After the Last Border:Two Families and the Story of Refuge in America

Analyze the fluctuations of American identity and sympathies for refugees. How was the general attitude toward Syrian refugees different from the American attitude after World War II toward the “boat people” (187) in the 1970s, and/or the anti-Communist dissidents? What factors account for these differing attitudes?

Analyze how trauma is explored in the text. How does trauma shape the refugees featured in the book? What does the text suggest about the nature of trauma and the process of coping with it?

How significant a role does political leadership play in comparison to objective conditions—such as the state of the economy—in shaping American identity and, therefore, immigration policy? What, in other words, gives restrictionists or liberalizers the upper hand?

Compare the situations in Myanmar and in Syria that led to each country’s refugee crisis. Which factors are different or similar? What do Mu Naw and Hasna’s experiences reveal about the nature of refugee crises?

How are refugees differentiated from other immigrants? What special needs do refugees have compared to other immigrants?

Explore the role of economic pressures in the lives of the refugees. How did economic issues affect them? What steps, if any, could be taken to mitigate the financial stressors that refugees face?

At the heart of Goudeau’s narrative are two female refugees. How does Goudeau weave into her narrative the unique difficulties female refugees face? How do their experiences compare to, or diverge from, those of the male refugees in the text?

Examine the depiction of familial ties in the book. How does family shape Mu Naw and Hasna, both in terms of identity and in their lives as refugees?