Tom Stoneham ⬜Nov 20, 2022
Alina

Making a list of those using the hashtag #twitterrefugee for my own edification. Amazed by how many are white, highly-educated, and clearly clueless about the most oppressed group of humans on the planet.

No more refugee cosplay. Seriously. It is sickening and cruel. Please stop.

Nov 20, 2022 at 3:05amWeb
Show threadAlinaNov 20, 2022
We see "peace" differently.
Show threadStephen CollinsNov 20, 2022
@alinastefanescu yes. Having spent a decent chunk of my career working with refugees, I'd prefer nobody use #twitterrefugee. #twittermigration is much better.
Show threadAlinaNov 20, 2022
@trib Thank you Stephen. It's mind-boggling to see people who teach students---some of which may be refugees---using this term as a self-identification related to social media.
Show threadStephen CollinsNov 20, 2022
@alinastefanescu there are undoubtedly people who have come here because of persecution on Twitter and the ongoing danger it presented them, but they are undoubtedly few (and the only people who should use the term).
The rest of us: we moved here of our own volition.
Show threadAlinaNov 20, 2022
@trib Needing international protection and being stateless is physically and practically different. As you know. *Feeling* like a refugee is not the same as *being* a refugee. The distance between the two is the cosplay.
Show threadRob EdmundsNov 20, 2022
@alinastefanescu You make a good point Alina. A large part of my professional role involves supporting genuine refugees, many of whom are straight out of extraordinarily dangerous situations and who have lost everything and are extremely traumatised. It is an insensitive and inappropriate use of the term.
Show threadAlinaNov 20, 2022
@RobEdmunds11 It makes me sad to see refugee cosplay that could only happen in extremely privileged places by people who know the valence of the word and yet... Thanks Rob. It makes me nauseous.
Show threadJoel De RoseNov 23, 2022
@alinastefanescu be careful what you wish for. Few Americans have ever lived a difficult life. Unhappy is not a hard life. That can be changed by the individual. Life threatening circumstances are hard life. Please note the difference.
Show threadAlinaNov 26, 2022
@Joel Confused by this response. I'm not sure how you interpreted my statement.
Show threadJoel De RoseNov 26, 2022
@alinastefanescu I was sympathetic to you about the cosplay. I understand that pretending to be a refugee is very unkind. This is a tragedy in our World. I pray 🙏 and light candles to send peace hope and healing to All affected 🙏🙏