The Meaning of the Title "Inside Out and Back Again"

Refugees are people forced to flee from their country usually because of war, persecution, or natural disaster. While fleeing home their lives turn inside out because of loss, hunger, and homelessness. While finding home their lives turn back again because of moving forward, learning new things, and adapting to their new life. The main character of 'Inside Out and Back Again', Ha, is a 10-year-old girl who lives in Saigon, Vietnam. Her life turned inside out because the Vietnam war caused her to flee her country. Her life finally turns back when she moves to Alabama to start a new life. No matter who refugees are, where they are from, or why they flee, they all experience leaving something behind and adapting to a new environment.

The lives of refugees turn 'inside out' when fleeing home because of loss, hunger, and homelessness. I know this because in the book 'Inside Out and Back Again' it states 'Morning, noon, and night we each get one clump of rice, small, medium, large, according to our height,' this means that Ha is hungry because she has to ration her food. In the informational text 'Panic Rises in Saigon, but Exits are Few' it states 'In Saigon, three civilians were killed and three others were wounded last night when an explosion caused by a hand grenade ripped through a crowded food market. It was not clear whether Communist terrorists or renegade Saigon were responsible' this means that people experience loss when fleeing home. The informational text 'Refugees: Who, Where, Why' states 'Kakuma Camp, on the hot, dry border of Kenya, Sudan, and Ethiopia, provides shelter for more than 80,000 refugees' this means that refugees have to stay in camps because of homelessness. The lives of refugees turn 'inside out' when finding home because of a lack of knowledge of the country they resettle in. I know this because in the book 'Inside Out and Back Again' it states 'I repeat, Ha, and wish I knew enough English to tell her to listen for the diacritical mark' this means that Ha is having trouble communicating with her teacher because she does not know English.

The lives of refugees turn 'back again' when finding home because of moving forward, learning new things, and adapting to a new life. The informational text 'Refugees: Who, Where, Why' states 'They had fled to America because of religious persecution in their homeland. Since then, millions of refugees have resettled in the United States.' which means refugees are moving forward and getting away from prosecution and their old life. The informational text 'Children of War' states 'Things are getting better because we can go to school' which means they are learning new things. The book 'Inside Out and Back Again' states 'Our cowboy, who never takes off his tall, tall hat, delivers us to his huge house, where grass spreads out so green it looks painted.' which means they are happy because they get to live in a new house and adapt to the environment. When refugees finally find a home their new life is different, but still they adapt to the environment and for the most part, enjoy their new life.

Briefly to conclude, on the journey fleeing home refugees experience loss, hunger, and homelessness. These challenges impact their lives because when you live without food and shelter it becomes you can get ill and it becomes hard to survive. On the journey to finding home refugees experience a lack of knowledge and do not know their surroundings. Although many encounters change their lives forever, their lives eventually begin to turn back again. When the lives of refugees turn 'Back Again' they begin to move forward, learn new things, and adapt to their new life. These solutions help refugees because it is fun to learn new things and adapt to a new environment which will help you be more open-minded and take your mind off of your old life of prosecution.