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Welcome to the New World

Jake Halpern,

Michael Sloan

4.11 · Rating details · 1,089 ratings · 208 reviews

Now in a full-length book, the New York Times Pulitzer Prize–winning graphic story of a refugee family who fled the civil war in Syria to make a new life in America

After escaping a Syrian prison, Ibrahim Aldabaan and his family fled the country to seek protection in America. Among the few refugees to receive visas, they finally landed in JFK airport on November 8, 2016, El ...more

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Paperback, 176 pages

Published September 8th 2020 by Metropolitan Books (first published October 26th 2017)

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Average rating 4.11 ·

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· 1,089 ratings · 208 reviews

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Dec 16, 2020 Matthew rated it liked it

Shelves: 2020, graphic-novel, library, non-fiction

I have been enjoying a lot of non-fiction based or fiction based on non-fiction graphic novels lately. This falls into the first category and is a retelling of the life of a Syrian refugee family around the time of the 2016 United States presidential election. This is a good story to read for a white, middle American male like me who was not as fully aware of the plight and worries of refugees in the shadow of an incoming administration very vocally planning to close borders; it led some to vill I have been enjoying a lot of non-fiction based or fiction based on non-fiction graphic novels lately. This falls into the first category and is a retelling of the life of a Syrian refugee family around the time of the 2016 United States presidential election. This is a good story to read for a white, middle American male like me who was not as fully aware of the plight and worries of refugees in the shadow of an incoming administration very vocally planning to close borders; it led some to villainize and threaten people from other countries and cultures to an extent I was not fully aware of.

One of the tough things about a story like this is that my anxiety really acts up when I hear true stories of people being awful to each other. It is one of the reasons I have backed away from the news and most social media in 2020 – just too much hate! I don’t understand why it has become more normalized to be mean to each other. I know there are many thoughts and opinions on this, and it is not my intention to begin a political discussion, that will just get my anxiety going even more. But, to willingly read a story taking me out of my comfort zone like this is a pretty big deal in 2020. The fact that it shows normal people trying to lead normal lives being met by hatred and fear is disappointing and, frankly, nauseating.

All of that being said, while it was a good story that I am glad I am aware of (despite my disappointment in the behavior of my fellow man), I was not quite as captivated by the way the story was told and the accompanying imagery as I had hoped I would be. It was by no means “bad”, it just did not grip me as much as some other non-fiction graphic novels do. Also, some of the dialogue felt forced to make a point – if the delivery does not feel organic, for me it stands out and feels odd. What I am guessing what happened was the author took several real-life scenarios and tried to summarize them on one page which led to a few awkward deliveries.

I can summarize my overall experience in this way: an interesting and important story with a lackluster delivery. But you may enjoy the delivery more than I did – and I think you should try it! ...more

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Jan 01, 2021 Dave Schaafsma rated it liked it

Shelves: gn-journalism, immigration

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Based on the Pulitzer-prize winning comics journalism of NY Times reporter Jake Halpern and Michael Sloan and expanded from that, based on three years of their working with Ibrahim Aldabaan and his family, who fled Syria to seek protection in America. There is a tendency for a lot of people around the world to shut down when the overwhelming subject of immigration/refugees comes up: "What should we do? It all seem ...more

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Nov 09, 2020 Elizabeth A rated it liked it

Shelves: biography, graphix, 2020, non-fiction

2020 Nonfiction November Book #3.

I'm an immigrant, but not a refugee, and that's an important distinction. This graphic story was initially published in the New York Times and won a Pulitzer. It's the true story of a Syrian refugee family who land at JKF on November 8, 2016 - election day that puts Trump in the White House. The family is resettled in Connecticut, and there are some of the expected difficulties of an uprooted family trying to make a new home.

I didn't particularity like the illus ...more

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Oct 19, 2020 Rod Brown rated it liked it

On the very day Donald Trump is elected U.S. President, Muslim refugees from the Syrian civil war make their way from Jordan to Connecticut, hoping for a new and better life free from want and danger but coping when reality offers them more of a muddle. Their story is told by a journalist with the New York Times and originally appeared as a serialized comic strip in the paper, winning the Pulitzer Prize for editorial cartooning.

The story does a good job of capturing the vertigo of leaving behind ...more

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Sep 20, 2020 Toya (the reading chemist) rated it it was amazing

These are the type of stories that I hate having to rate because this is a true story based off of surviving Trump’s US as refugees from Syria.

It infuriates me to no end that the United States has been sold as this all inclusive resort package that accepts people from all creeds. That is an absolute lie and is exactly what plays out in this poignant graphic novel. There’s a scene where the son Naji has these grandiose dreams of what it must be like to be a child raised in the US where you’re sur ...more

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May 15, 2020 Jessica Haider rated it really liked it

Shelves: graphic-novels, netgalley, immigrant-experience

Welcome to the New World is a short graphic novel about a family of Syrian refugees who move to Connecticut. Ibrahim Aldabaan, his wife and 2 children escaped war-torn Syria via Jordan and moved to the US on the eve of Trump's election in 2016. The American political situation makes them nervous but America still promises a safer life than in Syria. They work with an agency who provides them with a sponsor and guidance for 3 months. The family works to settle into their new life in America. The ...more

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May 09, 2020 Laura rated it really liked it

Shelves: graphic-novels

This is an amazing story of a family of refugees from Syria who arrive in America the day that the current occupant in the white house, won the election.

It is truly a heart breaking story. There is hope, but most of it is sorrow, and the book ends earlier than the same story it is based on, that ran in the New York Times.

The characters are all very real, because the author based them on real people. He has been with them since they arrived in the U.S., and been telling their story, up until the ...more

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Mar 16, 2021 Tatiana rated it really liked it

Shelves: multicultural, graphic-novel, refugees, non-fiction

My GR shelves are filled with books on the Syrian refugee crisis. I've been following it for years.
Welcome to the New World sounded interesting and unique to me because it chronicled what happens once refugees are resettled, specifically in America. Knowing this story was based on the journey of a real refugee family gave me hope it would be authentic and do justice to the plight of so many others.

And I think it accomplished that. Author Jake Halpern spent years following this family, and he m ...more

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Nov 24, 2020 Jen rated it it was amazing

Shelves: from-publisher, netgalley

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Apr 30, 2020 Kaora rated it liked it

A great look into the life of a refugee in the time of the 2016 elections, where the president coming in clearly made things very difficult for refugees. It is definitely a topic I find very important.

I enjoyed it for the most part, getting a small glimpse into the insecurity and fear of people immigrating to America. As someone who was lucky not to experience something like this, I think it gives perspective on something that so many take for granted.

The story didn't flow particularly well, but ...more

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Aug 25, 2020 Ally rated it it was amazing

Welcome to the New World by Jake Halpern and Michael Sloan is the coolest journalism piece I have ever seen in my life. When I first began reading, it reminded me a lot of George Takei’s ’They Called Us Enemy’ in its raw storytelling using majority black and white illustrations.

This nonfiction graphic novel follows the story of a refugee family who fled the civil war in Syria to make a new life in the United States. This family, unfortunately, arrived the day Donald Trump becomes president and Welcome to the New World by Jake Halpern and Michael Sloan is the coolest journalism piece I have ever seen in my life. When I first began reading, it reminded me a lot of George Takei’s ’They Called Us Enemy’ in its raw storytelling using majority black and white illustrations.

This nonfiction graphic novel follows the story of a refugee family who fled the civil war in Syria to make a new life in the United States. This family, unfortunately, arrived the day Donald Trump becomes president and the US growth in racism and islamophobia.

The beauty of this novel is not just the moment in time the story took place, but how it was told through the perspective of different family members. Children being excited about their new life where they can have their own rooms and live that teenager life they see in popular media. The parents, on the other hand, are anxious for a chance for a better life but guilty for leaving part of the family behind.

This story really sang to me because I too am an immigrant to the USA. Similar to children in the book, I didn’t have much choice, but it changed my life. One particular element that I enjoyed and made me remember my childhood is the language barrier one faces when moving to the United States. Obviously, the children in the novel picked up English quickly (much like I did), but the struggle of the parents learning English reminded me of my parents. Even to this day, my parents sometimes face challenges due to language barriers which Halpern and Sloan were able to articulate in the panels so smoothly without making fun of the language barrier.

Halpern and Sloan showed the perspective that the family that the immigrant left behind creates this image of ‘Oh, you live in the USA? You must be rich.’ Those scenes hit home, and it a struggle every migrant has to face. The Aldabaan’s soon found themselves not only figuring how to keep themselves financially afloat but having to also worry about sending money back to their families in Jordan because they were now ‘rich Americans’.

This graphic is raw and intimate. It handles the immigrant experience so tastefully without sugarcoating the struggles and joys a family goes through. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to further understand the immigrant experience.

An eArc copy of this graphic novel was given to me by Henry Holt & Co in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. ...more

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Sep 05, 2020 Sara rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: graphic-novel, non-fic

3.75

I was especially glad to have read this in the Time of Quarantine because it affected how I experienced the part where our main characters - a Syrian family - stay sequestered in their nice middle class home in Homs, Syria as bombs explode around them, agents of Assad roam the streets making arrests, and their food and money supplies dwindle. The feeling many of us have had of fear and anxiety and feeling trapped in the time of COVID are valid feelings, but this graphic novels shows how the 3.75

I was especially glad to have read this in the Time of Quarantine because it affected how I experienced the part where our main characters - a Syrian family - stay sequestered in their nice middle class home in Homs, Syria as bombs explode around them, agents of Assad roam the streets making arrests, and their food and money supplies dwindle. The feeling many of us have had of fear and anxiety and feeling trapped in the time of COVID are valid feelings, but this graphic novels shows how the Aldabaan family - and so many more like them - had those feelings amplified to the nth degree.

I think many of us have the image of refugees as tattered and destitute, but rarely do we have the image of what their lives looked like before horror befell them. Only a small part of the graphic novel is about this family's Before as the main thrust of the book is about their attempts to adapt to live in Connecticut, but it was the Before parts that really stuck with me the most.

I'm not sure if it was intentional or not, or if the fact that this graphic novel was originally serialized on NYT, but the pacing of the Aldabaan's story in America seemed really fractured and jumpy. Was that intentional to give the feeling of how the family felt? I'm not sure, but I would have preferred a more cohesive narrative, or perhaps a focus from the POV of one of the family members.

The notes at the end of the book about the process the creators developed for this ambitious project were super interesting. I especially found it interesting that one of the creators showed the family Persepolis to give them an idea of what the project could look like. Persepolis covers some of the same ground as this book, but because it comes from Satrapi's unique perspective it was far more cohesive and compelling, at least to me.

Even though I completely intellectually understand how hard things must have been for this family I had a hard time feeling emotionally connected the story...until I got to the final three pages where some artwork by the mother of the family - Adibaah Aldebaan - were included. Looking at her evocative art, I started sobbing. I hope that someday she is in a place where she could make a graphic novel of her own.

Thank you to Henry Holt and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. ...more

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Nov 11, 2020 Emily rated it it was amazing

So glad I won this in a giveaway, this was original, informative, and a catalyst for empathy!

While I’ve heard talk about the Syrian civil war and refugees in the news before, I had no idea what actually happens when refugees come to the US, and I am grateful that this book has reduced my ignorance.

Reading from the perspective of one family makes the story very clear and compelling. I also enjoyed the illustrations and felt that they balanced the reading experience since the family’s hardships a ...more

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Apr 30, 2020 Joanne rated it it was ok · review of another edition

I liked this very much, however I felt it ended rather abruptly with no resolution...which actually could be the point.

———-

Read this a second time but didn’t realize it for sure until I saw it on Goodreads. I thought portions were vaguely familiar. Anyway, I must hat liked it more back in April 2020 because I gave it 4 stars and thought I’d only give it 2.5 this time around. It puts a human face on the plight of Syrian refugees for sure, but I found all the interlocking family members a bit perp ...more

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Jan 27, 2021 Aileen rated it it was amazing

Shelves: graphic-novel, nonfic, multicultural-diverse, politics

The stark, black-and-white art tells the Aldabaan family story as they become refugees in the US on exactly the day Trump was elected. From Syria to Jordan to Connecticut, this is a quietly powerful story.

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Aug 03, 2020 Sara rated it it was amazing

Read more graphic novel reviews at www.graphiclibrary.org.

In the Fall of 2016, the Aldabaan family receives word that they have been approved to travel from Jordan to the United States. Brothers Ibrahim and Issa are able to emigrate with their families, but they are leaving behind their mother and another brother and family. This is after they have all fled war-torn Syria. The eldest son, Naji, can't wait for the family to start their new lives in the United States, but the political climate has Read more graphic novel reviews at www.graphiclibrary.org.

In the Fall of 2016, the Aldabaan family receives word that they have been approved to travel from Jordan to the United States. Brothers Ibrahim and Issa are able to emigrate with their families, but they are leaving behind their mother and another brother and family. This is after they have all fled war-torn Syria. The eldest son, Naji, can't wait for the family to start their new lives in the United States, but the political climate has Ibrahim and his wife, Adeebah, unsure of what they're going in to. Once in Connecticut, they receive help from IRIS, a refugee resettlement agency, and told that they need to become self-sufficient within four months. The whole family adjusts to oddities of America, such as basements and Life Alert. Naji and his sister, Amal, start school and are treated as outcasts. The family constantly wonders if they've really left behind the worse life.

My heart is breaking after reading this book. This is such a powerful and important story, and a great way to build empathy. For those who supported the Travel Bans or any other policies limiting refugees, I would hand them this book as an example of how public policy impacts decisions and lives of real people. At the beginning of this story, Ibrahim and his brothers are faced with the difficult decision of leaving their elderly mother in Jordan.

Imagine receiving a text message from your parent that says you might not see them again because of political fears. Politics aside, this would be devastating to most people to know that when they got on the plane, destined for a better life, they were saying goodbye for the last time without knowing it.

This story is also an important empathy-builder even for those who thing they are doing the best they can. In the story, the family has help from a refugee resettlement group, who send tutors to help the kids learn their English. One of them refers to the oldest son as a "kid", even though he's seen things like dead bodies and his desolate town. As a person who works with students, I know I'm guilty of calling them all kids at some point, but many of them, not just refugees, have had such experiences that wouldn't qualify them as children anymore. Acknowledging the struggles someone has endured before you met them is so important.

The illustrations are a little basic, but powerful. The focus is very much so on the family and their beginning days of resettlement, and the illustrations serve as a humanizing element to the words spoken by each person. While the drawings may seem to be plain, each character is individual and nuanced, so I never had trouble telling any of them apart.

Yes, there is some political conversation included here as it relates to the policies on immigration and refugees, but that should not keep it out of libraries, even in conservative areas.

Sara's Rating: 10/10
Suitability Level: Grades 9-12 ...more

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Oct 22, 2021 Cherlynn (cherreading) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I can't believe this book has only 15 ratings on Goodreads! Pick it up if you can!

This is a raw and powerful graphic novel based on a true account. It follows a real-life family of 5 who are in Jordan after having fled the Syrian war and are now preparing to leave for America... which soon elects Trump as its president.

The book did a wonderful job in highlighting the struggles of refugees and immigrants as they try to get settled in a foreign land and stand on their own two feet, all the while c ...more

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Jul 17, 2020 Deborah Zeman rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: tayshas-2021

This graphic novel takes a hard look at the struggles of a family of Syrian refugees who arrive in the US on the day of the 2016 Presidential election. The author showcases both teen and parent struggle of trying to fit in, the desire of achieving the American Dream, the worry of how long they will receive help from their sponsors, and the realization that they do not fit in, no matter how hard they try. The drawings are kept to a minimum, with only black and white used, so they don't take away ...more

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Aug 14, 2020 Mrs C rated it it was amazing

A humbling and eye-opening account from the eyes of a Syrian refugee family. The spare but pleasing artwork works well with the story. This is an excellent addition to both adult and YA collections.

Thanks to the publisher for the early access to the book.

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Oct 26, 2021 Swati rated it really liked it

Shelves: graphic-novels, true-stories, north-american

“Welcome to the New World” is based on journalist Jake Halpern’s account of a Syrian family’s experiences as they land in America just as Trump is on his way to being President. Ibrahim Aldabaan, his wife, and 5 children escape the Syrian war and reach Connecticut where they’re provided with initial support to settle in. But the clock is ticking. They need to be financially independent and blend in within the next 3 to 4 months.

Life was tough in Syria but it’s not easy in America either for the “Welcome to the New World” is based on journalist Jake Halpern’s account of a Syrian family’s experiences as they land in America just as Trump is on his way to being President. Ibrahim Aldabaan, his wife, and 5 children escape the Syrian war and reach Connecticut where they’re provided with initial support to settle in. But the clock is ticking. They need to be financially independent and blend in within the next 3 to 4 months.

Life was tough in Syria but it’s not easy in America either for the Aldabaans. It’s a big relief to have escaped from bombs and gunshots but now they need to gear up for an entirely new way of life. Each one feels their foreignness acutely in different ways. The children feel they stick out in school, Ibrahim struggles to find a job with his minimal English skills, and Adeebah can only communicate in a mix of silence and monosyllables. Even the volunteers who help them are aware that they have a monumental task ahead.

“It’s just not enough time, Sofia…Totally independent in three to four months? How? They’re unemployed. Don’t have a driver’s license. No social security number. No medical history.”

Then, there are disappointments too. America had been a dream to them, especially for Naji, the oldest son. He had imagined his life in vivid detail, no doubt, fuelled by the movies he watched. However, when he actually experiences some of it, he is not that impressed. “A real American locker! It’s…It’s…It’s…not that exciting at all,” Naji finds out when he goes to school.

The narration is a bit disjointed, perhaps because the story was adapted from a 20-part New York Times series for which Halpern bagged the Pulitzer. The journalistic style seeps through even in the book but not so much that it hampers the pictures it paints. Halpern and illustrator Michael Sloan rustle up an incisive, detailed look at the daily battles and worries that refugees have to go through. It’s not easy leaving the rest of their family back home. It’s not easy to deal with their extended family’s perception that they are now rich Americans. It’s not easy to “feel American” within the space of a few months as they’re required to.

Halpern has given voice to the silences that families like the Aldabaans can’t express in their limited English. And for that, this book must be read. ...more

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Mar 09, 2021 Richa rated it really liked it

Shelves: contemporary, biography, non-fiction, graphic-novel

It is an actual story of a refugee family, who landed in the US on the day when Donald Trump won the election. It shows the life of people who come from other countries in the hope of living a better life, but end up having a difficult one where they struggle with the new place and new policies. Their life was horrible where they were living earlier because nobody would leave their own country just like that unless they have a life threat. But coming to a new place comes with its own set of solu ...more

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Dec 13, 2020 Mateen Mahboubi rated it liked it

A story of a family of refugees settling in a post-2016 USA and the challenges associated with it. Shortly after reading this, I heard a podcast about the same family and probably connected to that a bit better than this book. Ultimately it's well made but doesn't really take advantage of the medium. The story itself is helpful to understand the challenges of leaving home and the barriers that face you when you arrive to a new place, despite the best efforts of those who want to help. ...more

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Aug 02, 2021 By Book and Bone rated it liked it

The later portion/last two chapters of this graphic novel are very good but unfortunately over all it's quite middling.
Despite this being a true story and real people, it felt as though we were held at arms length from 2D characters. It's an odd experience.

I think that a lot of this is to do with it being written by a journalist. The graphic novel format just didn't work for the most part.
Having said that, it's not bad and has good moments. The illustrations are great too. ...more

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Feb 15, 2022 Laura Stamp rated it really liked it

Graphically illustrated journalism — tells the story of a family that immigrated from Jordan during the Trump years. I love the big problems they face as well as the problems that the kids think are so important, like puberty and talking to girls. This book should be required reading for middle school and high school.

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Aug 30, 2021 Carol rated it really liked it

Shelves: graphic-novels

Seeing the struggle of a local immigrant was interesting.

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Sep 26, 2021 Smriti rated it really liked it

Shelves: nonfiction, graphic-novel, politics

really gives you an understanding of what its like being a refugee - what that's like for the immigrants and the people who help them. :) ...more

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Feb 27, 2021 Denise rated it liked it

3.5 ⭐⭐⭐

This is a graphic novel depicting the struggles and hardships refugees face when arriving in the U.S. It's mostly fact based, as explained by the author/journalist, Jake Halpern. This format is more "easily digestible" and "user friendly" than watching the news or other outlets but the story & art convey a very simple and heart touching truth - there is no easy fix to anyone's problems. But also, it showcases the unrealistic idea that other countries have featuring America as some "Promis ...more

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May 17, 2020 SaraCat rated it it was amazing

Shelves: arc-giveaway

Even though this graphic novel is less than 100 pages long, you come to care about the different members of the Aldabaan family. In addition, Halpern very skillfully shows the complexity of emotions and the challenges refugees face when they come to the US; especially for those who have come in more recent years.

The art style complimented the story very well. It was in some ways minimalistic: just black and white with usually just as much background detail as needed to convey location, etc. But, ...more

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Oct 09, 2020 Peacegal rated it really liked it

4.5 stars -- Based on a real-life family's experiences, a couple and their five children flee civil war in Syria and attempt to make a new life in America.

This is a fantastic graphic book, and really shows off how this format can connect with readers. It will be difficult for readers to think of all immigrants and refugees in a dismissive way after reading of this family's struggles and triumphs in an unfamiliar land. Indeed, the story challenges prejudices both ways--some of the Aldabaan famil ...more

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Mar 26, 2020 Rabbia Riaz rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: graphic-novel, history-historical, american-literature

Such a tragic story of the two refugee families from Syria.
America helped them,no doubt,but they lost their actual homes.Alas!
At the end there was no mother(granny) but only keys.

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