'Little America' Episode 8: A Syrian gay man's journey of seeking asylum weaves a brutal story of homophobia
This article contains spoilers for 'Little America' Season 1 Episode 8 'The Son'/'Rafiq'
Homophobia is still rampant in some of the most developed of the world; but all the way down in war-torn Syria, it is brutal. Rising from the ashes of his father's despise and the society's stigma surrounding his sexual preference, a young man called Rafiq chances upon the charismatic and much younger Zain who lives his life uninhibited. Thus begins a story of hope and comfort, as Zain guides Rafiq towards his future of seeking asylum in the US after being brutally attacked by his own father. And in the journey, Rafiq learns the true value of friendship and solidarity, while indulging in some much-needed freedom of his sexuality.
When we meet Rafiq, the titular son from Episode 8, he is loved by his family, attending a dinner where his younger brother, announces his wedding to the girl sitting next to him. All this time, Rafiq's phone buzzes for what he calls 'work', but just like his father, we too know its something way deeper. Rafiq soon steps out of the house and into the darkness of the alleyway next to his house to meet a stranger, which looks like a blind hook-up session. He is hesitant in even being approached by the man's tender touches, and even though the man assures him he is allowed to enjoy this, things go haywire once he indulges, only to be caught by his enraged father.
The next time we see Rafiq, he is running in the thick of the woods, his arm sporting a still fresh burn spread from wrist to the inside of the elbow. It's obvious that his father attacked him, causing him to run away from home and find himself in the comforts of a Damask restaurant owner as he begins working for her. Thus he meets the otherworldly Zain, unapologetically and fabulously gay, who claims if he could hide this flamboyance, he would. Zain's initial attempts at breaking through Rafiq's walls make the latter call him trouble, but Rafiq eventually comes around and decides to give the friendship a chance.
Zain unleashes to Rafiq the promise and prospects of seeking asylum in the US, claiming he himself is working on getting his appeal approved giving Rafiiq the first semblance of hope he as received in ages. Sadly, this bliss isn't long-lived as his father's people spot him working at the restaurant. The next morning, Rafiq gets a call from a nervous Zain, asking him not to turn up at work. We soon find out that his father's people shattered and smashed the eatery to pieces. A bloodied and beaten-up Zain asks Rafiq to move to Jordan right away as they can't protect him in his own motherland. With his own family turned against him, Rafiq can't do much other than listen to Zain, and so begins his long, torturous ordeal of applying for asylum, and refreshing the application-status page every second to see if he got approved.
As weeks turn into months and the status remains pending, Rafiq also finds solace in the arms of a friendly foreigner with whom he sparks a flame. But when it pours, it pours good news one after the other, and after months of just reading about Zain's blissful life under asylum in the States, Rafiq's application gets approved too. He flies to the States and straight to Zain's home, but his trials and tribulations aren't over yet. With the risk of homophobia slightly tamer, Rafiq now faces racism and discrimination for entering pubs as he doesn't have an American identity proof. But they are at a gay pub and there is nobody who isn't welcomed to the love and thrill of the life inside.
It is at this moment that we learn how incomprehensible and unfathomable the concept of living life openly gay is to Rafiq. He watches men making out with each other and drag queens taking the floor, and all he can do is shed tears of happiness. We are shown the final letter he wrote to his father before flying to America and the letter is just three lines, informing his father he is okay. And we know he is. He will be better than that soon.
'Little America' premieres with all eight episodes on Friday, January 17, only on Apple TV+.
