Embedded Files
Welcome to the New World by Jake Halpern
Welcome to the New World tells the Aldabaans’ story. Resettled in Connecticut with little English, few friends, and even less money, the family of seven strive to create something like home. As a blur of language classes, job-training programs, and the fearsome first days of high school (with hijab) give way to normalcy, the Aldabaans are lulled into a sense of security. A white van cruising slowly past the house prompts some unease, which erupts into full terror when the family receives a death threat and is forced to flee and start all over yet again. The America in which the Aldabaans must make their way is by turns kind and ignorant, generous and cruel, uplifting and heartbreaking.
Review from Publishers Weekly:
This perceptive work of graphic journalism from Halpern (Bad Paper) and Sloan (Zen of Nimbus series) collects their Pulitzer-winning New York Times series, which follows one refugee family, the Adalbaans, on their journey from war-torn Syria to Connecticut on the eve of Donald Trump’s election. Once arrived, they are given an absurd three months to find work and integrate into American life before their aid runs out. At the center is Naji, the oldest son of Ibrahim and Adeebah, whose pop-culture-driven American dream gets a sharp reality check when he encounters bullies and boredom. Some elements of the story are all too familiar among immigrant narratives—the humiliation of scrounging for work, terrifying encounters with racist harassment—but Halpern and Sloan’s smart use of humorous and heart-wrenching details particularize the family’s story while effectively conveying their political message. For example, Adeebah has many legitimate fears about life in Connecticut, but she is also very worried about bears (she’s heard rumors they invade yards). And when an elderly neighbor shows Naji her Life Alert bracelet, Naji imagines fleeing Syrians pressing buttons on their wrists as they escape a burning city. Moments like this underscore the world’s inequalities while uplifting idiosyncratic moments of connection. Sloan’s loose-lined art is simple but evocative both in poignant and playful scenes. For readers raised on Persepolis, this moving documentary portrait hits home.
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