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To be a refugee was to be a victim—it was tautological. And not just a victim due to external forces like politics or war. You were a victim due to some inherent, irrevocable weakness in you. You were a victim because you were less worthy, less good, and less strong than all the non-victims of the world.

— Clemantine Wamariya The Girl Who Smiled Beads: A Story About War and What Comes After (2018)

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More quotes by Clemantine Wamariya

My mom says tears are good for your skin.” And maybe your soul, too.

I want to really live in the present, and find love and joy in the world around me.

There is so much human pain and suffering in the world. I want to honor all those difficult experiences and acknowledge their aftermath.

One of the most valuable skills I’d learned while trying to survive as a refugee was reading what other people wanted me to do.

I was the clever child who induced the fairy godmother to bring her parents back to life.

All Clemantine Wamariya quotes →

Attribution

Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: Clemantine Wamariya (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.