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Article on Lai's piece embracing Trauma (Peter Le)

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Article on Lai's piece embracing Trauma (Peter Le)

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This article talks about Lai's book embracing the topic of the trauma of assimilation since the main character, Ha, experiences these emotional struggles when she leaves Vietnam because of the Vietnam War and starting a new life in America with her family. The trauma that a newcomer like a refugee or immigrant experiences to settle in a different country and trying to assimilate themselves with the language and culture is definitely a difficult struggle to handle as Lai's piece reflects on her own experiences with this trauma. My parents have similar traumatic experiences to the author and the character of this piece since they did struggle through the effects that the Vietnam War has brought while being young children with my dad and his brothers leaving their parents and younger sisters behind to depart Vietnam by little fishing boats in 1975 as a young kid, staying at a refugee camp in Thailand and finally moving to America by a priest who sponsored them. Whereas, my mom along with her family opted to stay in Saigon and live through the harsh conditions once the communist Viet Cong seized full control of the country. With that, I feel Lai's piece takes note of the trauma for refugees really well as I read this text.

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Inside Out and Back Again, a Novel by Thanhha Lai, Explores the Trauma of Assimilation

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Reading multicultural children's literature, whether in teaching to curriculum or reading at home, allows for a progressive approach for a child's learning development by exploring the importance of diversity. Integrating elements of bilingual education through a constructive environment, develops the foundation for building on a child's curiosity and imagination as skills to use for gathering new understandings about belief, culture, language, tradition, and values.

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This article mentions that Hà experienced trauma as the end of the Vietnam War reached her and her family. Besides, it points out how assimilating a new culture also produced trauma and anxiety in the characters as they experience racial discrimination. I like how this article mentions that race issues affect adults and children differently. Overall, I like how the novel portrays the struggles and traumas that adapting and embracing a new culture might include, especially on children, and I think that the novel encourages diversity in children's literature.

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Inside Out and Back Again, a Novel by Thanhha Lai, Explores the Trauma of Assimilation

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Reading multicultural children's literature, whether in teaching to curriculum or reading at home, allows for a progressive approach for a child's learning development by exploring the importance of diversity. Integrating elements of bilingual education through a constructive environment, develops the foundation for building on a child's curiosity and imagination as skills to use for gathering new understandings about belief, culture, language, tradition, and values.

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This article is a book review, but it points out the trauma that Ha had to go through throughout the book. I didn't realize that Inside Out and Back Again was actually based on the author's real experiences. One line of this article that really stuck out to me was "Lai’s “Inside Out & Back Again” paints another, much-needed portrait — one that humanizes what otherwise would be a history-book experience." This line struck me because it made me think of the many people that dealt with the trauma Ha deals with in the book, and Lai dealt with in real life, and how their stories are glossed over and become 1-2 page sections in history books. - Emily McLaughlin

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Inside Out & Back Again

A Novel

Thanhha Lai

HarperCollins: 262 pp., $15.99, ages 8 and older

The United States prides itself on being a melting pot, but the many immigrant stories that make up our uniquely American stew aren't always known and are even less frequently published by the mainstream press. Take Thanhha Lai, who, in her recent National Book Award winner, "Inside Out & Back Again," chronicles her family's move to the U.S. from her native Vietnam in 1975, shortly after the fall of Saigon.

This novel in verse, based on Lai's experiences, is written in a spare, yet accessible style that bears no trace of her struggles to learn English as a 10-year-old immigrant. Told from the perspective of Hà, with the action unfolding in the present tense, the story begins on Feb. 11, the first day of the lunar new year, Tet. According to the fortune teller whom Hà's mother always visited during the annual celebration, her family's life was about to "twist inside out" as the conflict between the Americans and the Viet Cong continued in a civil war.

At first, there's little indication such a prediction will come true. Hà's father had gone missing nine years earlier, but life was otherwise good. Hà's mother had steady work as a secretary and a seamstress, and Hà and her three older brothers were enrolled in school. But when their Vietnamese neighbors could no longer afford clothes, Hà's family felt the effects of their government's unraveling at the seams. Money was scarce and increasingly worthless. Food was less and less available.

"Mother measures rice grains left in the bin. Not enough to last til payday at the end of the month. Her brows twist like laundry being wrung dry. Yam and manioc taste lovely blended with rice, she says, and smiles, as if I don't know how the poor fill their children's bellies," Hà writes in a one-page chapter that, like all the chapters in this book, are short and anchored with a dateline.

It was April 13, just two months since Tet. Two weeks later, each family member packed a home-sewn bag with "one pair of pants, one pair of shorts ... three clumps of cooked rice, one choice." Hà chose to bring a doll. She left behind photographs, the hammock where she napped and the papaya tree she nursed into bearing fruit, and was herded onto an overcrowded boat abandoned by the Vietnamese navy. There she and thousands of other Saigon refugees watched as bombs fell on a city they weren't likely to see again.

It's a chilling scene to even imagine, let alone live through, but Hà's impish and intelligent spirit stop the story from becoming maudlin. Hà's anxiety is grounded by simple physical experiences, such as the daily food ration, as well as her observations and interactions on the boat, where she spends an entire month before being rescued.

"Inside Out & Back Again" is divided into three main parts: Saigon, At Sea and Alabama, where Hà and her family move after being sponsored by a well-meaning "cowboy" without a horse and his disapproving wife.

"Green mats of grass in front of every house. Vast windows in front of sealed curtains. Cement lanes where no one walks. Big cars pass not often. Not a noise. Clean, quiet loneliness" is Hà's experience. But it gets worse when she enters school. Though intelligent and well-raised in her homeland, Hà is relentlessly teased and treated like a pity case. Her home is routinely pelted with eggs and toilet paper and bricks.

It's no wonder Hà thinks: "At times I would choose wartime in Saigon over peacetime in Alabama."

Assimilation isn't an easy experience, but it's rare that readers are given an opportunity to experience its specifics, and rarer still to hear it from a Vietnamese perspective. Lai's fictionalized portrait of Hà may not become as well-known as the Pulitzer-Prize-winning photograph of 9-year-old Phan Thi Kim Phuc running naked and burning from a napalm attack during the Vietnam War. But just as that picture was worth a thousand words, Lai's "Inside Out & Back Again" paints another, much-needed portrait - one that humanizes what otherwise would be a history-book experience.
susan.carpenter@latimes.com

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Inside Out & Back Again A Novel Thanhha Lai HarperCollins: 262 pp., $15.99, ages 8 and older The United States prides itself on being a melting pot, but the many immigrant stories that make up our uniquely American stew aren't always known and are even less frequently published by the mainstream press.

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This website page provides teachers with a lesson plan on the book, Inside Out and Back Again, that can be used in their classrooms to teach students the struggles of coming to a different country where you are not accepted for who you are after having escaped from a harsh reality back in their home country. Identity is very important to the full development of all children, therefore all identities should be acknowledged and respected. Everyone should be accepted and loved for who they are! Moreover, teachers can modify or add things to this lesson plan so that they teach students about intersectionality and trauma as well, especially in a more direct and defined way. Intersectionality and trauma are important things to teach and learn within schools but unfortunately are often left out. This needs to change. Dutro is a leader in leading trauma in literacy/literature classrooms, therefore he is a great resource for teachers to reach out to when being not only a teacher but a healer of children.

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Inside Out and Back Again's Homepage Sabrina Pierce 2020

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Inside Out & Back Again                           Trauma/intersectionality      (Sophia Kruse)

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Inside Out & Back Again                           Trauma/intersectionality      (Sophia Kruse)

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The article shares importance of Ha's home and how it is threatened, "the staggering loss of leaving her home and her father, the indignity of life on a refugee ship, the struggle to find her place in a new land are a story that can be told through food. Her first meals off ship reflect the trauma of eating an entirely unfamiliar cuisine and the pure relief when someone has supplied fish sauce, nuoc mam, for the use of the refugees." Mainly focusing on the food being a direct reflection to ones culture, or a facet of your intentional identity. The website also gives a review on why they believe its a good book for younger readers and what to expect as well a few discussion ideas you can lead to your own class while teaching.

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Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai

For Ha, the staggering loss of leaving her home and her father, the indignity of life on a refugee ship, the struggle to find her place in a new land are a story that can be told through food.

She grapples with complex situations and emotions and throughout. The story of her journey also one sustenance. As her home in Vietnam is threatened, food becomes more scarce, sweet potatoes stretching rice to make meals last longer. Leaving as a refugee doesn't just mean abandoning her home and life, it means leaving the beautiful unripe green papayas still growing in her yard. The journey by ship certainly details the difficulties of bathing and bathroom use, but it is the moldy handfuls of rice stowed consumed while smelling the delicacies hoarded by shipmates that render Ha the most homesick. Her first meals off ship reflect the trauma of eating an entirely unfamiliar cuisine and the pure relief when someone has supplied fish sauce, nuoc mam, for the use of the refugees. As Ha and her family settle in, their hopes and aspirations are tempered by disappointments, often reflected in the foods, the fried chicken which has an alluring crust is texturally wrong for people used to eating poultry fresh from their own yards. As Ha finally begins to feel at home, her crushing disappointment at being given dried papaya is alleviated by her mother's clever solution to soak the pieces to make them closer to fresh.

Books connect in different ways to each reader. Some will surely associate most with Ha's lunches, spent hiding in school bathrooms, her skin color leaving her somewhere in between the two main groups of children. Others will appreciate her neighbor who provides her a safe environment for working on her English. The protection given Ha by her brothers will strike a chord many. I know many young girls will bristle at Ha's Mother's proclamation that "only male feet can bring luck" just as Ha does. As a reader, I cannot resist books about food, the ones that make your mouth water with longing (and yes, if you have good access to Vietnamese food, you might want to plan a dinner out in Ha's honor after reading this) and so the way that Thanhha Lai used food to help describe Ha's journey spoke to me.

Great for: We are currently facing a major worldwide refugee crisis, so this is a very timely read. If you want to get readers thinking about what it means to leave your home, what challenges will be faced by refugees, this is a great starting place. In particular, the way that Ha's family was sponsored by an American family is quite similar to how the Syrian refugees are being handled in parts of the world. Reading this in conjunction with recent articles would provide a great opportunity for comparison, especially with older readers. A major point of discussion should be how Ha's family is awaiting sponsorship, longer than some others, because in America people are more willing to help Christians. This is definitely something to reflect upon in relation to the current refugee situation.

Age Recommendation: Grades 3 and up Despite the difficult topic of a father missing during wartime, I would feel completely comfortable reading this with third graders and I've certainly taught many who would have been strong enough readers to enjoy it. I don't know that there's really an upper limit on who would enjoy it, I think it could be very useful for even middle school and high school students. There's nothing babyish about it and it will resonate with ELL readers.

Sex, Nudity, Dating - None.
Profanity - None.
Death, Violence and Gore - War is coming. The presidential palace in bombed. Bombs fall, gunfire can be heard. A baby chick dies, it is carried dead, with someone for quite some time. People try to commit suicide (one tries to throw herself off a ship, another stabs himself with a toothbrush). At school a girl is pushed and touched. She is followed home. A brick is thrown through a window with a threatening note. Students are shown a photo of a burned, naked girl, of skeletal refugees. A girl's hair is pulled, not as a tease, but in violent bullying. A student fights back after being bullied.
Drugs, Alcohol and Smoking - An American man smokes a cigar and chews tobacco.
Frightening or Intense Things - Her father was captured. His fate unknown. Families are poor and don't have enough food. The family's house is egged, their yard toilet papered. A child is teased and mocked. They decide to say goodbye to their father despite not knowing his fate.

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Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai For Ha, the staggering loss of leaving her home and her father, the indignity of life on a refugee ship, the struggle to find her place in a new land are a story that can be told through food.

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This article is a book review that shares the trauma that Ha went through. She experienced trauma as the Vietnam War reached her and her family and they had to decide whether to stay or go. If they leave their home country, they would be consider as refugees. One line that really stood out to me was "But it gets worse when she enters school. Though intelligent and well-raised in her homeland, Hà is relentlessly teased and treated like a pity case. Her home is routinely pelted with eggs and toilet paper and bricks."  This line stood out to me because the universal refugee experience consists of fear of being victimize of their race, religion, or being a member of a particular social group and its important that we incorporate books on refugee to help others understand the effect of trauma on school functioning. -April Yang

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Inside Out & Back Again

A Novel

Thanhha Lai

HarperCollins: 262 pp., $15.99, ages 8 and older

The United States prides itself on being a melting pot, but the many immigrant stories that make up our uniquely American stew aren't always known and are even less frequently published by the mainstream press. Take Thanhha Lai, who, in her recent National Book Award winner, "Inside Out & Back Again," chronicles her family's move to the U.S. from her native Vietnam in 1975, shortly after the fall of Saigon.

This novel in verse, based on Lai's experiences, is written in a spare, yet accessible style that bears no trace of her struggles to learn English as a 10-year-old immigrant. Told from the perspective of Hà, with the action unfolding in the present tense, the story begins on Feb. 11, the first day of the lunar new year, Tet. According to the fortune teller whom Hà's mother always visited during the annual celebration, her family's life was about to "twist inside out" as the conflict between the Americans and the Viet Cong continued in a civil war.

At first, there's little indication such a prediction will come true. Hà's father had gone missing nine years earlier, but life was otherwise good. Hà's mother had steady work as a secretary and a seamstress, and Hà and her three older brothers were enrolled in school. But when their Vietnamese neighbors could no longer afford clothes, Hà's family felt the effects of their government's unraveling at the seams. Money was scarce and increasingly worthless. Food was less and less available.

"Mother measures rice grains left in the bin. Not enough to last til payday at the end of the month. Her brows twist like laundry being wrung dry. Yam and manioc taste lovely blended with rice, she says, and smiles, as if I don't know how the poor fill their children's bellies," Hà writes in a one-page chapter that, like all the chapters in this book, are short and anchored with a dateline.

It was April 13, just two months since Tet. Two weeks later, each family member packed a home-sewn bag with "one pair of pants, one pair of shorts ... three clumps of cooked rice, one choice." Hà chose to bring a doll. She left behind photographs, the hammock where she napped and the papaya tree she nursed into bearing fruit, and was herded onto an overcrowded boat abandoned by the Vietnamese navy. There she and thousands of other Saigon refugees watched as bombs fell on a city they weren't likely to see again.

It's a chilling scene to even imagine, let alone live through, but Hà's impish and intelligent spirit stop the story from becoming maudlin. Hà's anxiety is grounded by simple physical experiences, such as the daily food ration, as well as her observations and interactions on the boat, where she spends an entire month before being rescued.

"Inside Out & Back Again" is divided into three main parts: Saigon, At Sea and Alabama, where Hà and her family move after being sponsored by a well-meaning "cowboy" without a horse and his disapproving wife.

"Green mats of grass in front of every house. Vast windows in front of sealed curtains. Cement lanes where no one walks. Big cars pass not often. Not a noise. Clean, quiet loneliness" is Hà's experience. But it gets worse when she enters school. Though intelligent and well-raised in her homeland, Hà is relentlessly teased and treated like a pity case. Her home is routinely pelted with eggs and toilet paper and bricks.

It's no wonder Hà thinks: "At times I would choose wartime in Saigon over peacetime in Alabama."

Assimilation isn't an easy experience, but it's rare that readers are given an opportunity to experience its specifics, and rarer still to hear it from a Vietnamese perspective. Lai's fictionalized portrait of Hà may not become as well-known as the Pulitzer-Prize-winning photograph of 9-year-old Phan Thi Kim Phuc running naked and burning from a napalm attack during the Vietnam War. But just as that picture was worth a thousand words, Lai's "Inside Out & Back Again" paints another, much-needed portrait - one that humanizes what otherwise would be a history-book experience.
susan.carpenter@latimes.com

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Inside Out & Back Again A Novel Thanhha Lai HarperCollins: 262 pp., $15.99, ages 8 and older The United States prides itself on being a melting pot, but the many immigrant stories that make up our uniquely American stew aren't always known and are even less frequently published by the mainstream press.

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Article on processing childhood trauma in "Inside Out and Back Again" (Coriander Johnson) 

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Article on processing childhood trauma in "Inside Out and Back Again" (Coriander Johnson) 

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This article talks about the challenges that Ha faces when she flees from her home and ends up in America. The challenges and changes that come all to quickly for a young girl only 10 years old at the time. From the loss of her father before she could even remember him to be stranded on a boat for 3 weeks with little to no food to then living in America with no sense of familiarity. Her mom, three brothers, and her have to learn and adapt to a new way of life before they can ever truly process what is happening.

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Childhood

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Immigration Childhood Trauma and the Process in "Inside Out and Back Again" by Thanhha Lai

Introduction

The novel by "Inside Out and Back Again" by Thanhha Lai has a detailed explanation of experiences of assimilation derived from the story of Ha, a small girl, who describes what she went through and the struggles she underwent towards the end of the Vietnam War at a time she lived in Saigon. The girl gives an account of the hard times she underwent with her family during the time they were leaving Vietnam after the war to start a new life in America. Her family had to leave behind a lot of their belongings, considering that it was hard for them to carry all they owned during their immigration. The paper will elaborate on the life experiences of Ha and her family. To tell about the childhood trauma that she experienced during their migration after the Vietnam War.

Early Life in Vietnam

The journey from Vietnam to America was full of struggles which Ha indicates that they were excessive for them to overcome. They came from a culture that is very specific in any matter to do with properties and it was hard for Ha's mother to agree to the fact that they were indeed leaving behind all they had acquired during their stay in Vietnam. Ha was particularly disturbed by the mixed feelings developed by his mother and his brother when contemplating whether they should leave Vietnam or not. Her mother was substantially convinced that Vietnam was their home and that they were not supposed to leave. His brother was particularly disturbed by the undignified manner in which they were living a country they had lived for quite long. He was particularly concerned that they were supposed to remain in Vietnam and take part in rebuilding the country now that the war had ended (Lai 12). The confusion of her family members subjected her to some levels of psychological trauma, noting that their migration was not welcomed. The refugees living in the camps were experiencing a number of challenges, some of which Ha narrates.
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The life in the refugee camp was temporal considering that it was basically used to hold refugees as they awaited their departure to other destinations. Ha must have known that the refugee camp was not their home which must have introduced some stress in her life and is associated with the trauma she sustained during their immigration. Despite the fact that Ha's mother wanted them to remain in Vietnam; she was also concerned about relocating to a place that assured her kids success in the future. Ha thus lived in a family that was torn between remaining behind leaving to other places. She was not sure of what was to happen to her life and their family, which must have traumatized her to some extent. It was sad that the refugees just hoped that things were expected to get better after leaving Vietnam considering that they did not have any other option as they were being forced out of the refugee camp (Lai 20). They were expected to get started on new lives upon leaving Vietnam, something that they were not sure whether they were to succeed or not. The process of assimilation subjected the refugees to a lot of anxiety and trauma which negatively affected their daily lives.

Assimilation and Associated Experiences

The assimilation occurring was characterized by racial stereotyping as characters were being introduced to new cultures different from what they were used to. According to Ha, it is evident that cultural differences have a lot of impact on the assimilation process, where children are mostly affected. Ha was born and brought up in Vietnam, where she had become used to the traditions and customs practiced there. Upon immigration to America, it turned hard for her to get well with the American culture especially when interacting with the children from the American origin. At one point, Ha indicates that she was traumatized when she was asked whether she comes from a culture that is known to eat dogs (Lai 34). Such a question indicates that the Americans held a negative perception about the Vietnams, where they believed that they lived in the jungle, making them develop an impression that they used to eat wild animals such as dogs. Such a description must have tortured Ha psychologically by making her think that she was no t supposed to live in America.

Ha lacked an option to run away from the new culture in America and she made every effort to understand it as the only way she could interact with her peers. The process of assimilation was not an easy one as Ha had to ignore the wrongs done to her by the American children. She got herself thinking about the kind of life they used to have back in Vietnam but there was nothing she could do about it. It is very possible that Ha had a lot of friends in Vietnam whom they shared a lot of similarities in terms of traditions and practices. With such friends, Ha did not experience segregation and mistreatment in Vietnam, similar to what she experienced in America. Ha relates the happenings in their family with both the Tet and the alternating Lunar year. The story begins with a celebration of Tet which matches well with happy life Ha used to enjoy while living in the refugee camp and end with lunar which compares with the struggles that she experiences after moving to America. The ups and downs she faces in her tender age are indicative of some of the life struggles that children have to bear within the process of being brought up. Ha's story has some moral lessons that are positive and opposite to the childhood trauma that she experienced following the immigration.

Moral Lessons

Ha's explanation of the hardships she faced during and after immigration has some moral lessons in teaching on the importance of cultural integration as the right way to appreciate and accommodate the associated diversities. Ha indeed faced a lot of challenges after they settled in America when interacting with her age mates but she remained focused on learning about the new culture. She was disturbed by the fact that she seemed strange and regarded with some inhumanity. Still, she was determined to learn about the American culture as the only way she could be successfully assimilated. The story is a confirmation that there are negative consequences of cultural differences that have adverse effects on the lives of children and thus the need to accommodate them as an excellent way to foster the integration of people from different cultures.

Perseverance is another moral lesson deduced from the Ha's experiences right from their time in Vietnam and their later life after settling in America. They used to live in a refugee camp but she seems to have good memories of the kind of life they had in Vietnam despite the oppressive life her parents led. She seemed to sympathize with her mother, who was initially in a dilemma deciding on whether they were to leave Vietnam for America or to remain. She was keen to note that his brother was disturbed by their immigration but there is nothing she could do about it but she stood by them throughout the migration and their later settlement in America. She also withstood the mistreatment she received in America and was committed to learning the attributes of the new culture as the only way to get accepted in the new environment.

Comparison

The case of Ha is similar to the case of Dani in the book 'We Set the Dark on Fire,' who is subjected to dilemma after she is chosen for marriage with a son of a chief military strategist, destined to be appointed the president. It was traumatizing after she realized that she had actually been stolen soon after birth a brought up in secrecy(Quealy 214). As far as it was good luck for her to be chosen to marry a man who was to become a president, it was also hurting to her knowing that her selection was strategic as she was expected to be a spy the man after he became the president. Such a scenario was traumatizing in the sense that; Dani had an interest in establishing a good family with the man while at the same time being a spy. Being a spy meant that she was supposed to share some secrets with the enemies who had made every effort to make sure that she got married to the president. Marriage is a sensitive affair and there should be no external influence or force that should come between two people who are in love. It was a great deal for Dani to be selected to marry the president but she was traumatized by the fact she could not be royal to his husband as she was required to report the proceedings and some secrets to the enemies.

It was also traumatizing for Dani in that Carmen was chosen to be her aide despite the fact they were enemies because the latter had continuously bullied Dani for long during their days in college. Dani was lucky to have been selected to marry a prospective presidential candidate but she did not have a hand in choosing people who could assist her in the roles of a president's wife. Such a happening means that she was strategically placed in the marriage to serve secretive roles as opposed to what is expected of a married woman. It was more hurting, noting that her marriage was conditional and that she did not have the full right to make decisions in her family. It is more hurting that she was forced to work with a longtime enemy considering that the trained girls could only be given in pair to rich men. It was more hurting noting Dani was trained to be a social manager and Carmen was trained in matters of beauty and bearing children. Such a thing means that Carmen was meant to enjoy more time with the president than Dani who was strategically expected to manage the social affairs of the president (Quealy 218). There is a pain in getting into a marriage that has restrictions on marital issues and this must have subjected Dani to some kind of trauma.

Conclusion

The life experiences of HA subjected her to lots of childhood trauma right from their stay at Vietnam to their stay in America. In Vietnam, she was traumatized by the fact that her mother and brother were in a dilemma in deciding on whether to stay behind or leave for America. She was particularly concerned that her mother was disturbed by the fact that immigration would force them to leave all they own behind to get started in a new life in America. In America, Ha experienced hurting moments as she was significantly segregated by her new friends, who had a negative perception of their culture. The need to embrace cultural diversity and perseverance are evident moral lessons from Ha's story. Her traumatizing life experience is comparable with the life experiences of Dani who is selected for marriage to an incoming president but her rights as a woman are defined and limited. She is just required to be a manager of the social affairs of her husband, in addition to being a spy. She had to share the husband with her enemy Carmen, who was strategically meant for beauty and child-bearing roles.

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Immigration Childhood Trauma and the Process in "Inside Out and Back Again" by Thanhha Lai | Eddusaver

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Childhood Any subject. Any type of essay. We'll even meet a 3-hour deadline. GET YOUR PRICE writers online Immigration Childhood Trauma and the Process in "Inside Out and Back Again" by Thanhha Lai Introduction The novel by "Inside Out and Back Again" by Thanhha Lai has a detailed explanation of experiences of assimilation derived from the story of Ha, a small girl, who describes what she went through and the struggles she underwent towards the end of the Vietnam War at a time she lived in Saigon.

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BLOG: Gender Representations in Children's Literature

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In this blog the author, Lisa Johnson, summarizes the whole plot that the various individual poems are portraying. In her analysis she mentions the struggles that HA faces with gender roles in relation to society, her role in her family, and in her education. Another identity that is identifies in this blog that is seen in the poems include that of race, ethnicity and inherently the culture that is shown through marriage, and moving to America and experiencing American culture. Lastly, language, is another identity mentioned, Johnson introduced the struggle Ha had learning English when moving to America. The author also describes how Ha felt about the different discriminations she faced and how she tried to overcome the discriminations. All of the aspects of identity mentioned by Lisa Johnson in her blog connect to the topic of intersectionality because she is identifying the different challenges that Ha is facing with her different intersecting identities and how they all come together to turn her world "inside out." -Natalia Casillas

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Click here to read a snippet from Inside Out and Back Again!

Inside Out and Back Again is the story of ten-year-old Hà's journey from Saigon during the Vietnam War to Alabama. Hà's story is greatly infused with patriarchal values, particularly those that derive from her home country. However, Hà typically opposes those values and does not succumb to the prescribed gender roles of her society. While gender roles are very prominent in this novel, many of the themes of the other books infiltrate through the novel, particularly the themes of new beginnings, learning to let go while holding on to what is most important, loving your enemies, tolerance, self-acceptance, and the discovery of what one is capable of when called upon.

Inside Out and Back Again was one of the most deeply relatable novels I have ever read. I primarily attribute this to the style in which Lai chose to write it. The novel is comprised of a series of poems in the form of diary entries. This form provides extensive insight into the protagonist's mind. Because the poems in the story are private works written by the protagonist, there is no doubt that the narrator is reliable. More than any other book I have read thus far for my research, I felt that I was able to get into the protagonist's mind. The novel often takes on a confessional tone. Every one of Hà's virtues and flaws are so honestly portrayed that I found myself embracing them as my own. The fact that the novel is based on Lai's personal experiences when she was a girl may play part in its frank tone. Like One Crazy Summer, Inside Out and Back Again often stigmatized my race. However, I was so deeply enraptured in Hà's mind that I never found offense It was as if her mind became my own. Because of this, I believe that the style of this book makes it relatable despite its sometimes negative portrayal of different races and genders.

Hà comes from an extremely patriarchal society, which manifests in various forms. The marriage of Hà's parents was arranged, the work that women do in the novel typically involves sewing, cooking, and embroidery, and men in the novel hold very distinct power and respect. Hà's father is treated as almost godlike. They have a shrine for him in their home, and Hà often daydreams of showing him off to her classmates "in a white navy uniform [...] extend[ing] his hand toward [her] / for all [of them] to see" (31). When choosing which country to escape to while fleeing their own, the mother determines that America will have the best colleges for her sons to attend. She does not even consider Hà's education. While Hà's mother typically embraces the patriarchal ideals in her society, having to raise four children on her own leads her to embrace both gender roles in parenting. She is kind and supportive, but also very firm. She is also the sole provider in her family and financially supports them by making baby clothes.

Hà despises her differential treatment due to her gender and does what she can to contest it. However, she often does not try to prove her capabilities to anyone but herself. The story begins the day before the new year, when "[a]n old, angry knot / expand[s] in [Hà's] throat" when her Mother insists that one of her brothers wake up early to "bless [their] house / because only male feet / can bring luck" (Lai 2). Her resentfulness toward the limitations placed on Hà purely because of her gender causes her defy her mother's wishes. She "decide[s] / to wake before dawn / and tap [her] big toe / to the tile floor / first" (3). No one ever finds out that she does this. It is her secret that she keeps to herself. It is important to Hà that she can prove to herself that she is capable of anything of which a boy is capable.

Hà is one of four and is the only girl in her family. Because she is not able to participate in activities that her brothers do, she "[w]ish[es] [she] had a sister / to jump rope with / and sew doll clothes / and hug for warmth / in the middle of the night" (30). She feels extremely limited in her actions and activities and yearns to "do what boys do / and let the sun darken [her] skin, / and scars grid [her] knees" (30). Hà knows that her desires deviate from the status quo. While she often feels guilty for them, she does not how to control her longing to be treated equally. She claims that she does not blame her mother for wanting her to be more demure, but she does not know how to act in any other way. She says that "other girls / must be made of bamboo, / bending whichever way / they are told" (74). It is not until Hà comes to America that she experiences more equality for her gender.

However, before this occurs, Hà experiences many struggles with letting go of her old life and holding on to what is most important to her. The struggles she faces due to her race reminded me of those that Esperanza faced in her journey from Mexico to America. Both girls were very well read in their old countries, yet are perceived as unintelligent in America merely because they are minorities and struggle with the language. Furthermore, both girls experience the loss of their father, learn how to let go of the past, and optimistically approach a new future. They learn to love and accept themselves despite the feelings of others. Just as Esperanza, Hà initially despises the changes in her life, she despises American culture, detests their food, and claims to learn for the first time "what dumb feels like" (157) when she struggles to speak English in school. However, just as they strengthen Esperanza, these struggles make Hà stronger.

This is where the title of the novel ties together a theme could potentially otherwise go unnoticed. For most of the novel, Hà's feels as though her life is turned entirely inside out. Just as many other protagonists whose stories I have analyzed just far, she loses nearly everything that is dear to her. She loses her beloved papaya tree, her best friend, her country, and everything that made her who she thought she was. To Hà, these losses have stolen her identity with them. However, after her experiences turn her old identity "inside out," she comes "back again" to herself, but in a newer, and much stronger way. Hà learns what to hold onto, what to let go, and is a far stronger person because of her experiences. Before moving to America, Hà was sometimes selfish and rude. She even enjoyed bullying her classmates. However, after she experiences the struggles of being bullied, she learns to abstain from such behavior. She also learns to stand up for herself in areas in which she does not necessarily have the upper hand, such as when she stands up to the school bully. By the end of the story, Hà says that she has "truly learn[ed] / to fly-kick, / [but] not to kick anyone / so much as / to fly" (260). Meaning that she has learned to take responsibilities for her challenges, to allow herself to soar above them, and not to find power by putting down others.

Another way that Hà is able to find a new and stronger identity is by the opportunities that her gender has in America that she did not have in Saigon. Before leaving her country, only her brothers were encouraged to get an education or jobs, but she and her family soon realize the new opportunities that lay in store for her. When Hà's brother Vu Lee decides to be a chef rather than apply for a "real college" (255), their mother is disappointed because she has always wanted to have an engineer, a doctor, and a lawyer. Rather than dismissing Hà's capabilities because of her gender, she turns to Hà and says, "You love to argue, right?" (256) in hopes that Hà will fulfill her dream. Becoming a lawyer was not an option for Hà in her old country, and although she declines her mother's offer, she takes pride in knowing that she has the option to be a lawyer if she wishes.

What Hà learns is what many of the other characters in the books that I have read for this study learn. She learns to accept and embrace change as an opportunity for growth because nothing is permanent in her life except for herself.

Lai, Thanhha. Inside Out and Back Again. 2011. New York: HarperCollins Publishers. Print.

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Gender Representations in Children's Literature

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Click here to read a snippet from Inside Out and Back Again! Inside Out and Back Again is the story of ten-year-old Hà's journey from Saigon during the Vietnam War to Alabama. Hà's story is greatly infused with patriarchal values, particularly those that derive from her home country.

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This link provides textual instructions along with videos to help readers and students guide their critical thinking and comprehension about Inside Out & Back Again. Before going into what the book is about, the library staff go into a time of an informative lesson and discussion on the themes about this book such as refugees, war, culture, history of Vietnam, and more. The staff also read the parts of the book to dive into other discussions related to the passage, which I think is a great way to have students comprehend the respective page as a mirror, window, or sliding door. This link can serve to be a segway to hold discussions about traumas and intersectionality mainly because of how raw and intimate this story is despite the author’s simple use of words. I strongly believe that because of how this book is based on personal experiences, the responses to future discussions would be a lot more personalized especially since each student is made up of different cultural backgrounds and perspectives on things.

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Trauma, & Lai’s Inside Out and Back Again

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Trauma, & Lai’s Inside Out and Back Again

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This article talks about the trauma that author Ha went through. It includes the passage where she is forced to leave her hometown, leaving behind many of the belongings that have been attached to her. She witnessed the bombs falling on the city and the things she went through on the boat. The author of this article also mentioned a trauma Ha went through when people asked her if she came from a culture known to eat dogs. Overall, Inside Out & Back Again is an inspiring and instructive novel. It offers several themes and lessons about culture, war, friendship, and family. This article is also very detailed in general, I think we can use it as a reference in teaching. -Tin Ma

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Inside Out & Back Again - The Classroom Bookshelf

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Inside Out & Back Again Written by Thanhha Lai Published by HarperCollins Children’s Books, 2011 ISBN # 9780061962783 Grades 4 and up Book Review The last thing ten year-old Hà expects is that her life as she knows it will fall apart. But that is precisely what happens in 1975 as Saigon…

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Inside Out & Back Again

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Trauma: Citlali Martinez
I found this paper that analyzes the reading "Inside out and Back Again". This essay does a good job of really breaking down all the possible moments that trauma can be found in the reading. For example, the example of  the little girl who may have been traumitized of being forced out of her home and leaving all of her precious belongings and memories behind, only to later find out that there was nothing left behind. I think this essay does a good job of summarizing the key points in where trauma was noticed in the story.

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Childhood

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Immigration Childhood Trauma and the Process in "Inside Out and Back Again" by Thanhha Lai

Introduction

The novel by "Inside Out and Back Again" by Thanhha Lai has a detailed explanation of experiences of assimilation derived from the story of Ha, a small girl, who describes what she went through and the struggles she underwent towards the end of the Vietnam War at a time she lived in Saigon. The girl gives an account of the hard times she underwent with her family during the time they were leaving Vietnam after the war to start a new life in America. Her family had to leave behind a lot of their belongings, considering that it was hard for them to carry all they owned during their immigration. The paper will elaborate on the life experiences of Ha and her family. To tell about the childhood trauma that she experienced during their migration after the Vietnam War.

Early Life in Vietnam

The journey from Vietnam to America was full of struggles which Ha indicates that they were excessive for them to overcome. They came from a culture that is very specific in any matter to do with properties and it was hard for Ha's mother to agree to the fact that they were indeed leaving behind all they had acquired during their stay in Vietnam. Ha was particularly disturbed by the mixed feelings developed by his mother and his brother when contemplating whether they should leave Vietnam or not. Her mother was substantially convinced that Vietnam was their home and that they were not supposed to leave. His brother was particularly disturbed by the undignified manner in which they were living a country they had lived for quite long. He was particularly concerned that they were supposed to remain in Vietnam and take part in rebuilding the country now that the war had ended (Lai 12). The confusion of her family members subjected her to some levels of psychological trauma, noting that their migration was not welcomed. The refugees living in the camps were experiencing a number of challenges, some of which Ha narrates.
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The life in the refugee camp was temporal considering that it was basically used to hold refugees as they awaited their departure to other destinations. Ha must have known that the refugee camp was not their home which must have introduced some stress in her life and is associated with the trauma she sustained during their immigration. Despite the fact that Ha's mother wanted them to remain in Vietnam; she was also concerned about relocating to a place that assured her kids success in the future. Ha thus lived in a family that was torn between remaining behind leaving to other places. She was not sure of what was to happen to her life and their family, which must have traumatized her to some extent. It was sad that the refugees just hoped that things were expected to get better after leaving Vietnam considering that they did not have any other option as they were being forced out of the refugee camp (Lai 20). They were expected to get started on new lives upon leaving Vietnam, something that they were not sure whether they were to succeed or not. The process of assimilation subjected the refugees to a lot of anxiety and trauma which negatively affected their daily lives.

Assimilation and Associated Experiences

The assimilation occurring was characterized by racial stereotyping as characters were being introduced to new cultures different from what they were used to. According to Ha, it is evident that cultural differences have a lot of impact on the assimilation process, where children are mostly affected. Ha was born and brought up in Vietnam, where she had become used to the traditions and customs practiced there. Upon immigration to America, it turned hard for her to get well with the American culture especially when interacting with the children from the American origin. At one point, Ha indicates that she was traumatized when she was asked whether she comes from a culture that is known to eat dogs (Lai 34). Such a question indicates that the Americans held a negative perception about the Vietnams, where they believed that they lived in the jungle, making them develop an impression that they used to eat wild animals such as dogs. Such a description must have tortured Ha psychologically by making her think that she was no t supposed to live in America.

Ha lacked an option to run away from the new culture in America and she made every effort to understand it as the only way she could interact with her peers. The process of assimilation was not an easy one as Ha had to ignore the wrongs done to her by the American children. She got herself thinking about the kind of life they used to have back in Vietnam but there was nothing she could do about it. It is very possible that Ha had a lot of friends in Vietnam whom they shared a lot of similarities in terms of traditions and practices. With such friends, Ha did not experience segregation and mistreatment in Vietnam, similar to what she experienced in America. Ha relates the happenings in their family with both the Tet and the alternating Lunar year. The story begins with a celebration of Tet which matches well with happy life Ha used to enjoy while living in the refugee camp and end with lunar which compares with the struggles that she experiences after moving to America. The ups and downs she faces in her tender age are indicative of some of the life struggles that children have to bear within the process of being brought up. Ha's story has some moral lessons that are positive and opposite to the childhood trauma that she experienced following the immigration.

Moral Lessons

Ha's explanation of the hardships she faced during and after immigration has some moral lessons in teaching on the importance of cultural integration as the right way to appreciate and accommodate the associated diversities. Ha indeed faced a lot of challenges after they settled in America when interacting with her age mates but she remained focused on learning about the new culture. She was disturbed by the fact that she seemed strange and regarded with some inhumanity. Still, she was determined to learn about the American culture as the only way she could be successfully assimilated. The story is a confirmation that there are negative consequences of cultural differences that have adverse effects on the lives of children and thus the need to accommodate them as an excellent way to foster the integration of people from different cultures.

Perseverance is another moral lesson deduced from the Ha's experiences right from their time in Vietnam and their later life after settling in America. They used to live in a refugee camp but she seems to have good memories of the kind of life they had in Vietnam despite the oppressive life her parents led. She seemed to sympathize with her mother, who was initially in a dilemma deciding on whether they were to leave Vietnam for America or to remain. She was keen to note that his brother was disturbed by their immigration but there is nothing she could do about it but she stood by them throughout the migration and their later settlement in America. She also withstood the mistreatment she received in America and was committed to learning the attributes of the new culture as the only way to get accepted in the new environment.

Comparison

The case of Ha is similar to the case of Dani in the book 'We Set the Dark on Fire,' who is subjected to dilemma after she is chosen for marriage with a son of a chief military strategist, destined to be appointed the president. It was traumatizing after she realized that she had actually been stolen soon after birth a brought up in secrecy(Quealy 214). As far as it was good luck for her to be chosen to marry a man who was to become a president, it was also hurting to her knowing that her selection was strategic as she was expected to be a spy the man after he became the president. Such a scenario was traumatizing in the sense that; Dani had an interest in establishing a good family with the man while at the same time being a spy. Being a spy meant that she was supposed to share some secrets with the enemies who had made every effort to make sure that she got married to the president. Marriage is a sensitive affair and there should be no external influence or force that should come between two people who are in love. It was a great deal for Dani to be selected to marry the president but she was traumatized by the fact she could not be royal to his husband as she was required to report the proceedings and some secrets to the enemies.

It was also traumatizing for Dani in that Carmen was chosen to be her aide despite the fact they were enemies because the latter had continuously bullied Dani for long during their days in college. Dani was lucky to have been selected to marry a prospective presidential candidate but she did not have a hand in choosing people who could assist her in the roles of a president's wife. Such a happening means that she was strategically placed in the marriage to serve secretive roles as opposed to what is expected of a married woman. It was more hurting, noting that her marriage was conditional and that she did not have the full right to make decisions in her family. It is more hurting that she was forced to work with a longtime enemy considering that the trained girls could only be given in pair to rich men. It was more hurting noting Dani was trained to be a social manager and Carmen was trained in matters of beauty and bearing children. Such a thing means that Carmen was meant to enjoy more time with the president than Dani who was strategically expected to manage the social affairs of the president (Quealy 218). There is a pain in getting into a marriage that has restrictions on marital issues and this must have subjected Dani to some kind of trauma.

Conclusion

The life experiences of HA subjected her to lots of childhood trauma right from their stay at Vietnam to their stay in America. In Vietnam, she was traumatized by the fact that her mother and brother were in a dilemma in deciding on whether to stay behind or leave for America. She was particularly concerned that her mother was disturbed by the fact that immigration would force them to leave all they own behind to get started in a new life in America. In America, Ha experienced hurting moments as she was significantly segregated by her new friends, who had a negative perception of their culture. The need to embrace cultural diversity and perseverance are evident moral lessons from Ha's story. Her traumatizing life experience is comparable with the life experiences of Dani who is selected for marriage to an incoming president but her rights as a woman are defined and limited. She is just required to be a manager of the social affairs of her husband, in addition to being a spy. She had to share the husband with her enemy Carmen, who was strategically meant for beauty and child-bearing roles.

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Immigration Childhood Trauma and the Process in "Inside Out and Back Again" by Thanhha Lai | Eddusaver

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Childhood Any subject. Any type of essay. We'll even meet a 3-hour deadline. GET YOUR PRICE writers online Immigration Childhood Trauma and the Process in "Inside Out and Back Again" by Thanhha Lai Introduction The novel by "Inside Out and Back Again" by Thanhha Lai has a detailed explanation of experiences of assimilation derived from the story of Ha, a small girl, who describes what she went through and the struggles she underwent towards the end of the Vietnam War at a time she lived in Saigon.

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This article is a book review that takes a deeper look at Ha's experience in Vietnam and compares that to her experiences in Alabama after she and her family travel to the United States. Carpenter talks about her experiences with fear and racism after immigrating because of the community in Alabama that she was located in. She faces a lot of discrimination because on top of being a refugee she is also a girl and Vietnamese in Alabama where the people aren't very accepting or welcoming of others.  The article quotes a really powerful line of the book “At times I would choose wartime in Saigon over peacetime in Alabama.” and I think that it speaks volumes about how hard life really was for ha and her family. -Daniella Carrera

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Inside Out & Back Again

A Novel

Thanhha Lai

HarperCollins: 262 pp., $15.99, ages 8 and older

The United States prides itself on being a melting pot, but the many immigrant stories that make up our uniquely American stew aren't always known and are even less frequently published by the mainstream press. Take Thanhha Lai, who, in her recent National Book Award winner, "Inside Out & Back Again," chronicles her family's move to the U.S. from her native Vietnam in 1975, shortly after the fall of Saigon.

This novel in verse, based on Lai's experiences, is written in a spare, yet accessible style that bears no trace of her struggles to learn English as a 10-year-old immigrant. Told from the perspective of Hà, with the action unfolding in the present tense, the story begins on Feb. 11, the first day of the lunar new year, Tet. According to the fortune teller whom Hà's mother always visited during the annual celebration, her family's life was about to "twist inside out" as the conflict between the Americans and the Viet Cong continued in a civil war.

At first, there's little indication such a prediction will come true. Hà's father had gone missing nine years earlier, but life was otherwise good. Hà's mother had steady work as a secretary and a seamstress, and Hà and her three older brothers were enrolled in school. But when their Vietnamese neighbors could no longer afford clothes, Hà's family felt the effects of their government's unraveling at the seams. Money was scarce and increasingly worthless. Food was less and less available.

"Mother measures rice grains left in the bin. Not enough to last til payday at the end of the month. Her brows twist like laundry being wrung dry. Yam and manioc taste lovely blended with rice, she says, and smiles, as if I don't know how the poor fill their children's bellies," Hà writes in a one-page chapter that, like all the chapters in this book, are short and anchored with a dateline.

It was April 13, just two months since Tet. Two weeks later, each family member packed a home-sewn bag with "one pair of pants, one pair of shorts ... three clumps of cooked rice, one choice." Hà chose to bring a doll. She left behind photographs, the hammock where she napped and the papaya tree she nursed into bearing fruit, and was herded onto an overcrowded boat abandoned by the Vietnamese navy. There she and thousands of other Saigon refugees watched as bombs fell on a city they weren't likely to see again.

It's a chilling scene to even imagine, let alone live through, but Hà's impish and intelligent spirit stop the story from becoming maudlin. Hà's anxiety is grounded by simple physical experiences, such as the daily food ration, as well as her observations and interactions on the boat, where she spends an entire month before being rescued.

"Inside Out & Back Again" is divided into three main parts: Saigon, At Sea and Alabama, where Hà and her family move after being sponsored by a well-meaning "cowboy" without a horse and his disapproving wife.

"Green mats of grass in front of every house. Vast windows in front of sealed curtains. Cement lanes where no one walks. Big cars pass not often. Not a noise. Clean, quiet loneliness" is Hà's experience. But it gets worse when she enters school. Though intelligent and well-raised in her homeland, Hà is relentlessly teased and treated like a pity case. Her home is routinely pelted with eggs and toilet paper and bricks.

It's no wonder Hà thinks: "At times I would choose wartime in Saigon over peacetime in Alabama."

Assimilation isn't an easy experience, but it's rare that readers are given an opportunity to experience its specifics, and rarer still to hear it from a Vietnamese perspective. Lai's fictionalized portrait of Hà may not become as well-known as the Pulitzer-Prize-winning photograph of 9-year-old Phan Thi Kim Phuc running naked and burning from a napalm attack during the Vietnam War. But just as that picture was worth a thousand words, Lai's "Inside Out & Back Again" paints another, much-needed portrait - one that humanizes what otherwise would be a history-book experience.
susan.carpenter@latimes.com

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Inside Out & Back Again A Novel Thanhha Lai HarperCollins: 262 pp., $15.99, ages 8 and older The United States prides itself on being a melting pot, but the many immigrant stories that make up our uniquely American stew aren't always known and are even less frequently published by the mainstream press.

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Kaavya

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When Kimberlé Crenshaw coined the term 30 years ago, it was a relatively obscure legal concept. Then it went viral.

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Thanhha Lai discusses what inspires her to write "inside out and back again" besides her own experiences, she feels that writing current refugee stories is essential for people to understand who we are and to be aware of the responsibilities that we have toward those who are still searching their new homes. In her interview she mentioned something that touched my most deepest emotions. "we do not appreciate language until is taken away" During the process of assimilation, language to me is the most difficult to overcome. I came to The United States not knowing a gram of English and that fact made me feel invisible for a long time. I know as a personal experience that the sooner you learn the new language the better connection with the new culture you will feel. Otherwise one would feel like an outsider and feelings of anxiety and depression will govern for a long time. Children's traumas will be unavoidable; therefore being aware that they will be present in our future classroom will help us create lessons to support children coping, overcoming, and be successful.  Lidia Lopez

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In conjunction with our new exhibition The Vietnam War: 1945-1975, our Reading into History Family Book Club welcomes National Book Award winning author Thanhha Lai to our November 12 meeting. Thanhha Lai discusses her stunning semi-autobiographical book-in-verse Inside Out and Back Again and then joins us on a special tour of our Vietnam War exhibition.

To prepare for our meeting, we interviewed Thanhha Lai about her book. Join us this weekend when you'll have the opportunity to ask Lai your own questions about her book and her writing!

DiMenna Children's History Museum: Your book is dedicated "to the millions of refugees in the world." Why is a refugee story like this one important for young readers to read today?

Thanhha Lai: When I was writing this novel, a story about refugees did seem like historical fiction. Since publication in 2011, the world has turned so that stories of present-day refugees have become essential to understanding who we are, how we arrived in our home, and what responsibilities we have toward those still searching for a home.

DCHM: How did you decide that Inside Out and Back Again had to be told in verse?

Thanhha Lai: The main character is thinking in Vietnamese, which is a naturally lyrical and melodic language. For years I wrote in long, loopy sentences that did not sound authentic to someone thinking in Vietnamese. Once I came up with prose poems, the voice clicked.

DCHM: In your author's note at the end of the book, you write that it was very important for you to capture Hà's emotional life. What did you do to access Hà's emotions and feelings?

Thanhha Lai: That was the simplest part, as I based Hà's emotions on my own feelings as a refugee in Alabama.

DCHM: What type of research did you conduct while writing Inside Out and Back Again? Were there any primary sources that helped you fill in some of the details?

Thanhha Lai: The story is autobiographical, so the dates and facts already run in my blood.

DCHM: When Hà and her family arrive in Alabama, her mother tells her and her brothers, "Until you children master English, you must think, do, wish for nothing else. Not your father, not your old home, not your old friends, not our future." Why did you decide to make this language struggle such a central part of your book?

Thanhha Lai: I don't think one can appreciate language until it's taken away. Without being able to be understood, even in the simplest terms, Hà and her family had to regain a sense of themselves. Everything-school, job, house, future-depended on their ability to master this strange new language.

DCHM: What three words would you use to describe Inside Out and Back Again?

Thanhha Lai: Observe, Wait, Balance
-Caitlin O'Keefe, DiMenna Children's History Museum

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An Interview with Thanhha Lai, author of "Inside Out & Back Again"

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In conjunction with our new exhibition The Vietnam War: 1945-1975 , our Reading into History Family Book Club welcomes National Book Award winning author Thanhha Lai to our November 12 meeting. Thanhha Lai discusses her stunning semi-autobiographical book-in-verse Inside Out and Back Again and then joins us on a special tour of our Vietnam War exhibition.

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Exploring immigration childhood trauma in Lai's Inside Out and Back Again. 

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Exploring immigration childhood trauma in Lai's Inside Out and Back Again. 

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This article discusses the theme of trauma present in Lai's Inside Out and Back Again, and it also presents the moral lessons found in the book. It describes the process of Ha's assimilation experience as childhood trauma that affects Ha's identity, which I believe many Vietnamese immigrant families can relate to even if they may not realize the trauma. As a Vietnamese myself, I know that the concept of trauma is often not recognized in our culture. We realize that we have gone though difficulties and hardship, but the word trauma was never associated with it. Nonetheless, the trauma still exists and affects us subconsciously. The article discusses how Ha describes the struggle to be extreme and difficult to overcome, and the extent that it has impacted her school experience as well. However, it concludes that embracing cultural diversity and perseverance is important to overcome those struggles and to grow from our trauma.

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Childhood

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Immigration Childhood Trauma and the Process in "Inside Out and Back Again" by Thanhha Lai

Introduction

The novel by "Inside Out and Back Again" by Thanhha Lai has a detailed explanation of experiences of assimilation derived from the story of Ha, a small girl, who describes what she went through and the struggles she underwent towards the end of the Vietnam War at a time she lived in Saigon. The girl gives an account of the hard times she underwent with her family during the time they were leaving Vietnam after the war to start a new life in America. Her family had to leave behind a lot of their belongings, considering that it was hard for them to carry all they owned during their immigration. The paper will elaborate on the life experiences of Ha and her family. To tell about the childhood trauma that she experienced during their migration after the Vietnam War.

Early Life in Vietnam

The journey from Vietnam to America was full of struggles which Ha indicates that they were excessive for them to overcome. They came from a culture that is very specific in any matter to do with properties and it was hard for Ha's mother to agree to the fact that they were indeed leaving behind all they had acquired during their stay in Vietnam. Ha was particularly disturbed by the mixed feelings developed by his mother and his brother when contemplating whether they should leave Vietnam or not. Her mother was substantially convinced that Vietnam was their home and that they were not supposed to leave. His brother was particularly disturbed by the undignified manner in which they were living a country they had lived for quite long. He was particularly concerned that they were supposed to remain in Vietnam and take part in rebuilding the country now that the war had ended (Lai 12). The confusion of her family members subjected her to some levels of psychological trauma, noting that their migration was not welcomed. The refugees living in the camps were experiencing a number of challenges, some of which Ha narrates.
Don't use plagiarised sources.Get your custom essay just from $11/page

The life in the refugee camp was temporal considering that it was basically used to hold refugees as they awaited their departure to other destinations. Ha must have known that the refugee camp was not their home which must have introduced some stress in her life and is associated with the trauma she sustained during their immigration. Despite the fact that Ha's mother wanted them to remain in Vietnam; she was also concerned about relocating to a place that assured her kids success in the future. Ha thus lived in a family that was torn between remaining behind leaving to other places. She was not sure of what was to happen to her life and their family, which must have traumatized her to some extent. It was sad that the refugees just hoped that things were expected to get better after leaving Vietnam considering that they did not have any other option as they were being forced out of the refugee camp (Lai 20). They were expected to get started on new lives upon leaving Vietnam, something that they were not sure whether they were to succeed or not. The process of assimilation subjected the refugees to a lot of anxiety and trauma which negatively affected their daily lives.

Assimilation and Associated Experiences

The assimilation occurring was characterized by racial stereotyping as characters were being introduced to new cultures different from what they were used to. According to Ha, it is evident that cultural differences have a lot of impact on the assimilation process, where children are mostly affected. Ha was born and brought up in Vietnam, where she had become used to the traditions and customs practiced there. Upon immigration to America, it turned hard for her to get well with the American culture especially when interacting with the children from the American origin. At one point, Ha indicates that she was traumatized when she was asked whether she comes from a culture that is known to eat dogs (Lai 34). Such a question indicates that the Americans held a negative perception about the Vietnams, where they believed that they lived in the jungle, making them develop an impression that they used to eat wild animals such as dogs. Such a description must have tortured Ha psychologically by making her think that she was no t supposed to live in America.

Ha lacked an option to run away from the new culture in America and she made every effort to understand it as the only way she could interact with her peers. The process of assimilation was not an easy one as Ha had to ignore the wrongs done to her by the American children. She got herself thinking about the kind of life they used to have back in Vietnam but there was nothing she could do about it. It is very possible that Ha had a lot of friends in Vietnam whom they shared a lot of similarities in terms of traditions and practices. With such friends, Ha did not experience segregation and mistreatment in Vietnam, similar to what she experienced in America. Ha relates the happenings in their family with both the Tet and the alternating Lunar year. The story begins with a celebration of Tet which matches well with happy life Ha used to enjoy while living in the refugee camp and end with lunar which compares with the struggles that she experiences after moving to America. The ups and downs she faces in her tender age are indicative of some of the life struggles that children have to bear within the process of being brought up. Ha's story has some moral lessons that are positive and opposite to the childhood trauma that she experienced following the immigration.

Moral Lessons

Ha's explanation of the hardships she faced during and after immigration has some moral lessons in teaching on the importance of cultural integration as the right way to appreciate and accommodate the associated diversities. Ha indeed faced a lot of challenges after they settled in America when interacting with her age mates but she remained focused on learning about the new culture. She was disturbed by the fact that she seemed strange and regarded with some inhumanity. Still, she was determined to learn about the American culture as the only way she could be successfully assimilated. The story is a confirmation that there are negative consequences of cultural differences that have adverse effects on the lives of children and thus the need to accommodate them as an excellent way to foster the integration of people from different cultures.

Perseverance is another moral lesson deduced from the Ha's experiences right from their time in Vietnam and their later life after settling in America. They used to live in a refugee camp but she seems to have good memories of the kind of life they had in Vietnam despite the oppressive life her parents led. She seemed to sympathize with her mother, who was initially in a dilemma deciding on whether they were to leave Vietnam for America or to remain. She was keen to note that his brother was disturbed by their immigration but there is nothing she could do about it but she stood by them throughout the migration and their later settlement in America. She also withstood the mistreatment she received in America and was committed to learning the attributes of the new culture as the only way to get accepted in the new environment.

Comparison

The case of Ha is similar to the case of Dani in the book 'We Set the Dark on Fire,' who is subjected to dilemma after she is chosen for marriage with a son of a chief military strategist, destined to be appointed the president. It was traumatizing after she realized that she had actually been stolen soon after birth a brought up in secrecy(Quealy 214). As far as it was good luck for her to be chosen to marry a man who was to become a president, it was also hurting to her knowing that her selection was strategic as she was expected to be a spy the man after he became the president. Such a scenario was traumatizing in the sense that; Dani had an interest in establishing a good family with the man while at the same time being a spy. Being a spy meant that she was supposed to share some secrets with the enemies who had made every effort to make sure that she got married to the president. Marriage is a sensitive affair and there should be no external influence or force that should come between two people who are in love. It was a great deal for Dani to be selected to marry the president but she was traumatized by the fact she could not be royal to his husband as she was required to report the proceedings and some secrets to the enemies.

It was also traumatizing for Dani in that Carmen was chosen to be her aide despite the fact they were enemies because the latter had continuously bullied Dani for long during their days in college. Dani was lucky to have been selected to marry a prospective presidential candidate but she did not have a hand in choosing people who could assist her in the roles of a president's wife. Such a happening means that she was strategically placed in the marriage to serve secretive roles as opposed to what is expected of a married woman. It was more hurting, noting that her marriage was conditional and that she did not have the full right to make decisions in her family. It is more hurting that she was forced to work with a longtime enemy considering that the trained girls could only be given in pair to rich men. It was more hurting noting Dani was trained to be a social manager and Carmen was trained in matters of beauty and bearing children. Such a thing means that Carmen was meant to enjoy more time with the president than Dani who was strategically expected to manage the social affairs of the president (Quealy 218). There is a pain in getting into a marriage that has restrictions on marital issues and this must have subjected Dani to some kind of trauma.

Conclusion

The life experiences of HA subjected her to lots of childhood trauma right from their stay at Vietnam to their stay in America. In Vietnam, she was traumatized by the fact that her mother and brother were in a dilemma in deciding on whether to stay behind or leave for America. She was particularly concerned that her mother was disturbed by the fact that immigration would force them to leave all they own behind to get started in a new life in America. In America, Ha experienced hurting moments as she was significantly segregated by her new friends, who had a negative perception of their culture. The need to embrace cultural diversity and perseverance are evident moral lessons from Ha's story. Her traumatizing life experience is comparable with the life experiences of Dani who is selected for marriage to an incoming president but her rights as a woman are defined and limited. She is just required to be a manager of the social affairs of her husband, in addition to being a spy. She had to share the husband with her enemy Carmen, who was strategically meant for beauty and child-bearing roles.

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Immigration Childhood Trauma and the Process in "Inside Out and Back Again" by Thanhha Lai | Eddusaver

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Childhood Any subject. Any type of essay. We'll even meet a 3-hour deadline. GET YOUR PRICE writers online Immigration Childhood Trauma and the Process in "Inside Out and Back Again" by Thanhha Lai Introduction The novel by "Inside Out and Back Again" by Thanhha Lai has a detailed explanation of experiences of assimilation derived from the story of Ha, a small girl, who describes what she went through and the struggles she underwent towards the end of the Vietnam War at a time she lived in Saigon.

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Mae Horner
This article provides a summary of the novel as well as some specific detail regarding the issues that were present throughout the book. It is clear that Ha and her family are going through major change due to assimilation. Her family decided that it was best to move to America in order to start a better life. But, a lot of struggle and turmoil comes with that as well. Ha's brother is having issues leaving his home country and "abandoning" it without fixing all of the problems that are present. Ha is also going through major change and trying to figure out how and where to belong in an entire new country. This article also discusses the importance of language and vocabulary when it comes to children's literature. The carefully thought out word choice really sets the tone and emotion throughout the novel.

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Inside Out and Back Again, a Novel by Thanhha Lai, Explores the Trauma of Assimilation

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Reading multicultural children's literature, whether in teaching to curriculum or reading at home, allows for a progressive approach for a child's learning development by exploring the importance of diversity. Integrating elements of bilingual education through a constructive environment, develops the foundation for building on a child's curiosity and imagination as skills to use for gathering new understandings about belief, culture, language, tradition, and values.

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Wendy Salgado Mosso
This website shares a list of books that are appropriate for grades 4 to 8 that include intersectionality. The list includes many books that discuss how race intersects with other identities such as ethnicity, gender, and religion. The list includes Lai's Inside Out and Back Again and also other books that can be used in the classroom to give students the opportunities to have mirrors in their books. The books that are listed are also diverse including different races and different situations that the main characters face. In Lai's Inside Out and Back Again intersectionality is discussed because Ha discusses her identity with her different backgrounds and experiences.

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Intersectionality Reads for Grades 4-8 - Surrey Libraries

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Intersectionality Reads for Grades 4-8 by SurreyGreatBooks4Kids - a staff-created list : A list of books that discuss race as it intersects with ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, age, neurodivergence, disability, citizenship status, and/or socioeconomic status.

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This article talks about the trauma that comes along with the assimilation from one place and their practices to another, and how this tends to have more of a negative effect on the children than the adults. I the article it is mention that many tend to glaze over the fact that young children can have a tendency to be more cruel than adults are when it comes to making fun of people based off of learned biases. While I may not have moved from another country, when I was a child my family packed up and moved from Georgia to California right before I started kindergarten. Even though both states are located in the US, there are different quicks and things that can make someone from one place stand out when they move to another. For me, it was my southern accent and the way I used certain words and phrases. I remember having kids in my class making fun of me for "talking funny" and laughing at me when I used words a different way than they were used to. Due to these experiences by the time I was able to move on to second grade I was able to completely hide my accent, and I started talking in ways that I typically heard my peers doing. That experience reminds me of the way that Ha tried her hardest to overcome the adversity that she was facing and the different ways that she tried tolerant how to fit in.

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Childhood

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Immigration Childhood Trauma and the Process in "Inside Out and Back Again" by Thanhha Lai

Introduction

The novel by "Inside Out and Back Again" by Thanhha Lai has a detailed explanation of experiences of assimilation derived from the story of Ha, a small girl, who describes what she went through and the struggles she underwent towards the end of the Vietnam War at a time she lived in Saigon. The girl gives an account of the hard times she underwent with her family during the time they were leaving Vietnam after the war to start a new life in America. Her family had to leave behind a lot of their belongings, considering that it was hard for them to carry all they owned during their immigration. The paper will elaborate on the life experiences of Ha and her family. To tell about the childhood trauma that she experienced during their migration after the Vietnam War.

Early Life in Vietnam

The journey from Vietnam to America was full of struggles which Ha indicates that they were excessive for them to overcome. They came from a culture that is very specific in any matter to do with properties and it was hard for Ha's mother to agree to the fact that they were indeed leaving behind all they had acquired during their stay in Vietnam. Ha was particularly disturbed by the mixed feelings developed by his mother and his brother when contemplating whether they should leave Vietnam or not. Her mother was substantially convinced that Vietnam was their home and that they were not supposed to leave. His brother was particularly disturbed by the undignified manner in which they were living a country they had lived for quite long. He was particularly concerned that they were supposed to remain in Vietnam and take part in rebuilding the country now that the war had ended (Lai 12). The confusion of her family members subjected her to some levels of psychological trauma, noting that their migration was not welcomed. The refugees living in the camps were experiencing a number of challenges, some of which Ha narrates.
Don't use plagiarised sources.Get your custom essay just from $11/page

The life in the refugee camp was temporal considering that it was basically used to hold refugees as they awaited their departure to other destinations. Ha must have known that the refugee camp was not their home which must have introduced some stress in her life and is associated with the trauma she sustained during their immigration. Despite the fact that Ha's mother wanted them to remain in Vietnam; she was also concerned about relocating to a place that assured her kids success in the future. Ha thus lived in a family that was torn between remaining behind leaving to other places. She was not sure of what was to happen to her life and their family, which must have traumatized her to some extent. It was sad that the refugees just hoped that things were expected to get better after leaving Vietnam considering that they did not have any other option as they were being forced out of the refugee camp (Lai 20). They were expected to get started on new lives upon leaving Vietnam, something that they were not sure whether they were to succeed or not. The process of assimilation subjected the refugees to a lot of anxiety and trauma which negatively affected their daily lives.

Assimilation and Associated Experiences

The assimilation occurring was characterized by racial stereotyping as characters were being introduced to new cultures different from what they were used to. According to Ha, it is evident that cultural differences have a lot of impact on the assimilation process, where children are mostly affected. Ha was born and brought up in Vietnam, where she had become used to the traditions and customs practiced there. Upon immigration to America, it turned hard for her to get well with the American culture especially when interacting with the children from the American origin. At one point, Ha indicates that she was traumatized when she was asked whether she comes from a culture that is known to eat dogs (Lai 34). Such a question indicates that the Americans held a negative perception about the Vietnams, where they believed that they lived in the jungle, making them develop an impression that they used to eat wild animals such as dogs. Such a description must have tortured Ha psychologically by making her think that she was no t supposed to live in America.

Ha lacked an option to run away from the new culture in America and she made every effort to understand it as the only way she could interact with her peers. The process of assimilation was not an easy one as Ha had to ignore the wrongs done to her by the American children. She got herself thinking about the kind of life they used to have back in Vietnam but there was nothing she could do about it. It is very possible that Ha had a lot of friends in Vietnam whom they shared a lot of similarities in terms of traditions and practices. With such friends, Ha did not experience segregation and mistreatment in Vietnam, similar to what she experienced in America. Ha relates the happenings in their family with both the Tet and the alternating Lunar year. The story begins with a celebration of Tet which matches well with happy life Ha used to enjoy while living in the refugee camp and end with lunar which compares with the struggles that she experiences after moving to America. The ups and downs she faces in her tender age are indicative of some of the life struggles that children have to bear within the process of being brought up. Ha's story has some moral lessons that are positive and opposite to the childhood trauma that she experienced following the immigration.

Moral Lessons

Ha's explanation of the hardships she faced during and after immigration has some moral lessons in teaching on the importance of cultural integration as the right way to appreciate and accommodate the associated diversities. Ha indeed faced a lot of challenges after they settled in America when interacting with her age mates but she remained focused on learning about the new culture. She was disturbed by the fact that she seemed strange and regarded with some inhumanity. Still, she was determined to learn about the American culture as the only way she could be successfully assimilated. The story is a confirmation that there are negative consequences of cultural differences that have adverse effects on the lives of children and thus the need to accommodate them as an excellent way to foster the integration of people from different cultures.

Perseverance is another moral lesson deduced from the Ha's experiences right from their time in Vietnam and their later life after settling in America. They used to live in a refugee camp but she seems to have good memories of the kind of life they had in Vietnam despite the oppressive life her parents led. She seemed to sympathize with her mother, who was initially in a dilemma deciding on whether they were to leave Vietnam for America or to remain. She was keen to note that his brother was disturbed by their immigration but there is nothing she could do about it but she stood by them throughout the migration and their later settlement in America. She also withstood the mistreatment she received in America and was committed to learning the attributes of the new culture as the only way to get accepted in the new environment.

Comparison

The case of Ha is similar to the case of Dani in the book 'We Set the Dark on Fire,' who is subjected to dilemma after she is chosen for marriage with a son of a chief military strategist, destined to be appointed the president. It was traumatizing after she realized that she had actually been stolen soon after birth a brought up in secrecy(Quealy 214). As far as it was good luck for her to be chosen to marry a man who was to become a president, it was also hurting to her knowing that her selection was strategic as she was expected to be a spy the man after he became the president. Such a scenario was traumatizing in the sense that; Dani had an interest in establishing a good family with the man while at the same time being a spy. Being a spy meant that she was supposed to share some secrets with the enemies who had made every effort to make sure that she got married to the president. Marriage is a sensitive affair and there should be no external influence or force that should come between two people who are in love. It was a great deal for Dani to be selected to marry the president but she was traumatized by the fact she could not be royal to his husband as she was required to report the proceedings and some secrets to the enemies.

It was also traumatizing for Dani in that Carmen was chosen to be her aide despite the fact they were enemies because the latter had continuously bullied Dani for long during their days in college. Dani was lucky to have been selected to marry a prospective presidential candidate but she did not have a hand in choosing people who could assist her in the roles of a president's wife. Such a happening means that she was strategically placed in the marriage to serve secretive roles as opposed to what is expected of a married woman. It was more hurting, noting that her marriage was conditional and that she did not have the full right to make decisions in her family. It is more hurting that she was forced to work with a longtime enemy considering that the trained girls could only be given in pair to rich men. It was more hurting noting Dani was trained to be a social manager and Carmen was trained in matters of beauty and bearing children. Such a thing means that Carmen was meant to enjoy more time with the president than Dani who was strategically expected to manage the social affairs of the president (Quealy 218). There is a pain in getting into a marriage that has restrictions on marital issues and this must have subjected Dani to some kind of trauma.

Conclusion

The life experiences of HA subjected her to lots of childhood trauma right from their stay at Vietnam to their stay in America. In Vietnam, she was traumatized by the fact that her mother and brother were in a dilemma in deciding on whether to stay behind or leave for America. She was particularly concerned that her mother was disturbed by the fact that immigration would force them to leave all they own behind to get started in a new life in America. In America, Ha experienced hurting moments as she was significantly segregated by her new friends, who had a negative perception of their culture. The need to embrace cultural diversity and perseverance are evident moral lessons from Ha's story. Her traumatizing life experience is comparable with the life experiences of Dani who is selected for marriage to an incoming president but her rights as a woman are defined and limited. She is just required to be a manager of the social affairs of her husband, in addition to being a spy. She had to share the husband with her enemy Carmen, who was strategically meant for beauty and child-bearing roles.

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Immigration Childhood Trauma and the Process in "Inside Out and Back Again" by Thanhha Lai | Eddusaver

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Childhood Any subject. Any type of essay. We'll even meet a 3-hour deadline. GET YOUR PRICE writers online Immigration Childhood Trauma and the Process in "Inside Out and Back Again" by Thanhha Lai Introduction The novel by "Inside Out and Back Again" by Thanhha Lai has a detailed explanation of experiences of assimilation derived from the story of Ha, a small girl, who describes what she went through and the struggles she underwent towards the end of the Vietnam War at a time she lived in Saigon.

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Blog= Book Club: Inside Out and Back Again. Rosanna Davila

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Blog= Book Club: Inside Out and Back Again. Rosanna Davila

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This blog breaks down the book into sections and provides questions and ideas to discuss the book. I think the source is very helpful to use with children and helps them engage with the material better. The part I like about this blog is the empathetic questions it provides. For example:

Why are these traditions important to your identity or cultural heritage?

How would your life be different if you didn’t speak the language that everyone else did at school?

In my opinion, going through this thought process will provide an opportunity for kids to wear the shoes of Ha at least for a split second. If anyone is reluctant about the topic it could help change their perspective from "what do I care about this?"  to "wow, that would be really difficult if it was me".
Personally, I immigrated to the US as a young adult. My circumstances were much more privileged; I have some family here and I already knew the language when I arrived. Nevertheless, adapting to a whole new world is overwhelming, frustrating, and challenging. To be young like Ha and under such difficult circumstances is heartbreaking. I share this post as a pedagogy resource to encourage the conversation on the book.

-Rosanna Davila

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This post includes English Language Arts and interdisciplinary, differentiated activities for Inside Out and Back Again, by Thanhha Lai. It's part of a series that shares English Language Arts and interdisciplinary, differentiated activities for selections from Duke TIP's 4th-6th Grade Online Book Club for gifted and talented students, which you can re-purpose for your classroom.
Download all the activities for Inside Out and Back Again.

Why Inside Out and Back Again?

An inspiring story told from the point of view of an eleven-year-old immigrant girl who must flee her war-torn country with her family and journey to a place where few people understand or value her

Exposes children to a narrative told in verse, giving them the opportunity to read a text in a form they may not have previously experienced

Examines the real-world issues of racism, war and its effects, and language barriers

Use of literary devices including similes, metaphors, symbolism, mood, and imagery that enable gifted students to develop strong analytical skills

Explores various social-emotional topics such as perseverance, acceptance, honesty, identity and sacrifice

Connects to the interdisciplinary topics of history, food and culture, and engineering

About the Book

Imagine that a war forces you to leave the only home you've ever known. You must take a difficult journey to a place where no one speaks your language, eats the food you love or understands your culture. This is the experience of 4th grader Há, who immigrates with her family to Alabama after fleeing war-torn Vietnam. Há must adjust to a new life with an unfamiliar new language and bullies who treat her harshly. Through verse, the author Thanhha Lai tells Há's moving and inspirational story of perseverance despite adversity.

About the Author

Thanhha Lai was born in Vietnam at the end of the Vietnam War. She immigrated to Alabama with her mother and brothers at a young age. The memories of her experiences inspired her to write the book Inside Out and Back Again. Before becoming a writer of juvenile and young adult fiction, she was a journalist for the Orange County Register and wrote fictional short stories for various publications. In addition to Inside Out and Back Again, Lai has written Listen, Slowly (2015) and Butterfly Yellow (2019), her YA debut. She currently lives in upstate New York with her husband, daughter, and dog Pico. Go to this link to hear Thanhha Lai talk about her name and how to pronounce it correctly.

Have you taught Inside Out and Back Again?

Sample Reading Journal Prompts and Discussion Questions

Thanhha Lai begins Há's story with the celebration of the Vietnamese Lunar New Year, Tet. Há explains many of the traditions her family follows on this day each year. She describes the foods they eat and the things they are not allowed to do: "No one can sweep, for why sweep away hope? No one can splash water for why splash away joy?"(1). These traditions are part of Há's cultural identity and keep her family connected to Vietnam.

Make a list of examples of other traditions Há and her family practice during the story.

What traditions do you and your family celebrate or practice?

Why are these traditions important to your identity or cultural heritage?

In literature, mood refers to the feelings that an author evokes, or brings to mind, in the reader. Authors are deliberate about the phrases and descriptions they use to create these moods. For example, when Há and her family board the ship to leave Vietnam, she describes the experience saying: "Above us bobs pierce the sky. Red and green flares explode like fireworks. All lights are off so the port will not be a target. In the dark a nudge here a nudge there and we end up back on the first ship in the same spot with two mats. Without lights our ship glides out to sea" (65).

What mood or emotion does the author create in this quote?

What phrases evoke those feelings in you, the reader?

After Há and her family arrive at the cowboy's house they begin unpacking. However they quickly change their minds. "One look at our cowboy's wife, arms, lips, eyes contorted into knots, and we repack" (115). The author uses imagery to paint a picture in the reader's mind of how the wife looks at them.

Sketch a picture of the image you see in your mind after reading the quote above.

What words did the author use to create this image in your mind?

How does this description of the cowboy's wife make you feel what Há and her family might be feeling? Explain your thinking.

One of the themes of the story is that change forces people to adapt and learn new things while still remaining connected to their true identity.

What examples from the storysupport and develop this theme?

What other books have you read that have a similar theme? Explain how the messages are similar.

One of the most difficult things for Há about coming to Alabama is not being able to speak English and communicate with her classmates and neighbors. She finds English grammar rules very confusing. "Some verbs switch all over just because. I am She is They are He was They were Would be simpler if English and life were logical" (135). Learning English is beyond frustrating for Há, but it also opens up a world of possibilities for her and her family.

Give 3-5 other examples of grammar rules that you notice in the English language.

Share a grammar rule that is particularly confusing or hard for you to understand or remember.

How would your life be different if you didn't speak the language that everyone else did at school?

What would make learning a new language difficult?

The story of Inside Out and Back Again is written in a poetic style called free verse. Instead of writing the book in a structure of paragraphs and chapters, the author tells Ha's story through a set of poems.

How is reading a book in verse like, Inside Out and Back Again different from reading a typical prose novel?

What was challenging about reading a novel in verse?

What made it enjoyable?

Interdisciplinary Topics to Explore
The Vietnam War

An introduction to the Vietnam War and its causes and outcomes

An exploration of an interactive map of Vietnam

An overview of the life of Ho Chi Min.

An examination of how the Vietnam War affected refugees who immigrated to the United States.

Figurative Language

An introduction to the differences between metaphors and similes

An overview of different types of figurative language

An exploration of the history of metaphors

An opportunity to play an online figurative language game

Food for the Soul

An introduction to Vietnamese food

An exploration of some of the foods that Há eats in the story

A chance to learn about the connection between Vietnamese food and culture

A description of seven traditional dishes that people eat to celebrate the Vietnamese lunar new year, Tet

An overview of how Vietnamese immigration has influenced food in the United States

Mechanical Engineering

An overview of the job of an engineer

A review of the history of mechanical engineering

An investigation of how a car engine works

An examination of the parts of an automobile

An opportunity to become an engineer by creating one of these hands on projects

An explanation of how electromagnetism causes motors to work

Download all the activities for Inside Out and Back Again.
Which activities were most engaging for your students? How did you modify these activities for your own classroom?

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Download all the activities for Inside Out and Back Again. Why Inside Out and Back Again?

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This article explains the trauma that Ha had gone through due to the immigration in her childhood. Hearing countless of immigration stories from Vietnam to America, this article resonates with me, as my parents were once living in that same experience. Being a young girl that experienced the life during the Vietnam war, it must have been traumatic as she left her country to be able to stay alive. During this time, there were so many things happening like leaving behind their belongings that might have meant so much, unsure of where family is, being able to stay alive and many more. With assimilation, it is definitely hard to adjust to the lifestyle in another country, where there's racism towards Asians.

- Vivian Nguyen

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Childhood

Pssst... we can write an original essay just for you.

Any subject. Any type of essay. We'll even meet a 3-hour deadline.

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Immigration Childhood Trauma and the Process in "Inside Out and Back Again" by Thanhha Lai

Introduction

The novel by "Inside Out and Back Again" by Thanhha Lai has a detailed explanation of experiences of assimilation derived from the story of Ha, a small girl, who describes what she went through and the struggles she underwent towards the end of the Vietnam War at a time she lived in Saigon. The girl gives an account of the hard times she underwent with her family during the time they were leaving Vietnam after the war to start a new life in America. Her family had to leave behind a lot of their belongings, considering that it was hard for them to carry all they owned during their immigration. The paper will elaborate on the life experiences of Ha and her family. To tell about the childhood trauma that she experienced during their migration after the Vietnam War.

Early Life in Vietnam

The journey from Vietnam to America was full of struggles which Ha indicates that they were excessive for them to overcome. They came from a culture that is very specific in any matter to do with properties and it was hard for Ha's mother to agree to the fact that they were indeed leaving behind all they had acquired during their stay in Vietnam. Ha was particularly disturbed by the mixed feelings developed by his mother and his brother when contemplating whether they should leave Vietnam or not. Her mother was substantially convinced that Vietnam was their home and that they were not supposed to leave. His brother was particularly disturbed by the undignified manner in which they were living a country they had lived for quite long. He was particularly concerned that they were supposed to remain in Vietnam and take part in rebuilding the country now that the war had ended (Lai 12). The confusion of her family members subjected her to some levels of psychological trauma, noting that their migration was not welcomed. The refugees living in the camps were experiencing a number of challenges, some of which Ha narrates.
Don't use plagiarised sources.Get your custom essay just from $11/page

The life in the refugee camp was temporal considering that it was basically used to hold refugees as they awaited their departure to other destinations. Ha must have known that the refugee camp was not their home which must have introduced some stress in her life and is associated with the trauma she sustained during their immigration. Despite the fact that Ha's mother wanted them to remain in Vietnam; she was also concerned about relocating to a place that assured her kids success in the future. Ha thus lived in a family that was torn between remaining behind leaving to other places. She was not sure of what was to happen to her life and their family, which must have traumatized her to some extent. It was sad that the refugees just hoped that things were expected to get better after leaving Vietnam considering that they did not have any other option as they were being forced out of the refugee camp (Lai 20). They were expected to get started on new lives upon leaving Vietnam, something that they were not sure whether they were to succeed or not. The process of assimilation subjected the refugees to a lot of anxiety and trauma which negatively affected their daily lives.

Assimilation and Associated Experiences

The assimilation occurring was characterized by racial stereotyping as characters were being introduced to new cultures different from what they were used to. According to Ha, it is evident that cultural differences have a lot of impact on the assimilation process, where children are mostly affected. Ha was born and brought up in Vietnam, where she had become used to the traditions and customs practiced there. Upon immigration to America, it turned hard for her to get well with the American culture especially when interacting with the children from the American origin. At one point, Ha indicates that she was traumatized when she was asked whether she comes from a culture that is known to eat dogs (Lai 34). Such a question indicates that the Americans held a negative perception about the Vietnams, where they believed that they lived in the jungle, making them develop an impression that they used to eat wild animals such as dogs. Such a description must have tortured Ha psychologically by making her think that she was no t supposed to live in America.

Ha lacked an option to run away from the new culture in America and she made every effort to understand it as the only way she could interact with her peers. The process of assimilation was not an easy one as Ha had to ignore the wrongs done to her by the American children. She got herself thinking about the kind of life they used to have back in Vietnam but there was nothing she could do about it. It is very possible that Ha had a lot of friends in Vietnam whom they shared a lot of similarities in terms of traditions and practices. With such friends, Ha did not experience segregation and mistreatment in Vietnam, similar to what she experienced in America. Ha relates the happenings in their family with both the Tet and the alternating Lunar year. The story begins with a celebration of Tet which matches well with happy life Ha used to enjoy while living in the refugee camp and end with lunar which compares with the struggles that she experiences after moving to America. The ups and downs she faces in her tender age are indicative of some of the life struggles that children have to bear within the process of being brought up. Ha's story has some moral lessons that are positive and opposite to the childhood trauma that she experienced following the immigration.

Moral Lessons

Ha's explanation of the hardships she faced during and after immigration has some moral lessons in teaching on the importance of cultural integration as the right way to appreciate and accommodate the associated diversities. Ha indeed faced a lot of challenges after they settled in America when interacting with her age mates but she remained focused on learning about the new culture. She was disturbed by the fact that she seemed strange and regarded with some inhumanity. Still, she was determined to learn about the American culture as the only way she could be successfully assimilated. The story is a confirmation that there are negative consequences of cultural differences that have adverse effects on the lives of children and thus the need to accommodate them as an excellent way to foster the integration of people from different cultures.

Perseverance is another moral lesson deduced from the Ha's experiences right from their time in Vietnam and their later life after settling in America. They used to live in a refugee camp but she seems to have good memories of the kind of life they had in Vietnam despite the oppressive life her parents led. She seemed to sympathize with her mother, who was initially in a dilemma deciding on whether they were to leave Vietnam for America or to remain. She was keen to note that his brother was disturbed by their immigration but there is nothing she could do about it but she stood by them throughout the migration and their later settlement in America. She also withstood the mistreatment she received in America and was committed to learning the attributes of the new culture as the only way to get accepted in the new environment.

Comparison

The case of Ha is similar to the case of Dani in the book 'We Set the Dark on Fire,' who is subjected to dilemma after she is chosen for marriage with a son of a chief military strategist, destined to be appointed the president. It was traumatizing after she realized that she had actually been stolen soon after birth a brought up in secrecy(Quealy 214). As far as it was good luck for her to be chosen to marry a man who was to become a president, it was also hurting to her knowing that her selection was strategic as she was expected to be a spy the man after he became the president. Such a scenario was traumatizing in the sense that; Dani had an interest in establishing a good family with the man while at the same time being a spy. Being a spy meant that she was supposed to share some secrets with the enemies who had made every effort to make sure that she got married to the president. Marriage is a sensitive affair and there should be no external influence or force that should come between two people who are in love. It was a great deal for Dani to be selected to marry the president but she was traumatized by the fact she could not be royal to his husband as she was required to report the proceedings and some secrets to the enemies.

It was also traumatizing for Dani in that Carmen was chosen to be her aide despite the fact they were enemies because the latter had continuously bullied Dani for long during their days in college. Dani was lucky to have been selected to marry a prospective presidential candidate but she did not have a hand in choosing people who could assist her in the roles of a president's wife. Such a happening means that she was strategically placed in the marriage to serve secretive roles as opposed to what is expected of a married woman. It was more hurting, noting that her marriage was conditional and that she did not have the full right to make decisions in her family. It is more hurting that she was forced to work with a longtime enemy considering that the trained girls could only be given in pair to rich men. It was more hurting noting Dani was trained to be a social manager and Carmen was trained in matters of beauty and bearing children. Such a thing means that Carmen was meant to enjoy more time with the president than Dani who was strategically expected to manage the social affairs of the president (Quealy 218). There is a pain in getting into a marriage that has restrictions on marital issues and this must have subjected Dani to some kind of trauma.

Conclusion

The life experiences of HA subjected her to lots of childhood trauma right from their stay at Vietnam to their stay in America. In Vietnam, she was traumatized by the fact that her mother and brother were in a dilemma in deciding on whether to stay behind or leave for America. She was particularly concerned that her mother was disturbed by the fact that immigration would force them to leave all they own behind to get started in a new life in America. In America, Ha experienced hurting moments as she was significantly segregated by her new friends, who had a negative perception of their culture. The need to embrace cultural diversity and perseverance are evident moral lessons from Ha's story. Her traumatizing life experience is comparable with the life experiences of Dani who is selected for marriage to an incoming president but her rights as a woman are defined and limited. She is just required to be a manager of the social affairs of her husband, in addition to being a spy. She had to share the husband with her enemy Carmen, who was strategically meant for beauty and child-bearing roles.

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Immigration Childhood Trauma and the Process in "Inside Out and Back Again" by Thanhha Lai | Eddusaver

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Childhood Any subject. Any type of essay. We'll even meet a 3-hour deadline. GET YOUR PRICE writers online Immigration Childhood Trauma and the Process in "Inside Out and Back Again" by Thanhha Lai Introduction The novel by "Inside Out and Back Again" by Thanhha Lai has a detailed explanation of experiences of assimilation derived from the story of Ha, a small girl, who describes what she went through and the struggles she underwent towards the end of the Vietnam War at a time she lived in Saigon.

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Intersectionality in Inside Out & Back Again - Gaby B.

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Intersectionality in Inside Out & Back Again - Gaby B.

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In Thanhha Lai's book Inside Out & Back Again, the story is told from the perspective of a girl during the Vietnam war. This aspect of the book in itself shows us how it embraces intersectionality. Hà is a ten year old girl who experiences many traumatic losses at such a young age. For example, she faces the loss of her father and then later on, the loss of her country and homeland. She also faces the hardships of poverty. These parts of her life affect her family life and relationships at home. Living in a country in the middle of a war is also a part of her lived experience. She witnesses her mother's trauma at having had to escape the North and never being able to go back. Another part of her that shapes her experiences is being a girl. As a girl, she is expected to follow gender roles and behave a certain way. We see an example of this when she learns that only male feet can bring good luck. Also, she is a child. All of these different parts of her impact the experience of being a refugee.

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Melissa Iniguez: This article talks about the Trauma and the assimilations that had to be made along with the sacrifices during the Vietnam war by Ha and her family. Ha states how they had to be in refugee camps and leave the life they had and start a new one because they were forced. This article states how the emotions that Ha had and that as Ha had her trauma she still started a new life which was hard as she had to leave things behind and adapt to a new culture. It is stated how it was hard for her to adapt as others made fun of her but Ha adapted to all as she needed to, the new culture and language. Thi article breaks down a lot of parts of Inside Out again and describes what occurs, the feelings behind it, along with the decisions and asimilations that had to be made.

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Inside Out and Back Again, a Novel by Thanhha Lai, Explores the Trauma of Assimilation

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Reading multicultural children's literature, whether in teaching to curriculum or reading at home, allows for a progressive approach for a child's learning development by exploring the importance of diversity. Integrating elements of bilingual education through a constructive environment, develops the foundation for building on a child's curiosity and imagination as skills to use for gathering new understandings about belief, culture, language, tradition, and values.

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I picked this Journal written by Elizabeth Marshall because it provides an excellent explanation of the importance of counterstories and auto/biographical picture books such as "Inside Out and Back Again" by Thanhha Lai. Counterstories are instruments used by minoritized communities to share their stories that reflect their experiences and knowledge. Through counterstories, individuals can challenge the master narrative that the majority put forth in the school curriculum. Counterstories can be an essential tool for empowering children and giving individuals a voice in the classroom. Books like Lai give the author space to reflect on their experiences and share them in literacy classrooms, engaging children in telling their counterstories and providing a voice to some who may feel silenced.

I am English Language Learner. Growing up in a predominantly white neighborhood with immigrant parents was difficult for me, and I felt I didn't belong. Growing up in the 90s, it was scarce for children's literature books that I could relate to, and I will use as a future educator.  So seeing stories like Lai's is very enlightening to me.  "graphic life writing by and about traditionally marginalized groups allows educators access to previously unheard stories as well as alternative images that counter the status quo; these texts revise and regulate stereotypes found in children's literature and other cultures text" (Marshall, 2016, p. 80).

graphic life writing then arises as a powerful medium for representing diverse realities, for creating a culturally specific curriculum, and for exemplifying how to fight institutionalized racism (Delgado & Stefanic, 2013)

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Counter-Storytelling through Graphic Life Writing on JSTOR

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Elizabeth Marshall, Counter-Storytelling through Graphic Life Writing, Language Arts, Vol. 94, No. 2, Diverse Books: Windows, Mirrors, Doors, Maps, and More (November 2016), pp. 79-93

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This article stays on the theme of trauma and the effects of warfare. The reason I selected this article to write about is the reason due to the fact that it talks about the trauma and effect of warfare on children. The article dives into the children affected by the war in El Salvador.One study found that children who are relocated from a war-torn country "reported higher war experience and lower mental health." This shows that war is not allowing these children to develop how they should be. Many children experience this from all different parts of the world, so having a way an educator could help ease the transition of a child from a war-torn country is vital.

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Abstract

Objective: This ecologically conceptualized, intensive study assesses the mental health impact of the Salvadoran Civil War on 54 12-year-olds, born into the war, exposed to different levels of war violence.

Methods: Half of the students came from a repopulated country village and half from an industrial neighborhood near the capital city. Children, their mothers or caretakers, and their teachers responded to interviews and some instruments.

Results: Children from the repopulated village reported higher war experience and lower mental health. The personal/social impact of the war was more important than family togetherness or war intensity in determining the mental health of the children. Children's intelligence was highly related to surviving with higher mental health. Higher socioeconomic status (SES) and education of parents was related to better mental health. Controlling for intelligence, children who experienced the highest personal-social impact of war showed the poorest mental health. Children with high war experience were most likely to have difficulty in imagining the future.

Conclusions: Intelligence and the foreshortening of future vision are variables that should be controlled for and investigated in outcome studies of trauma. Treatment for survivors should include aid in planning for the future.

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rural health / statistics & numerical data*

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urban health / statistics & numerical data*

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national center for biotechnology information

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The impact of war on the mental health of children: a Salvadoran study - PubMed

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Objective: This ecologically conceptualized, intensive study assesses the mental health impact of the Salvadoran Civil War on 54 12-year-olds, born into the war, exposed to different levels of war violence. Methods: Half of the students came from a repopulated country village and half from an industrial neighborhood near the capital city.

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intersectionality and Trauma in Lia's inside out and back again

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intersectionality and Trauma in Lia's inside out and back again

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I chose to this comment how Lia's inside out and back again shows intersectionality and childhood trauma in her novel. Mainly with racial identity, gender and nationality. She was often radicalized based on her physique and her culture. In the novel she mentions how when she went to school she was often bullied and treated as with pity. The fact that lived and saw her country get destroyed and then move into the country that destroyed yours is enough trauma already! In addition, losing a family member and adapting to a place where you constantly receive racism is tough on a 10 year old girl.

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This is an article that connects the trauma children go through when immigrating to a new country especially because of scary reasons such as war with the novel Inside Out and Back Again and how Lia had to do just that. It talks about how these children have to leave everything behind to go somewhere completely foreign to them in every way; food, culture, people, norms and so on.

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Childhood

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Immigration Childhood Trauma and the Process in "Inside Out and Back Again" by Thanhha Lai

Introduction

The novel by "Inside Out and Back Again" by Thanhha Lai has a detailed explanation of experiences of assimilation derived from the story of Ha, a small girl, who describes what she went through and the struggles she underwent towards the end of the Vietnam War at a time she lived in Saigon. The girl gives an account of the hard times she underwent with her family during the time they were leaving Vietnam after the war to start a new life in America. Her family had to leave behind a lot of their belongings, considering that it was hard for them to carry all they owned during their immigration. The paper will elaborate on the life experiences of Ha and her family. To tell about the childhood trauma that she experienced during their migration after the Vietnam War.

Early Life in Vietnam

The journey from Vietnam to America was full of struggles which Ha indicates that they were excessive for them to overcome. They came from a culture that is very specific in any matter to do with properties and it was hard for Ha's mother to agree to the fact that they were indeed leaving behind all they had acquired during their stay in Vietnam. Ha was particularly disturbed by the mixed feelings developed by his mother and his brother when contemplating whether they should leave Vietnam or not. Her mother was substantially convinced that Vietnam was their home and that they were not supposed to leave. His brother was particularly disturbed by the undignified manner in which they were living a country they had lived for quite long. He was particularly concerned that they were supposed to remain in Vietnam and take part in rebuilding the country now that the war had ended (Lai 12). The confusion of her family members subjected her to some levels of psychological trauma, noting that their migration was not welcomed. The refugees living in the camps were experiencing a number of challenges, some of which Ha narrates.
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The life in the refugee camp was temporal considering that it was basically used to hold refugees as they awaited their departure to other destinations. Ha must have known that the refugee camp was not their home which must have introduced some stress in her life and is associated with the trauma she sustained during their immigration. Despite the fact that Ha's mother wanted them to remain in Vietnam; she was also concerned about relocating to a place that assured her kids success in the future. Ha thus lived in a family that was torn between remaining behind leaving to other places. She was not sure of what was to happen to her life and their family, which must have traumatized her to some extent. It was sad that the refugees just hoped that things were expected to get better after leaving Vietnam considering that they did not have any other option as they were being forced out of the refugee camp (Lai 20). They were expected to get started on new lives upon leaving Vietnam, something that they were not sure whether they were to succeed or not. The process of assimilation subjected the refugees to a lot of anxiety and trauma which negatively affected their daily lives.

Assimilation and Associated Experiences

The assimilation occurring was characterized by racial stereotyping as characters were being introduced to new cultures different from what they were used to. According to Ha, it is evident that cultural differences have a lot of impact on the assimilation process, where children are mostly affected. Ha was born and brought up in Vietnam, where she had become used to the traditions and customs practiced there. Upon immigration to America, it turned hard for her to get well with the American culture especially when interacting with the children from the American origin. At one point, Ha indicates that she was traumatized when she was asked whether she comes from a culture that is known to eat dogs (Lai 34). Such a question indicates that the Americans held a negative perception about the Vietnams, where they believed that they lived in the jungle, making them develop an impression that they used to eat wild animals such as dogs. Such a description must have tortured Ha psychologically by making her think that she was no t supposed to live in America.

Ha lacked an option to run away from the new culture in America and she made every effort to understand it as the only way she could interact with her peers. The process of assimilation was not an easy one as Ha had to ignore the wrongs done to her by the American children. She got herself thinking about the kind of life they used to have back in Vietnam but there was nothing she could do about it. It is very possible that Ha had a lot of friends in Vietnam whom they shared a lot of similarities in terms of traditions and practices. With such friends, Ha did not experience segregation and mistreatment in Vietnam, similar to what she experienced in America. Ha relates the happenings in their family with both the Tet and the alternating Lunar year. The story begins with a celebration of Tet which matches well with happy life Ha used to enjoy while living in the refugee camp and end with lunar which compares with the struggles that she experiences after moving to America. The ups and downs she faces in her tender age are indicative of some of the life struggles that children have to bear within the process of being brought up. Ha's story has some moral lessons that are positive and opposite to the childhood trauma that she experienced following the immigration.

Moral Lessons

Ha's explanation of the hardships she faced during and after immigration has some moral lessons in teaching on the importance of cultural integration as the right way to appreciate and accommodate the associated diversities. Ha indeed faced a lot of challenges after they settled in America when interacting with her age mates but she remained focused on learning about the new culture. She was disturbed by the fact that she seemed strange and regarded with some inhumanity. Still, she was determined to learn about the American culture as the only way she could be successfully assimilated. The story is a confirmation that there are negative consequences of cultural differences that have adverse effects on the lives of children and thus the need to accommodate them as an excellent way to foster the integration of people from different cultures.

Perseverance is another moral lesson deduced from the Ha's experiences right from their time in Vietnam and their later life after settling in America. They used to live in a refugee camp but she seems to have good memories of the kind of life they had in Vietnam despite the oppressive life her parents led. She seemed to sympathize with her mother, who was initially in a dilemma deciding on whether they were to leave Vietnam for America or to remain. She was keen to note that his brother was disturbed by their immigration but there is nothing she could do about it but she stood by them throughout the migration and their later settlement in America. She also withstood the mistreatment she received in America and was committed to learning the attributes of the new culture as the only way to get accepted in the new environment.

Comparison

The case of Ha is similar to the case of Dani in the book 'We Set the Dark on Fire,' who is subjected to dilemma after she is chosen for marriage with a son of a chief military strategist, destined to be appointed the president. It was traumatizing after she realized that she had actually been stolen soon after birth a brought up in secrecy(Quealy 214). As far as it was good luck for her to be chosen to marry a man who was to become a president, it was also hurting to her knowing that her selection was strategic as she was expected to be a spy the man after he became the president. Such a scenario was traumatizing in the sense that; Dani had an interest in establishing a good family with the man while at the same time being a spy. Being a spy meant that she was supposed to share some secrets with the enemies who had made every effort to make sure that she got married to the president. Marriage is a sensitive affair and there should be no external influence or force that should come between two people who are in love. It was a great deal for Dani to be selected to marry the president but she was traumatized by the fact she could not be royal to his husband as she was required to report the proceedings and some secrets to the enemies.

It was also traumatizing for Dani in that Carmen was chosen to be her aide despite the fact they were enemies because the latter had continuously bullied Dani for long during their days in college. Dani was lucky to have been selected to marry a prospective presidential candidate but she did not have a hand in choosing people who could assist her in the roles of a president's wife. Such a happening means that she was strategically placed in the marriage to serve secretive roles as opposed to what is expected of a married woman. It was more hurting, noting that her marriage was conditional and that she did not have the full right to make decisions in her family. It is more hurting that she was forced to work with a longtime enemy considering that the trained girls could only be given in pair to rich men. It was more hurting noting Dani was trained to be a social manager and Carmen was trained in matters of beauty and bearing children. Such a thing means that Carmen was meant to enjoy more time with the president than Dani who was strategically expected to manage the social affairs of the president (Quealy 218). There is a pain in getting into a marriage that has restrictions on marital issues and this must have subjected Dani to some kind of trauma.

Conclusion

The life experiences of HA subjected her to lots of childhood trauma right from their stay at Vietnam to their stay in America. In Vietnam, she was traumatized by the fact that her mother and brother were in a dilemma in deciding on whether to stay behind or leave for America. She was particularly concerned that her mother was disturbed by the fact that immigration would force them to leave all they own behind to get started in a new life in America. In America, Ha experienced hurting moments as she was significantly segregated by her new friends, who had a negative perception of their culture. The need to embrace cultural diversity and perseverance are evident moral lessons from Ha's story. Her traumatizing life experience is comparable with the life experiences of Dani who is selected for marriage to an incoming president but her rights as a woman are defined and limited. She is just required to be a manager of the social affairs of her husband, in addition to being a spy. She had to share the husband with her enemy Carmen, who was strategically meant for beauty and child-bearing roles.

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Immigration Childhood Trauma and the Process in "Inside Out and Back Again" by Thanhha Lai | Eddusaver

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Childhood Any subject. Any type of essay. We'll even meet a 3-hour deadline. GET YOUR PRICE writers online Immigration Childhood Trauma and the Process in "Inside Out and Back Again" by Thanhha Lai Introduction The novel by "Inside Out and Back Again" by Thanhha Lai has a detailed explanation of experiences of assimilation derived from the story of Ha, a small girl, who describes what she went through and the struggles she underwent towards the end of the Vietnam War at a time she lived in Saigon.