The Palestinian Refugee Camps: From Crisis to Cultural Heritage

According to UNHCR, "a refugee camp is intended as a temporary accommodation for people who have been forced to flee their home because of violence and persecution." When refugee camps are described as "temporary", it begs the question—what is the definition of temporary? Is it a few days, weeks, months…? What happens when the temporary becomes the indeterminate? When what was once defined as temporary becomes the only reality that someone knows? After seventy years, the stacked tents of the first Palestinian refugee camps have grown into dense and vibrant urban environments. However, in the narrow streets, there are lingering stories of over 500 lost villages. This thesis investigates the temporary nature of Palestinian refugee camps, it explores the social and cultural values embodied in the refugee camps and the transgenerational memories that bind refugees to the lost villages. The storytelling follows the journey of three generations of a refugee family.