Everywhere I’ve grown up and lived has been predominantly white. Like, right now, I’m the only person of color at this playground and that is often the case when I come down here.
Tahaira Khanam and her son, photos by Lindy Drew
“What do you think people assume about you when they first meet you, but they’re totally wrong?”
Just because I’m not easily identifiable, just because I don’t wear a headscarf, doesn’t mean that I’m not proud of my identity or who I am. We are part of this community, too.
We vote, we’re civically engaged, we’re not all immigrants, and we are in every facet of every part of American life just like all the other Americans who are here.
It used to bother me a lot when people thought I was an immigrant or different or that I didn’t somehow belong. Because if I don’t belong here, where do I belong? The more contact people have with each other, the more education there will be. The more awareness there is, the less hate there will be.
