We Stuck Stickers On Everyday Products To Prove That Our Favorite Things Are Made By Refugees
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Made By Refugee Community member
Once we found out that America’s beloved and sweet Sriracha was invented by David Tran, a Vietnamese refugee… it got us thinking. How many of our other favorite things had been made by refugees too?
After some moderate to severe Googling, we soon discovered that it wasn’t a lot at all – but a WHOLE lot. And they were kind of a big deal… like Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody, Bambi, the birth control pill, and the Mini Cooper, just to name a few…
Freddie Mercury, born Farrokh Bulsara in Zanzibar to Indian parents, settled in the UK after fleeing the Zanzibar revolution in 1964. Felix Salten, the author of Bambi, fled Austria for Switzerland after one of his books was banned by Hitler in 1936. Carl Djerassi, an Austrian refugee, is best known for his contribution to the development of oral contraceptive pills. Alec Issigonis, creator of the iconic Mini Cooper, was evacuated from Smyrna (now Izmir, Turkey) during the Greek-Turkish war in 1922. Oh, and there’s more – like – way more.
Stories say that rosary beads were created by the Virgin Mary (an Israeli refugee). The Bible and Christianity were inspired by Jesus Christ (he was also an Israeli refugee). Then there’s the music of M.I.A. (refugee of Sri Lanka), MIKA (Lebanese refugee), Regina Spektor (refugee from the Soviet Union), Gloria Estefan (Cuban refugee), Rita Ora (Yugoslavian refugee) and Bob Marley (Jamaican refugee).
The play Les Miserables and novel The Hunchback of Notre Dame were written by Victor Hugo (French refugee). E=mc2 and the Theory of Relativity were gifted to the world by Albert Einstein (refugee of Germany). The Diary of Anne Frank was written by of course, Anne Frank, who fled Germany for safety in The Netherlands. The list goes on and on, but my fingers are hurting from typing!
Basically, we wanted everyone to know, so we created, “Made By Refugee”, a sticker campaign that uses the actual refugee-made products as a canvas to display our message.
More info: Facebook
First, we designed stickers featuring the official Refugee Nation flag
Then, we placed them on refugee made products all over NYC
Like Bob Marley’s “LEGEND” album
And Felix Salten’s classic, Bambi
We also found a cute MINI Cooper, designed by Alec Issigonis
Simply to prove that refugees…
Like Albert Einstein, for example
Have made huge contributions to society
Oh, and here’s a video of us in action
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What do you think ?
I like the initiative, but I feel the need to remind you that not all immigrants are refugees.
And I'm not talking about hidden terrorist cheaters, I'm talking in general.
Daria, this whole projects has to do with refugees – not immigrants. If this project was about immigrants, then everyone would be pasting on almost every product you can possibly imagine.
Thanks for clearing that out. I agree that there is definitely a fine line.
You're welcome, Kien. But the thing is there is more than one lines, and some are fine, others are thick. There's a ton of reasons why you might go live abroad, and it's not only about negative things happening in your home country. Sometimes you just choose to live elsewhere because, despite yours is not the only country that you love.
Well, I didn't know Bob Marley was a refugee. On wikipedia I couldn't find any info regarding him being a refugee either. Parfon my ignorance. But I've witnessed people mixing refugees and general immigrants within the same pot so many times.
not all immigrants are refugees and your example, Albert Einstein (as refugee?) is like comparing diamonds to dust. If 1 in 10000000 is gifted, it doesn't mean that all of them are gifted, you know? I live next to a refugee camp in Germany and police have to come at least 3 times a day because they riot and want to live in a hotel... I don't mind helping people who really need help but not those who abuse the system pretending to be a refugee and being a total dick to the society that cares for them
Einstein was a refugee: https://borgenproject.org/albert-einstein-the-refugee/
Some cause problems, like everywhere. If you were forced to live your country and live in a tent for the next 3 to 4 years, wouldn't you also be angry?
no, I would be grateful to leave the battlezone and would be grateful for every little thing i got
Immigrants and refugees differ by a very large reason.. choice. Refugees dont have one. Its a little wrong to try and potray the various migrants as refugees, even if i do love Marley and Freddie.
Exactly. Simple and clear.
Freddie Mercury: Born Farrokh Bulsara, Mercury's family was forced to flee East Africa during the Zanzibar revolution in 1964, during which Arab and Indian residents were being massacred. Bob Marley - Fled Jamaica to Miami after being shot during political violence. Cited from CNN & UN Refugee Agency. Cheers! http://www.cnn.com/2015/10/22/world/famous-refugees/ http://www.unhcr.ie/education/learn-a-fact-about-refugees#learn3
Thank you, Kien for the info. Somehow these slipped through my general knowledge.
I like the initiative, but I feel the need to remind you that not all immigrants are refugees.
And I'm not talking about hidden terrorist cheaters, I'm talking in general.
Daria, this whole projects has to do with refugees – not immigrants. If this project was about immigrants, then everyone would be pasting on almost every product you can possibly imagine.
Thanks for clearing that out. I agree that there is definitely a fine line.
You're welcome, Kien. But the thing is there is more than one lines, and some are fine, others are thick. There's a ton of reasons why you might go live abroad, and it's not only about negative things happening in your home country. Sometimes you just choose to live elsewhere because, despite yours is not the only country that you love.
Well, I didn't know Bob Marley was a refugee. On wikipedia I couldn't find any info regarding him being a refugee either. Parfon my ignorance. But I've witnessed people mixing refugees and general immigrants within the same pot so many times.
not all immigrants are refugees and your example, Albert Einstein (as refugee?) is like comparing diamonds to dust. If 1 in 10000000 is gifted, it doesn't mean that all of them are gifted, you know? I live next to a refugee camp in Germany and police have to come at least 3 times a day because they riot and want to live in a hotel... I don't mind helping people who really need help but not those who abuse the system pretending to be a refugee and being a total dick to the society that cares for them
Einstein was a refugee: https://borgenproject.org/albert-einstein-the-refugee/
Some cause problems, like everywhere. If you were forced to live your country and live in a tent for the next 3 to 4 years, wouldn't you also be angry?
no, I would be grateful to leave the battlezone and would be grateful for every little thing i got
Immigrants and refugees differ by a very large reason.. choice. Refugees dont have one. Its a little wrong to try and potray the various migrants as refugees, even if i do love Marley and Freddie.
Exactly. Simple and clear.
Freddie Mercury: Born Farrokh Bulsara, Mercury's family was forced to flee East Africa during the Zanzibar revolution in 1964, during which Arab and Indian residents were being massacred. Bob Marley - Fled Jamaica to Miami after being shot during political violence. Cited from CNN & UN Refugee Agency. Cheers! http://www.cnn.com/2015/10/22/world/famous-refugees/ http://www.unhcr.ie/education/learn-a-fact-about-refugees#learn3
Thank you, Kien for the info. Somehow these slipped through my general knowledge.