Giant refugee puppet 'Little Amal' begins journey across US

Little Amal, a 12-foot puppet of a Syrian refugee, has begun its journey across the United States.

During the trip, which started on Thursday from Boston, the puppet and its puppeteers plan to visit key places in American history to raise awareness about refugees and migration.

The puppet will visit the US Capitol, Boston Common, Joshua Tree National Park and the Edmund Pettus Bridge, among other sites, during a trek that ends on November 5 along the US-Mexico border, according to WalkWithAmal organisation.

Stops are also planned for Philadelphia, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Detroit, Chicago, Atlanta, New Orleans; the Tennessee cities of Nashville and Memphis; the Texas cities of Austin, Houston, San Antonio and El Paso; and the California cities of Los Angeles and San Diego.

On Thursday, the puppet stopped in Boston's Chinatown neighbourhood and interacted with performers in lion dance costumes.

As the puppet walked with its puppeteers, it was accompanied by drummers and musicians, and a large crowd ended up following it to the Chinatown gate.

Little hope

The giant puppet represents a 10-year-old Syrian refugee girl looking for her mother who set out in search of food but never returned.

She has become a global symbol for human rights.

The name "Amal" means hope in Arabic.

Little Amal started the global journey in 2021 and visited many regions and countries, including Türkiye, the Middle East and Europe.

In 2022, Little Amal toured through New York's Times Square to raise awareness about refugees and those who seek asylum.

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Source: TRT