Outcasts United: An American Town, a Refugee Team, and One Woman's Quest to Make a Difference

As two soccer teams of teenage boys prepare for a soccer game, jets fly overhead, roaring loudly. One team, comprised of mostly of white boys from the suburbs, responds with excitement. The refugee boys on the other team—the Fugees—are scared and distracted by the jets, which recall the violence they came to America to escape. With the assistance of their coach, Luma Mufleh, the Fugees defeat their opponents 9-2. Watching the game, author Warren St. John is surprised by the skill, kinship, and camaraderie he sees among the boys on the team. As he begins to research the story of the Fugees, he quickly learns that their hometown of Clarkston, Georgia, has been transformed by refugee resettlement, and the story of the Fugees is also the story of America’s changing attitudes toward refugees. As he considers where to begin the story, he acknowledges the long history of the conflicts that brought the Fugees’ players and coaches to Clarkston.

Luma al-Mufleh was born to a wealthy industrialist family in Amman, Jordan. Although her family was close and affectionate, her parents also placed high expectations on Luma.