Question

Ai writes, "The refugee crisis is not about refugees, rather it is about us (par.13). What does he mean by this? Who is "us"? How is it "about us"?

Answer 1

"Us" is primary the west. As Ai states, "the west — which has disproportionately benefited from globalization — simply refuses to bear its responsibilities, even though the condition of many refugees is a direct result of the greed inherent in a global capitalist system" (par.10) The primary casue of the refugee crisi is that the west prioritize financial gain over people's struggle for life necessities. The crisis is not the problem of the refugees, but how the west cause people to become so.

Step-by-step explanation:

Answer 2

The phrase "The refugee crisis is not about refugees, rather it is about us" has enormous sociological weight that needs to be analyzed. Thus, refugees are people who due to political, social or economic conflicts are displaced from their homes, and must settle abroad (that is, they do not emigrate entirely voluntarily, but by necessity or force majeure).

Many times, due to extremely serious issues, refugees fleeing their countries number in the millions (for example, the case of Syrians fleeing the civil war in their country). This generates the sad event of refugee crises, which occur because the receiving countries are not prepared for the massive arrival of these people.

In this context, the phrase implies that refugees are not the problem, but that it is the task of each country and its citizens to help these people cope with their situation in the best possible way.