Lost Boys

Santino

Ever since Santino was orphaned, due to wars between the Sudan People's Liberation Army and the Sudanese government, he has been fighting for survival, like the rest 20,000 boys, in Sudan. Here in Sudan, he lives in a refugee camp in Kenya. Everyday he eats the same food and cleans his clothes and goes to school. This life seemed good to Santino and anything better a bonus. Later he gets to know that he is going to Houston, Texas to learn and try to live a better life in the United States of America.

Everyone seems excited to go to America but, Santino isn't. He says that if he left Africa he would become lonely and grow skinny. He was seriously nervous to leave his country and people. The sad thing is, he had to leave to educate himself better and live a better life than the rest of the Sudanese people. So he agreed to go. He went with many other Sudanese boys. They were picked up by a and taken to a project. Santino lived most of his time in America happily with his friend Peter.

Then they separated and Santino began to feel what he had dreaded. He was partnered with other people but they left as well. Then the problems began. He didn't have enough money to pay the rent and had to work extra hours. The place he was living was occasionally bombarted by Black Americans who, with guns, took their money away. Santino was caught 3 times for driving without a license and needed to get a license as soon as possible. He started feeling like as if he wanted to go back to Africa. Slowly his need to go to Africa left him. He began to come into the American society. He became better at working at the factory. he grew faster with doing what he was supposed to do. He began feeling more welcome to the society.

At first he went into a culture shock with all the things that the Black American did. they were completely the opposite of what the Sudanese boys did. The way they played Basketball and their bombarting into the house. Santino had to learn more english, get a job and be friendly with al te people to fit in. Although mostly the people of America were the ones trying to make them feel at home and welcome.Some boys began to dress like the Black Americans. But mostly they had to do absoluetly nothing to fit in when their space is already made for them.