Inner thoughts
Starting 2020 off with a book in English AP 11. A new way of starting off the year with a new perspective, new knowledge, and a better understand of the environment that went by right past our eyes.
For a Book Club this year, I am reading the book Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. This story takes you through a tale of the concept of identification and really knowing the true self identity of yourself. My picture below was when I first started reading this book and was just a brief few chapters into understanding what this story of a girl is. Now that I am almost halfway through this book, understand and feeling the same way as Ifmelu, the main character of this book makes me look at things a little different. My picture is sort of a map that is connecting things together, somewhere through this story, at least while I was reading it, when Ifmelu describes her experience in the Salon she went to, to get her hair braided, it was a stopping point for me. I felt like, more than anything else I have read in this book, this scene and everything shes feeling right here just couldn't leave my mind. So I decided to start of my map with the hair. From what kind of hair she wanted to insecurities to finally the overall question. "Who am I?"
Ifmelu is a strong girl who has gone through many hardships. Being an immigrant myself, I can relate to some issues with her. As she feels like she belongs in America, but at the same time feels like she doesn't knot whether its the right place for her and if she knows who she is. Is she still the same Ifmelu from Nigeria, or someone who has adapted to America's environment that there is no touch left with her old self. With me, being an Indian, in my case my parents brought me here, but having been lived here for 16 years, I still find it hard to answer the question, "Where are you from?"
I'm born in India, but came here when I was just 6 months old. My father had situated himself in America since 1995, came back to India to get married and start a family. After coming here after just 6th months, my mother was still new to all America customs so she never really tried to adjust to them, she tried to keep me in touch with India's culture. Till this day, my parents still try to do so by making me go to the temple and visit India multiple times. Through this process I was able to learn 8 languages to this day. Compared to how we carry out our prayers to god in India and America differ slightly but they taught me how to do such things so it helps me connect back where I am from, my roots. People ask me, Where are you from? As a girl raised with Indian culture, but an American citizen, who am I Am I an Indian because of my values? or am I an American because I've lived here and have been educated here?
For a Book Club this year, I am reading the book Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. This story takes you through a tale of the concept of identification and really knowing the true self identity of yourself. My picture below was when I first started reading this book and was just a brief few chapters into understanding what this story of a girl is. Now that I am almost halfway through this book, understand and feeling the same way as Ifmelu, the main character of this book makes me look at things a little different. My picture is sort of a map that is connecting things together, somewhere through this story, at least while I was reading it, when Ifmelu describes her experience in the Salon she went to, to get her hair braided, it was a stopping point for me. I felt like, more than anything else I have read in this book, this scene and everything shes feeling right here just couldn't leave my mind. So I decided to start of my map with the hair. From what kind of hair she wanted to insecurities to finally the overall question. "Who am I?"
I'm born in India, but came here when I was just 6 months old. My father had situated himself in America since 1995, came back to India to get married and start a family. After coming here after just 6th months, my mother was still new to all America customs so she never really tried to adjust to them, she tried to keep me in touch with India's culture. Till this day, my parents still try to do so by making me go to the temple and visit India multiple times. Through this process I was able to learn 8 languages to this day. Compared to how we carry out our prayers to god in India and America differ slightly but they taught me how to do such things so it helps me connect back where I am from, my roots. People ask me, Where are you from? As a girl raised with Indian culture, but an American citizen, who am I Am I an Indian because of my values? or am I an American because I've lived here and have been educated here?
Comments
Post a Comment