Fish in a Birdcage

Ridiculous, isn’t it? How would a fish continue to live in a birdcage? When I first saw the phrase from a music artist called Fish in a Birdcage, I thought it was a rather silly name. However, after dwelling upon it as I listened to the artists’ discography, I realized it displayed a meaningful message. It’s a fascinating yet sad imagery for some, and a harsh reality for many.

It represents an able-bodied, talented, or skilled creature unable to function or thrive due to the environment it’s trapped in. I believe that this metaphor connects with a lot of refugees. Everyone has dreams of their own, but not everyone has the capabilities to achieve it due to external circumstances. Refugees did not choose to leave their home. They were forced out of it because of situations out of their control. Refugees did not choose to leave behind the life they had. They had to sacrifice it for survival.

Even after fleeing their homes, refugees have to face new problems, such as economic, logistical, and emotional hurdles, which hinder their opportunities and potential. They have to carry the weight of knowing the world they once knew is no longer the same. They get limited access to vital services such as food supply, education, and healthcare. They become discriminated against and unhoused.

They become a fish in a birdcage—alienated, confined, and misplaced. However, that does not mean they are unable. Their hopes, dreams, talents, and ambitions know no borders. As the privileged ones, we must destroy the boundaries that limit the person they can be.

Let us all be inspired and reminded by a song titled Certain Birds from Fish in a Birdcage:

“Oh, the end is calling

And the sky is falling

We will guide each other

Through the harshest weather

If it pulls you off course

We will find you with our voice

We will guide each other”

When our fellow people, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, or age, walk through dark times, it is us who carry the light to be shared. It is us who have the ability to nurture a diverse and welcoming community.

If you have the fortune, share it. If you have the doors to open, welcome them with open arms. If you have the voice, speak up and amplify what they wish to say. We must destroy the cages that restrain the journey of others. Instead, we must build a vast environment where everyone has a place in which they can grow and belong freely.

-Gabriela R. Sesbreño