Imagine what it must be like to be brought to the United States from your native homeland at the age of three.  All of your young life, the only culture you are familiar with is your own South Asian culture, which required adhering to strict customs, including the need for females to remain silent. Then, upon coming to America and being introduced to liberties and freedoms you secretly longed to enjoy, only to be told that your "liberal mindset would bring dishonor” to your family name.  This is what happened with tonight's guest, author and poet, Duaah Hammad, who is a first generation Pakistani American immigrant.  Not only that, but for Duaah, and no doubt others who have come to America from other countries, when she returned to her native Pakistan with her parents for their annual visits, she was viewed as a foreigner because of her ideals.  Then, upon returning to America, she is also viewed as a foreigner.  Just how does one learn to fit into two very different worlds? Hammad published her first book, Finding Home, two weeks prior to her high school graduation. Finding Home offers readers her poignant poetry, detailing the difficult journey of her multi-cultural existence, the demands to stay true to the Pakistani heritage she cherishes, while also remaining true to her heart’s longings as an American citizen. She currently attends college in Virginia.  

LIFE AS A FIRST GENERATION TEENAGE IMMIGRANT

The CWR Talk Network