'The sheer diversity of our nation is so breathtaking in every sense of the word.'
This 4th of July marks the 243rd birthday of the United States of America. With each new generation, the country has evolved to reflect the culture and values of the times. Today, what is considered the"American experience" is more diverse and inclusive than it's ever been — but as party lines and heated rhetoric continue to divide Americans by race, class, and gender, so many unique narratives are omitted from the conversation on what it means to be a US citizen.
“After the tragedy of 9/11, I found myself as an American mourning the loss of life while being the target of ignorance, fear, and bigotry. An editorial cartoon featuring a Sikh character in the aftermath of 9/11 captured my predicament. That was the spark for me to start cartooning and to give voice to my story by portraying characters who look like me — with turban and beard.
“I like to go to Mexican restaurants because it’s the closest I can get to reminding me of my mom and her cooking. It’s the only thing that kind of keeps me sane."“I’m Eritrean and my family immigrated here with me when I was a baby — first to Dallas and then Seattle. And so, for some reason, seeing the flag and the red, white, and blue growing up was really triggering for me — something that I’ve been trying to break down and understand.
“The next day my best friend Betty came up to me on the playground and she said, ‘I heard something about you. Did you have a black family come to your house last night?’ And I said, ‘Yeah, it was the Mitchells. They’re wonderful.’ And she said, ‘Well, I was hoping that wasn’t true. I can’t ever talk or play with you again.’ Three weeks later, at probably 2 a.m., I saw a cross burning out on the yard.
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