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My Iranian Identity

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The most prominent characteristic of my identity that took the majority of my life to accept and embrace is the fact that I am Iranian.

My very first day of school in Georgia was an unpleasant one because while our curriculum and copious children's television programs claimed to encourage individuality, I sensed that the students my age didn't understand this lesson, or perhaps my ethnicity wasn't meant to be praised. When lunchtime rolled around that day, I approached a girl who I wanted to befriend and asked if I could sit next to her. “No, only Christians can sit next to me,” is what she replied with, pride dripping from her tone. The funny thing was that I grew up in a family without any sort of religious affiliation. However, she took one look at my brown skin and alienated me. This was my first experience with racism in my life and as …show more content…
For the years following, I was desperate to mask any ethnic feature that I had. I wore large glasses that covered the hunch on my nose. I pretended to hate Iranian food and music. I dreaded visiting Iran. I spoke ill of family members to friends who turned me against them in the first place. I had no identity. Even my fingerprints were practically singed off from straightening my hair so often. What distanced me even more from my culture was Iranian society which shared the same internalized xenophobia as me. My family and I have always been baffled by Iranians and their obsession with western culture.
To Iranians, America is the land of opportunity; it’s the resolution to any problem. The first step to creating peace of mind is the nose job, then the hair

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