Hey guys, I'm sorry for posting this late. I volunteer at the Williamsburg Fire Department and have had to work a lot this week (Thank god its Friday!)
Where am I from? What a question. I've always been a little confused about how exactly to answer that, I usually have to pass quick judgement on the person and situation before answering. If I'm meeting someone new in passing, I'll just tell them that I am from Richmond, Virginia. When someone who I'm closer with asks, I'll give them the full explanation. My parents immigrated to the United States in the 80s from Pakistan, and I was born in the States. "So you're from Pakistan?" is the common response I'd get. Well, no, I'm from the United States, out of my 21 years of life I've been in America for 20 of them. I grew up in Virginia, speak English fluently, and have attended 17 (almost 18) years of school in this state. In fact, I've only been to Pakistan a handful of times. I had the privilege to go visit this past December, but bar that visit I hadn't been back since I was eight years old.
I'm not gonna lie I take a little bit of offense when people seem taken back when I say I'm American (trust me, it happens more than you would think). But I do also consider myself Pakistani. I speak Urdu at home with my parents, I read Arabic, I drink more tea than water, I have dark skin, I fit into Pakistani culture just as much as I do American culture. Up until about a month ago, I would have told you that I am from America. Just America. I would have said that I have Pakistani roots, which I am proud of, but I am a full fledged American. As I mentioned before, I had the chance to visit Pakistan for almost four weeks over winter break. It was an incredible experience for me, especially going at the age I am now. When I last went, I saw the country through a sheltered child's eyes. I, obviously, wasn't allowed to go around by myself. I spent most of my time indoors with family. This time around, I viewed everything as a college educated adult. Completely different experience, let me tell you. Long story short, I'm not sure where I'm from now. I'd even go out on a limb and say that I've never felt nearly as comfortable walking down an American street as I did a street in Pakistan. My home is in the United States, but my worldview is influenced by multiple cultures and multiple countries. At the risk of sounding cliche or overly sappy, I'd like to think that I'm from the world-- a citizen of the world, of our common humanity.
Where am I from? What a question. I've always been a little confused about how exactly to answer that, I usually have to pass quick judgement on the person and situation before answering. If I'm meeting someone new in passing, I'll just tell them that I am from Richmond, Virginia. When someone who I'm closer with asks, I'll give them the full explanation. My parents immigrated to the United States in the 80s from Pakistan, and I was born in the States. "So you're from Pakistan?" is the common response I'd get. Well, no, I'm from the United States, out of my 21 years of life I've been in America for 20 of them. I grew up in Virginia, speak English fluently, and have attended 17 (almost 18) years of school in this state. In fact, I've only been to Pakistan a handful of times. I had the privilege to go visit this past December, but bar that visit I hadn't been back since I was eight years old.
I'm not gonna lie I take a little bit of offense when people seem taken back when I say I'm American (trust me, it happens more than you would think). But I do also consider myself Pakistani. I speak Urdu at home with my parents, I read Arabic, I drink more tea than water, I have dark skin, I fit into Pakistani culture just as much as I do American culture. Up until about a month ago, I would have told you that I am from America. Just America. I would have said that I have Pakistani roots, which I am proud of, but I am a full fledged American. As I mentioned before, I had the chance to visit Pakistan for almost four weeks over winter break. It was an incredible experience for me, especially going at the age I am now. When I last went, I saw the country through a sheltered child's eyes. I, obviously, wasn't allowed to go around by myself. I spent most of my time indoors with family. This time around, I viewed everything as a college educated adult. Completely different experience, let me tell you. Long story short, I'm not sure where I'm from now. I'd even go out on a limb and say that I've never felt nearly as comfortable walking down an American street as I did a street in Pakistan. My home is in the United States, but my worldview is influenced by multiple cultures and multiple countries. At the risk of sounding cliche or overly sappy, I'd like to think that I'm from the world-- a citizen of the world, of our common humanity.
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