“Jordan never makes headlines, but geographically, it’s in the center of all the action,” Day explained. Day lived in Amman, Jordan’s capitol: a $20 bus-ride away from Baghdad and a forty-five minute drive to the West Bank. Its “friendly neighbors” include Syria to the North, Iraq to the East, Saudi Arabia to the South, and Israel & Palestine to the West.
Due to its location and relatively safe reputation, Day rubbed elbows with everyone from State Department employees en route to Baghdad to European diplomats, Gulf Sheikhs and Jordanian royalty enjoying a break from the politics. She met New York Times journalists heading to Jerusalem, American private military contractors, oil consultants, Hamas activists, and Fatah political leaders taking a break in Amman. “Amman was a travel hub for everyone who I would ever want to meet. A night out in Amman is a journalist’s dream come true.”
What struck Day the most during her time in Jordan, however, was its refugee crisis. A small nation of 6 million people, about 65% of its population is of Palestinian descent. Of that 65%, 2 million of those Palestinians are living as refugees, and, resulting from the American invasion, another 800,000 refugees fled
Iraq into Jordan, now living as “visitors.” Thus, with nearly half of its inhabitants living as refugees, Jordan faces the challenge of foreign politics in its domestic arena.
“Though Jordan’s been less criticized for discrimination against refugees than several of its neighbors, there’s an almost tangible racism within the country,” explained Day. “It’s not forgivable, but it’s almost inevitable to misplace blame, when a nation gets stuck dealing with the miscalculations of Western occupying powers for over forty-years now—it’s like a guest over-staying his or her welcome; except these guests have no ‘right to return’ or, in the cases of the Iraqis, no home to return to.”
The museum from their guidebook was behind the Iraqi Embassy, but when they turned the corner, they found what Day describes as “a hysterical, disturbing scene.” The Iraqi refugee lists were posted on the back of the embassy, and the UN was stationed to help families locate each other.
“The crowd was filled with women screaming and crying, the men were all bribing Westerners to go speak on their behalf—when we were spotted, people quickly surrounded us, assuming our white skin could somehow help them. It was horrifying, and I will never forget it.”
Day quickly got involved in volunteering with refugees through the assistance of her Arabic instructor and the UN Relief & Works Agency UNRWA, the UN branch, chartered to handle the Palestinian refugee crisis. Day worked with orphaned children of Palestinian and Iraqi refugees while in Amman.
Day said she “has a million stories” that she’d love to share, so if you’re interested in volunteering with refugees, immersion Arabic courses, or “convincing your parents to let you travel to the Third World,” feel free to email her at atday@wisc.edu.
