Quiz
When crisis forces them to flee their homes, refugees can only carry so much. But refugees bring so many intangible gifts to their new communities: hopes and dreams, experiences and talents, traditions and stories, resilience and determination….and some ingenious inventions.
Who are the shakers and movers that have contributed to the world’s culture, music, technology, and more?
Learn more about incredible refugee contributions by taking the quiz below!
Which famous physicist called for the founding of the ̽ѡ after fleeing Nazi Germany for safety in the USA?
Physicist Albert Einstein and his wife Elsa were forced to flee Nazi Germany in 1933 for safety in the U.S. That year, the Nobel laureate and humanitarian called for the founding of the aid organisation that was to become the ̽ѡ.
Which trillion-dollar tech company was co-founded by a refugee who fled growing anti-Semitism in Russia?
Google co-founder Sergey Brin was born in 1973 in Moscow, Russia. His family fled to the United States in 1979 to escape anti-Jewish persecution. Brin went on to study computer science at the University of Maryland and Stanford University, where he met Larry Page. Brin and Page joined forces in 1998 to found Google, now the world’s most popular search engine and a media giant.
Which popular hot sauce was created by a Vietnamese refugee who fled to Los Angeles, USA in 1979?
David Tran is the founder and owner of Huy Fong Foods, the California-based company that makes Sriracha hot sauce. Tran arrived to the U.S. as a refugee from Vietnam in 1979 and started selling hot sauce out of his blue Chevy van in Los Angeles. Sriracha is now the country’s third-largest hot sauce brand.
Which refugee was the lead singer of one of the most famous rock bands of the 1970s?
As the frontman of the rock band Queen, Freddie Mercury (Farrokh Bulsara) is known as one of the most innovative and accomplished musicians of all time. Freddie was born in the British protectorate of Zanzibar, now part of Tanzania. In 1964, his family left for England to escape the violence of the Zanzibar Revolution against the island’s Arab and Indian minorities. The family resettled in Middlesex when Freddie was 17 years old. Six years later, he befriended his future Queen bandmates, drummer Roger Taylor and guitarist Brian May.
Which loveable Disney character’s family experienced displacement after conflict forced them to flee their home?
Disney’s Oscar-winning animated film Encanto follows three generations of the Madrigals — including protagonist Mirabel — who were forced to flee their village in Colombia - a country that today serves as a haven for people who have had to leave neighboring Venezuela. The family thrives in their new home and, with the help of some Disney magic, illustrates the unique contributions that refugees bring to their new communities.
Charise Castro Smith, one of Encanto’s three co-directors, told Backstage magazine, “I’m Cuban-American. My grandparents on my mother’s side came over when they were in their early 30s from Cuba. I understand that a new start is both a boon and a challenge.” She continued, “Both opportunity and trauma influenced our family—me, my brother, and my cousins’ lives. I wanted to explore that in this movie.”
While completing his doctoral dissertation at the University of Michigan, Nigerian refugee Philip Emeagwali achieved breakthroughs that helped lead to the development of ____.
The Internet owes much of its existence to Nigerian refugee Philip Emeagwali, who created a formula that allowed a large number of computers to communicate at once.
Born in 1954, Emeagwali had to drop out of school because his family couldn’t afford it, but he earned multiple degrees after migrating to the United States. While completing his doctoral dissertation at the University of Michigan, Emeagwali realized that he could use thousands of microprocessors to do the job of eight expensive supercomputers, inventing a practical and cost-effective way for machines to share information worldwide. Emeagwali earned more than 100 prizes for his discovery.
Which quintessentially British dish was likely brought to the United Kingdom by French, Spanish and Portuguese refugees?
We have refugees to thank for our fish and chips!
Fried fish was likely brought to the United Kingdom by Spanish and Portuguese refugees during the 16th century. French protestants known as Huguenots, fleeing religious persecution in the 17th century, likely brought their taste for fried potatoes with them to the UK. Finally, Joseph Malin, an Ashkenazi Jew, later combined the two—opening the UK’s first fish and chip shop in London’s East End around 1860.
Select one
Which popular mixed alcoholic drink would we not have without this refugee’s experimental thinking?
German-born Johann Schweppe (1740-1821), whose company manufactured tonic water, found himself in Britain amidst the French revolutionary turmoil. Schweppe’s major contribution was to apply experiments on carbonating water to develop a machine that could mass-produce it, and then to develop it into a marketable product. Without Schweppe, no gin-and-tonic.
Poet Warsan Shire was born in Kenya to Somali refugees and raised in London. Which international superstar featured her poetry in her hit album?
Warsan Shire was featured in Beyonce’s acclaimed 2016 album, “Lemonade.” Known to many as “, Shire started writing poetry as a teenager and was honored as London's first-ever Young Poet Laureate in 2014. One of her poems, “Home,” became a rallying cry for refugees and those who support them:
no one leaves home unless
home is the mouth of a shark
you only run for the border
when you see the whole city running as well.
Which widely used messaging platform was co-founded by Jan Koum, who was born in Ukraine and later became a refugee in the United States during his teenage years?
Jan Koum, one of the co-founders of the popular messaging app WhatsApp, was born in Ukraine. His family resettled as refugees in the United States when he was a teenager. WhatsApp has become one of the most widely used messaging platforms globally.
Physicist Albert Einstein, who created the Theory of Relativity, settled in the United States after escaping Nazi Germany.
123 million people and displaced worldwide.
Right now, more people have been forced to flee their homes than ever before, with a staggering 123 million individuals displaced worldwide. From the war in Ukraine to ongoing conflict in Gaza, to climate shocks and economic turmoil in East Africa and Latin America—global instability is increasing.
The ̽ѡ is active in more than 40 countries, bringing crucial relief to communities in the grips of unimaginable hardship. With your support, we can continue our lifesaving humanitarian work around the world. Click here to find out more .
