Cultural Identity and Alienation: Examining a Refugee's Experience

This essay examines the themes of cultural identity and alienation, drawing on the experiences of refugees in a foreign culture. The author uses the documentary "Lost Boys of Sudan" as a case study, highlighting the challenges faced by individuals as they navigate new environments and cultures. The essay explores the impact of migration, cultural differences, and assimilation on the lives of refugees. The author also reflects on their personal experiences, drawing parallels between the documentary's narrative and their own journey. The essay also discusses the power dynamics and the impact of colonialism on the colonized, arguing that the colonizer often seeks to control the thoughts and behaviors of the colonized. References to relevant literature support the analysis, providing a comprehensive understanding of the topic.

Running head: CULTURAL IDENTITY AND ALIENATION IN A FOREIGN CULTURE
Cultural Identity and Alienation in a Foreign Culture
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Lost Boys of Sudan brings to light the astonishing tale in relation to two young men
who were orphaned on account of the gruesome 20 year Civil War. It highlights the bitter
experiences that one has to encounter when one has to leave their homeland and embark on
an unknown journey. Their movement to America was marked by good fortune but at the
same time was accompanied by cultural changes. The documentary brings to the fore the
issue of migration and how it affects the lives of people who feel deserted and lost out
(Constantino, 2017).
Peter Dutt along with Santino Chuor survived attacks by lion and militia gunfire in
order to finally reach a refugee camp in Kenya. Finally, they were chosen to move to
America. According to me, while they were in America they were safe from any kind of
physical danger but had to endure hardships on account of the mental friction that they
experienced owing to cultural differences. My family had to move to America from that of
Australia on account of economic reasons and the experiences that I had to encounter are still
fresh in my mind. There were a lot of cultural differences and our family had to completely
change our mental framework in order to assimilate in the new place.
In the film, “What Would It Look Like”, the actor Cliff Curtis remarks that people are
busy involving themselves and are trying to control the minds of other people. People have an
intrinsic urge to dictate other people and control the thinking ability of the people. It has been
seen through ages that the colonizer tries to control the motives and viewpoint of the
colonized and tends to think that the ones who are in the position of power can completely
change the personality of the one who is in the inferior position (Deng & Marlowe, 2013).
The person who is superior tend to think that they are the rightful owners who can treat the
inferior ones like slaves.

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References:
Constantino, R. (2017). Neocolonial identity and counter-consciousness: Essays on cultural
decolonization. Routledge.
Deng, S. A., & Marlowe, J. M. (2013). Refugee resettlement and parenting in a different
context. Journal of Immigrant & Refugee Studies, 11(4), 416-430.