Refugee Boy

Content Warning: This section of the guide discusses graphic violence, racism, anti-immigrant bias, and the emotional distress of refugees related to familial separation and loss.



Alem Kelo and his parents live in Ethiopia. One night, soldiers kick down their door and drag them out of bed. One of the soldiers screams in Alem’s father’s face, “What kind of man are you?” (1). Alem’s father, Mr. Kelo, repeatedly tells the soldier that he is African, but the soldier wants to know if he is Ethiopian or Eritrean. The soldier tells Mr. Kelo that he is a traitor, his wife is the enemy, and Alem is a “mongrel.” The soldiers leave but tell the Kelos to leave Ethiopia or else they will be killed.

The second Prologue is the same as the first Prologue except it is set in Eritrea instead of Ethiopia, and the soldier addresses Alem’s mother, Mrs. Kelo, instead of his father. The soldier tells Mrs. Kelo that she is a traitor, her husband is the enemy, and her son is a “mongrel.” The soldiers tell the Kelos to leave Eritrea or else they will be killed.