"Where I'm From"
write-alike by Faiza

"Where I’m From" write-alike by Faiza

If it weren’t for my Hijab, people wouldn’t even question my ethnicity or race. I would just be white to them and nothing else. But that’s not what I am or what I see. I come from two different worlds.I am Moroccan American. The term is simple but it makes my identity fuzzy.

On one side of the family there is country music and 4th of July fireworks. There is barbecuing on a hot summer day and Thanksgiving with the whole family. Grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins spilling out of a small trailer just enjoying seeing each other. Growing up in Texas I witnessed all of this firsthand.

On the other side of the family there is couscous every Friday after Jumah prayer and making chebakia, sfouf, baklava, and other sweets in preparation for Ramadan. There is coffee and cookies on a tray. There is hot mint tea when it’s sweltering out and you question why hot tea would help but it just works.

 Living in Morocco for a year, I also got to witness the traditions firsthand. I saw the women working hard in the kitchen to make delicious moroccan meals while the men relaxed and enjoyed the tea and cookies. I would see wedding parties in the park from out of my window while I tried to sleep every night, the celebratory ululation so loud it would keep me awake. I saw camels and ponies on the beach while I sipped my soda from a big glass bottle with a straw. I saw fresh fruits and vegetables, tall mounds of fragrant spices, and clay tajins in the souk.

The two worlds have merged into one family. Growing up with both perspectives made it hard to identify with just one side and it has made defining myself difficult. But I’ve learned that I don’t need to choose one. I am a collection of all my experiences and the people that surround me.