asylum
Asylum is the diplomatic drama in which one voluntarily chooses an unstable status, savoring both the pity and indifference of others simultaneously. Once hailed as the prologue to epic heroism, it now entails navigating a labyrinth of paperwork and interviews. Border officials pretend to welcome, while scheming the next bureaucratic obstacle in private. The asylum seeker is forced to transform from fugitive to refugee to reluctant political activist, yet the title brings few privileges. By the time they reach new lands, they are often drawn into an identity crisis wedged between homeland and adopted nation.