother-in-law and husband, while years later, in 2008, her daughter Deya grapples with the same expectations—until a shocking revelation about her parents’ past changes everything.
Film Highlighting the Refugee Experience:
The Kite Runner: Based on Khaled Hosseini’s novel by the same name, The Kite Runner is a poignant story about friendship, betrayal and redemption, following Amir, a boy from Kabul, as he confronts the consequences of a childhood mistake and seeks to make amends years later amidst the backdrop of a changing, war-torn Afghanistan.
The Good Lie: The Good Lie follows a group of Sudanese refugees, known as the Lost Boys of Sudan, as they resettle in the United States after escaping civil war, with the help of an American employment counselor played by Reese Witherspoon. The film highlights the resilience of refugees, the challenges of starting over, and the deep bonds of family and sacrifice.
Encanto: Perfect for watching with the entire family, Encanto tells the story of the Madrigal family, who flee violence and loss to build a new life in a magical, hidden community. Through the lens of magic and family, the film reflects the immigrant experience—exploring themes of displacement, generational resilience, unspoken trauma and the pressure to hold a family together while carrying the hopes of those who sacrificed everything to find safety.
Flee: Following the true story of Amin, Flee is a powerful animated documentary that shows a refugee forced to flee Afghanistan as a child and hide his identity for decades. Through intimate storytelling, the film explores the trauma of displacement, the weight of secrecy and the search for belonging—capturing the deeply personal and universal struggles of the refugee experience.
Persepolis: Persepolis is an animated memoir based on Marjane Satrapi’s graphic novel, chronicling her coming-of-age in Iran during and after the Islamic Revolution. Through Marjane’s eyes, the film powerfully portrays the loss of freedom, the upheaval of leaving one’s homeland and the tension of navigating identity, exile and belonging in a foreign country.
This World Refugee Day, we invite you to explore these books and films and stand with displaced families around the world. Please consider making a donation to support CWS’s work with refugees and other newcomers.