#immigrant experiences

[rachel-sylvan-author]

“Funny in Farsi: A Memoir of Growing Up Iranian in America” by Firoozeh Dumas

Thank you @books_0r_die for the rec! ❤️

Thank you @firoozeh_dumas for writing it! This was beautiful! ❤️

[mapecl-stories]

Bridges Instead of Barriers

Anja, a committed journalist with bright green eyes and a hint of idealism in her voice, sat in a café near the parliament building, engrossed in notes about recent political developments, especially the strict immigration laws proposed by a party called "National Alternative." This party strongly reminded her of the AfD, with its rigid stance against immigration and emphasis on national identity.

Michael, a member of the National Alternative, a young man with short, well-groomed hair and an authoritative demeanor, entered the café to prepare for an upcoming meeting. He noticed Anja, recognising her as the journalist who often wrote critical articles about his party.

They coincidentally met at the counter, leading to a brief, tense dialogue.

"You are Anja Müller, the journalist, aren't you?" Michael began.

"Yes, that's me. And you are Michael Schwarz from the National Alternative, correct?" Anja replied.

A brief conversation ensued, where both politely but firmly expressed their viewpoints. Anja spoke about human rights and the importance of diversity, while Michael emphasized national security and cultural identity.

Anja decided to deepen her reportage by conducting interviews with immigrants directly affected by the laws. Their stories were moving and complex, filled with hope yet tinged with fear and uncertainty.

Michael, on the other hand, prepared for a major meeting of his party, convinced that their policies were for the country's good, even though he sometimes distanced himself from the more radical elements in his party.

One day, Michael invited Anja to a party meeting, hoping to give her insight into their movement. Driven by journalistic curiosity and a desire to understand the other side, Anja accepted the invitation.

The meeting was an eye-opener for Anja. She saw the complexity and diversity of the members and their views. Simultaneously, Michael was challenged by Anja's questions and comments to reconsider some of his party's rigid views.

The turning point came when Anja and Michael witnessed a violent attack on a group of immigrants. Instinctively, they worked together to help and de-escalate the situation. This shared experience had a profound impact on both.

Following this event, Anja and Michael found themselves in many long conversations. They realized that their differences were less significant than the common values they shared: humanity, justice, and the desire for peaceful coexistence.

Together, they founded an initiative advocating for a more balanced immigration policy and intercultural dialogue. They held lectures, organized events, and worked to build bridges between different communities.

The story ends with a scene of Anja and Michael sitting together at a table, surrounded by people of diverse backgrounds. They laugh, discuss, and share stories – a vibrant picture of diversity and mutual respect.

"Building bridges is harder than erecting barriers," Anja says.

"But it's the only way forward," adds Michael, and both nod in agreement.

The novella concludes with a sense of hope that understanding and cooperation are keys to a better future.

[herald-caliber]

"Sea Change" by Gina Chung: A Beautiful Novel

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With stunning prose and a unique storyline, Chung's debut novel tells the story of a young woman's struggle to come to terms with loss and change, while also highlighting the impact of human actions on the natural world. As readers follow Ro's journey through her past and present, they will be drawn into a world of mystery and intrigue, all while grappling with some of the most pressing issues of our time. So why not dive into the pages of Sea Change and discover the transformative power of this incredible novel for yourself? Trust us, you won't regret it!>>Read More<<

[mueritos]

happy pride to all queer children of immigrants

patreon

[bixels]

The idea that uni protesters are "elitist ivy-league rich kids larping as revolutionaries" on Twitter and Reddit and even here is so fucking funny to me if you actually know anything about the student bodies at these unis. Take it from someone who's going to one of the biggest private unis in the US, 80% of the peers I know are either from the suburbs or an apartment somewhere in America, children of immigrants, or here on a student visa. I've heard about one-percenter students, but I've never met one in person. Like, don't get me wrong, the institution as a whole is still very privileged and white. I've talked with friends and classmates about feeling weird or dissonant being here and coming from such a different background. But in my art program, I see BIPOC, disabled, queer, lower-income students and faculty trying to deconstruct and tear that down and make space every day. So to take a cursory glance at a crowd of student protesters in coalitions that are led by BIPOC & 1st/2nd-gen immigrant students and HQ'd in ethnic housings and student organizations and say, "ah. children of the elite." Get real.

[jesncin]

I hope Superman fandom as a whole will one day understand that if you truly want to commit to the immigrant allegory, scenes like Lois shooting Clark with a gun or her jumping off a building to prove he's Superman pair really badly with that allegory.

I know some fans like to say "Superman was always an immigrant allegory" and while I get the sentiment of retroactively looking at how the lives of his creators inform the character they made, we also have to acknowledge that the allegory was never consistent to begin with. The original Superman comics were fun gags and shenanigans. Superman Smashes the Klan wouldn't stand out so much if his immigrant identity was consistently integral to his character.

And if you're going to commit to Superman being an immigrant, then you've got to be open to changes on staple Superman lore. So much of this fandom is dedicated to nostalgia, references, canon events, "but Lois does that in the comics! It's not Lois Lane if she doesn't do crazy things to prove who Superman is!" without considering how that is contextualized in the allegory.

I still get so many comments on my Clois comics but especially the Private Interview comic saying "I've never seen Superman this way before" from even longtime fans of the character. Honestly, I never saw him that way until I read Smashes the Klan. Since then I want people to have that recognition of themselves in him too. But that means being brave with changes! Maybe it's okay for this version of Lois to respect Superman's boundaries. Maybe an Asian Lois can be more than an aesthetic shallow retread of white Lois.

These characters are more than callbacks and references. The reason they persist throughout many versions is because they hold themes. Lois isn't just "stunt girl reporter obsessed with Superman and THE TRUTH", she's also a jaded reporter hardened by life who finds hope again in Superman. Superman isn't just "save cats from trees" guy. He's an alien immigrant, and you can make a ton of new stories from that lens alone.

[songofwizardry]

ok I'm not an expert but I'm not seeing much specific info going around here, and there's a lotta Palestine solidarity protests in the UK this weekend, so here is some (including UK-specific) protest info and resources (mostly pulled whole-cloth from Twitter)

policing is heavy at Palestine protests generally

Hamas is a proscribed org under UK law. that means "inviting support" for them or "wearing clothing or displaying articles" that implies you are a supporter is a criminal offence (if you're interested, here's the full list of criminal offences from gov.uk). Palestinian flags etc are ok*, but do not have something that could be mistaken for Hamas imagery. don't go out there looking for convictions pls.

*in spite of what Suella Braverman has implied, the London Muslim Community Forum has just confirmed that the Palestinian flag is not a proscribed flag and is not banned (apologies for quoting the "we advise the met police" group but I thought it was important to have that info explicitly)

don't talk to cops. that includes the police liasion officers in blue bibs.

particularly if you're concerned about your face ending up on social media etc, but also just good practice in general (both in terms of COVID and protest safety)—mask up. cover up tattoos etc.

have bustcards or contact details for protest legal support on you. Green and Black Cross can be contacted on 07946 541 511. write the number on your arm etc.

if you witness an arrest: check if there's a legal observer nearby and if so call them over; if not: if the arrestee doesn't have a bustcard, give them one, find out where they're being taken, and contact eg GBC or a protest support line

if you have the time and can help out, there will likely be arrestee support required after—GBC tend to post callouts on Twitter for this

other links

for particularly children and young people and their families being referred to PREVENT for pro-Palestine statements, contact PREVENTWatch and maybe also Palestine in School (newer initiative I think, I don't have an excessive amount of detail on them just FYI)

Liberty, Migrants Organise and Black Protest Legal Support have bustcards in different languages, including Arabic and Somali (also Liberty's website has lotsa useful info, including advice for disabled protesters, protesting and immigration status, and what to do if you're kettled)

GBC's thread on what to do if you see an arrest is useful, as are all their resources generally

if I've missed anything or made a mistake, lmk—as I said, I am very much not an expert. if you know people who are protesting, pass them the legal support line numbers; if you're attending, stay safe and be vigilant; and ofc carry water.

[officialspec]

Kabru thinks he's top shit for growing up in Melbourne? Is that anything?

THIS is real i 100% see him as moving to brisbane from melbourne. an idea ive been toying with for kabru is him originally being from real world nepal, and utaya being destroyed by tourism/reputation rather than monsters? everest is kind of like a dungeon if u think about it

[rachel-sylvan-author]

"Magnolia Wu Unfolds It All" by Chanel Miller

Thank you @jodifriday for recommending this cute, fun read! ❤️

Thank you @chanel_miller for writing such a beautiful little book! ❤️

[myokk]

Sebastian had a few days leave from duty so he visited Eloise😇😇

[felucians]

over 4 million people in the UK voted Reform.

as a mixed, disabled, lgbtq+, 3rd gen immigrant woman - I am terrified.

Reform came second in my home constituency, I fear for my safety and the safety of my family and friends.

Check on your minority friends today, despite the fact labour won, we have a long, scary road ahead.

[carmen-berzattos]

Butchered Tongue, my beloved

[eidothean]

Can we talk about what an incredible job Jin Maley does as Taash please

[angleofmusings]

HELLO JEWISH PEOPLE. what shoes do you wear on yom kippur. pick the option that’s closest and feel free to elaborate in the tags!

also feel free to share if you go to shul on yom kippur and what your observance looks like!

[thetriggeredhappy]

Hello! I really liked the recent chapter you posted. I'm excited to see more :]

Do you mind elaborating on Spy's jewishness? It's a very fun headcanon and I'd like to learn what you think about it ^_^

sure! first of all 🍉🍉🍉 to be clear

sniper and spy are the only two who i’ve explicitly stated as jewish within the text, i think, and likely the only two for whom it’s going to come up super frequently, but i also do think that tony’s wife theresa is jewish, as is collin’s wife lily, and i don’t think any singular one of them is the classic Monolith To Represent An Entire Culture Singularly.

i imagine spy was somewhat heavier on tradition for himself, more orthodox, follows kosher, that sort of thing, and that if his family were still physically present enough to be part of his life they would be absolutely flabbergasted that he married an irish catholic woman and even more flabbergasted at how chill she is about it. i imagine spy is a pretty private guy but went out of his way to stay in contact with the judeo-french community in boston. this would’ve been around, like, ~1940 or so? the O’Connell family i always believed to be closer to South End, which was historically a cultural hub in the city. him being part of espionage efforts as a teen throughout the 20s means that he had a pretty unusual immigrant experience for that reason, but i thought it was more interesting to sort of keep spy more grounded in reality compared to the team fortressing of the rest of the peripheral landscape. some of the older boys who remember when spy was around remember how hard spy and ma worked to celebrate the holidays for both catholic traditions and french jewish traditions, and archie for example has tried to pass that on to his own kids as well.

sniper meanwhile i have grounded as kind of the ‘my family is jewish but um y’know not in the way that people hate’ brand ‘palatable immigrant or different culture trying not to take up space in a place that is not necessarily friendly to outsiders’ story. his mum and dad were the only jewish people in their relatively small community by the time sniper was a young boy and they really did try to keep up traditions, but it’s hard when you have no outside support to help reinforce that stuff. sniper has a (relatable) internal sense of being both an outsider to the predominant culture while also not feeling confident enough in it being ‘his culture’ to make any claims for himself. i imagine that if he could meet some of spy’s old buddies in boston and connect a little more with the diaspora he would be able to start feeling more of that pride and connection, but as it is he’s caught between dodging antisemitism and denying a culture that does matter to him but in a way that’s difficult to verbalize and not often asked about.

i think spy and sniper might bicker about it at times in later chapters, next chapter in particular. scout’s ma is definitely going to make at least one more comment about scout getting married to a nice jewish boy though. that trope in media about east coasters is just too much of a staple to pass up.

[raviollies]

Honestly such a re-occuring theme with my characters is a lack of connection to their past/culture/family...

Blythe doesn't feel any kinship with them or a desire to return to Waterdeep. Raha doesn't know Elvish or remember his parents. Lorelai's father was incredibly controlling and isolating. Daee didn't feel connected to the Dalish OR city elf culture so he ran away and doesn't try to reconnect with either side.

I wonder if this means anything. Probably not.