Of Beetles and Angels: A Boy’s Remarkable Journey from a Refugee Camp to Harvard

“Please do not blame us. What would you do if chaos approached you on the tortured feet of a million refugees? Could you handle so many?” 

In this quotation, the author personifies the voice of Awad, Sudanese city of refuge that became temporary home to so many Ethiopian and Eritrean refugees like Mawi’s family during the Ethiopian civil war. Addressing the refugees, the city of Awad asks for the refugee’s forgiveness in advance, knowing that it has little resources to help alleviate their burdens.  

Many people are familiar with the story of the Mayflower’s voyage and the founding of Plymouth, but Philbrick’s account of this period in history seeks to challenge that easy familiarity and complicate the “predictable” narrative of relations between the English and the Native Americans. 

This is a quote by the habesha elders to Mawi’s family before the family leaves for America. The plight of the habesha refugee in America is so dire thatshared history, shared heritage, and shared suffering create bonds strong enough to unite former enemies. Ironically, exile can have the effect of bringing a community together.  

“So, when we saw our two-story house with its huge yard, we could not believe our eyes. Are they right? Is it for real? This whole stretch of house and yard ours? It’s too much.” 

Having come from a one-room adobe in a Sudanese refugee camp, Mawi’s family is in awe of their brand-new home. The vast difference in their new, Americanstandard of living is evident in this chapter, which details the family’s first moments in the United States.