UPROOTED

David Baraza, “A Place Without Shame”

The United States is stitched together from more cultures than you can count.

It’s a country of many races …

… and every year, people from around the world make the U.S. their new home.

What happens when you migrate from one

culture to another?

“[In the U.S.], I have friends who are Hispanic, Korean, white, black. You can’t just say,‘I will only be friends with Central Americans.’ You have to talk to everyone.”

Alexis Otoniel AguirreCojutepeque, El Salvador Los Angeles, CA

Olga MalykhEkaterinburg, Russia Detroit, MI

“When I came here, I had this huge dream of having many American friends. But that has not happened. Their friends are set already and you can’t blend in. The Russians, they will accept you. You are one of them.”

Salah Mohamed

“I have never dated an American girl. It would be strange, and it would upset my mother. I don’t want to be disrespectful—not to my mother or my religion or my homeland. But American girls are so filled with life.”

Mogadishu, Somalia Minneapolis, MN

Elaine ZhangCanton, China Oakland, CA

“Until I was 13, my name was Shu Ling. But [when we moved], my parents told me I was now Elaine. That was more American, they said. ‘You are in America now. Forget China.’ But I cannot forget China.”

Ahmed Hashem

“My father thinks I’m a little too American. My friends think I’m a little too Arab. They are all missing the point. I am Iraqi. I am Arab. I am Muslim. And I live in America. I am proud of all that.”

Nasria, Iraq San Francisco, CA

Mostly white private school, Brooklyn, NYethnically diverse public school, Maplewood, NJ

“[When I first moved, the other black kids] said, ‘You don’t even act like you’re black.’ I guess it was mean, but it helped me. I wanted to behave differently after that.”

Sierre Monk

DIVERSITYIt’s more than skin deep.

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What happens to who we are when where we are changes?

Where do you feel the most comfortable? • homeland • neighborhood •

birthplace • How do you define yourself? • Do you feel like you belong to a

group? • african american • white • hispanic • asian • arab • native american

• muslim • jewish • christian • atheist • hindu • buddhist • What connects you to

the people around you? • What separates you? • race • color • ethnicity • religion

• Have you ever had to change countries, neighborhoods, schools? • How did it

affect you? • tolerance • prejudice • friendship • acceptance • diversity • Do you

have friends from different groups? • tribe • clan • crew • clique • gang • Can you

relate to people from different backgrounds? • middle class • upper class •

working class • Where do you feel the most comfortable? • homeland •

neighborhood • birthplace • How do you define yourself? • Do you feel like you

belong to a group? • african american • white • hispanic • asian • arab • native

american • muslim • jewish • christian • atheist • hindu • buddhist • What

connects you to the people around you? • What separates you? • race • color •

ethnicity • religion • Have you ever had to change countries, neighborhoods,

schools? • How did it affect you? • tolerance • prejudice • friendship •

acceptance • diversity • Do you have friends from different groups? • tribe • clan

• crew • clique • gang • Can you relate to people from different backgrounds? •

middle class • upper class • working class • Where do you feel the most

comfortable? •

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put your voice on recordRAWWRITE

What happens to who we are when where we are changes?