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eralon's review
4.0
This felt overly lengthy and in dire need of editing and possibly tightening the organization a bit, but the message Pipher is conveying is important, and she does so in a compelling way. I was most moved by Jasminka in Chapter 7.
emilyeslomski's review
5.0
The Middle of Everywhere is an amazing book that opened my eyes to a largely unseen world. While I was aware that thousands of refugees come to America seeking asylum, I hadn't really thought about the implications. I hadn't thought about the fact that this horrible situations are happening every second or that there are refugees throughout the country and the world struggling to survive. For anyone who wants to learn more about this large and inspiring group of the world's population, I highly recommend this book!
yeller's review
3.0
This is book is barely getting three stars, and that's just because I recognize that at the time this was published, it was much more groundbreaking and liberal than it is now. First of all, there's very little thread or thesis to this book. Was it a memoir? A book about psychology? Why all these weird quotes? Additionally, at times she's glorifying refugees. I don't know, I just feel it's super out of date and therefore hard for me to relate to.
courtahneyyy's review
2.0
I strongly disliked this book. Pipher starts out energetic and informative about the lives of refugees. There are many great stories inside this book, but Pipher's judgements on Americans vs. Refugees seemed very outlandish and contrived. The tone of pity wanes on and on throughout each chapter, and the organization is not great. If this book were not required reading for a class, I would've put it down after part 1.
jodyfernando's review
5.0
I spent part of my summer teaching English to Burmese refugees at a local robot-uniform factor (yes, I did say “robot-uniform”! Who knew the intense need for such textiles?!?) They were a delightful bunch, and I loved every minute I spent with them – gleaning from their perseverance while imagining the sorrows they carry. This experience spurred me to read Mary Pipher’s book The Middle of Everywhere: Helping refugees enter the American community.
What I most loved about this book was Pipher’s premise for writing it. She lives in Lincoln, Nebraska, where immigration is a fairly new thing, and the city is still adjusting to its newly acquired diversity, or what she deems “cultural collision on the great plains”. She speaks of how identity can occur only in context, and suggests that as our world globalizes, we will all have identity issues like many of the displaced refugees with whom she has worked.
“Who are we when we don’t have a hometown when we don’t know our neighbors or our kin? Who are we when we don’t know the history of our land or the names of common plants or birds in our area? Or when our stories come from television sets instead of grandparents or village storytellers? Who are we in a world where the universal language is, to quote Pico Iyer, ‘french fries’?
“We think the world apart,” said Parker Palmer. “What would it be like to think the world together?”
It is with this foundation that she embarks upon the stories of the many refugee families with whom she has been friends. She writes especially about refugee stories of young people as well as looks at how generational differences affect families in cultural transition. Their stories are poignant, realistic, and raw. Pipher is skilled at giving refugees human faces – turning stigma into stories and facts into faces. She points to the need for ‘cultural brokers’ who will serve as refugees guides in a system that may be apt to exploit them because of their vulnerability.
I’d highly recommend The Middle of Everywhere for anyone living near refugee communities who wants a deeper understanding of their new neighbors.
What I most loved about this book was Pipher’s premise for writing it. She lives in Lincoln, Nebraska, where immigration is a fairly new thing, and the city is still adjusting to its newly acquired diversity, or what she deems “cultural collision on the great plains”. She speaks of how identity can occur only in context, and suggests that as our world globalizes, we will all have identity issues like many of the displaced refugees with whom she has worked.
“Who are we when we don’t have a hometown when we don’t know our neighbors or our kin? Who are we when we don’t know the history of our land or the names of common plants or birds in our area? Or when our stories come from television sets instead of grandparents or village storytellers? Who are we in a world where the universal language is, to quote Pico Iyer, ‘french fries’?
“We think the world apart,” said Parker Palmer. “What would it be like to think the world together?”
It is with this foundation that she embarks upon the stories of the many refugee families with whom she has been friends. She writes especially about refugee stories of young people as well as looks at how generational differences affect families in cultural transition. Their stories are poignant, realistic, and raw. Pipher is skilled at giving refugees human faces – turning stigma into stories and facts into faces. She points to the need for ‘cultural brokers’ who will serve as refugees guides in a system that may be apt to exploit them because of their vulnerability.
I’d highly recommend The Middle of Everywhere for anyone living near refugee communities who wants a deeper understanding of their new neighbors.
emily_koopmann's review
5.0
A book by a local author:
This is a book of stories. Stories of real people -- children, adults, parents, students, co-workers, and so on. There are moments when Pipher gives good advice on how best to be a cultural broker for someone new to America, but mostly this book is to put a name, face, and story behind the newest members of our communities. This book was originally published right after 9/11, yet many of her stories come from years before that. Yet, the content and stories are still relevant and this is a great read, from mid-westerner to mid-westerner, as we are in even more tumultuous times regarding how we care for those just coming to our country. Thanks Mary, for living like people matter and sharing their stories with us.
This is a book of stories. Stories of real people -- children, adults, parents, students, co-workers, and so on. There are moments when Pipher gives good advice on how best to be a cultural broker for someone new to America, but mostly this book is to put a name, face, and story behind the newest members of our communities. This book was originally published right after 9/11, yet many of her stories come from years before that. Yet, the content and stories are still relevant and this is a great read, from mid-westerner to mid-westerner, as we are in even more tumultuous times regarding how we care for those just coming to our country. Thanks Mary, for living like people matter and sharing their stories with us.
stevenk's review
4.0
An enlightening look at refugees relocating to Lincoln, Nebraska told by someone working as a therapist, cultural broker, and teacher to the new arrivals. Sections on the different challenges faced by refugees of different ages broke down the authors observations and discussion of the groups that provide assistance to refugees and debunking of myths surrounding refugees were particularly interesting. This would be a good book for use in a sociology class as it had a bit of an academic feel to the presentation of information but was also a good eye opening personal read. I would rate this book 3.5 stars if Goodreads allowed half stars.