Personal Narrative: I Grew Up In The Middle East

Stepping out of my first plane ride, I experience an epiphany of new culture, which seems to me as a whole new world. Buzzing around my ears are conversations in an unfamiliar language that intrigues me. It then struck me that after twenty hours of a seemingly perpetual plane ride that I finally arrived in The United States of America, a country full of new opportunities. It was this moment that I realized how diverse and big this world is. This is the story of my new life in America.

Before I begin this assignment, let me clarify, I am not Jewish in any way.

Just as with any dissection, whether it’s an onion or a fetal pig, the exterior must first be peeled away in order for the interior to be analyzed. My exterior epitomizes a typical lifestyle. I was born and raised in Orange County, just like countless others. But, I am a first-generation student raised by refugees whose broken English drove my understanding of the language in the wrong direction. I am tall and fair-skinned, just like countless others. But, I am a Muslim Palestinian whose religion was demonized and ethnicity negated. I grew up encouraged to pursue secondary education from birth, just like countless others. But, I left high school after my sophomore year. These unique attributes aren’t the only ways I differ from my peers, but

Although I have not thought about how I would stage a play I will give myself a chance to thinking thoroughly about how I would want an audience to receive a piece of work written by the four playwrights we have read this semester. Drawing on Wilson’s famous speech, I have an idea about what I would want. The Ground on Which I Stand is one that acknowledges the amazing playwrights we were able to read this semester. I appreciate what they have given to the world through the stage and in print. There have been plays that I resonated with me and some that were harder to grasp. Many of these playwrights talk about connections and family which is a way that I have connected with the characters. I wouldn't use many of the playwrights as influences

I grow up in Congo, with an african culture where young men and women are exposed to alcohol and tobacco at a very young age. In family, parents and family members are very strict, no matter what is your age, you are not allowed to drink alcohol and to smook. By mistake, if you end up becoming a drinker or a smoker, it is a kind disgrace and shame for your family. Because a drinker is seeing as an unserious person, someone that you can trust or give responsibilities. Even myself, I grow up being afraid of drinking alcohol or smoking cigarette, because I didn’t want to dishonor my family. Furthermore, while talking about friends’ influences, it depends on whom you were spending your time with. As an example, if you were surrendering by bad friends,

I have been alive for half of a moon and seventeen rotations of the Earth around the sun. I am a physically alive body with my brain presiding as the conductor. I am a woman, destined from birth to carry an insidious pink weight, but its weight does not bear down for its ubiquitous nature. I have felt the burden of a lifelong weight and it is easy to forget it is still there. My shoulders ache chronically, but most of the time I hardly notice. My hair sometimes has a life of its own, wild and free, yet somewhat coarse and textured like the Jew I am, and I carry it with pride. I carry the struggles of my ancestors, my brethren, and those who were before me and paved the road I now walk. I am my grandparent’s identity, from Lipshitz, to Lipton at Ellis Island, and finally to Moll

I remember the first time I heard the phrase “American dream” it was when I was in my third grade English class. The phrase didn’t mean much to me back then but now it has a complete different meaning for me because it changed my life dramatically.

The hardest question for me to answer is when people ask me “Where are you from?” Do they want to know where I was born? Where I lived last? Where I call home? I end up talking for a long time about how I have moved around. I was born in Bountiful, Utah, and I lived there until I was nine. I moved to the small town of Hawthorne, Nevada. It wasn’t a great place for me to grow up, so my mom got a new job in Daegu, South Korea. I liked Daegu a lot more, but we ended up moving again to Vicenza, Italy. My mother works as a civilian for the United States Army, so I technically am not a Military Brat. I like to call myself one because I have had to live a similar life. I currently live in Las Vegas, Nevada, and I am trying to leave as soon as I can. I call Vicenza, Italy my home because that is where I really grew up. I moved to Vicenza on July 5th, 2010. That year I was starting 7th grade at the middle school. I spent 4 years, 7 months, and 13 days living in Italy, and I hated that I had to leave.

Good morning! I hope you slept well, I might need a cat nap. Perhaps tonight Ill get back into the swing of going to bed before 12, JEREMY you know I literally stare at your picture going to sleep. Once you are in bed the laptop stays in the living room. I did figure out I can zoom in though. Have you ever tried to cuddle with a laptop? I might count the blocks on your shirt if I get bored. I couldn't move up my appointment next Thursday to this Friday. blah.

I didn't want to believe it. I wanted to believe it was just bad joke. My body went numb and my eyes got blurry from all the tears that filled my eyes instantly. I my body started shaking. My throat started to burn. My chest got tighter and it felt like I couldn't breath. I just wanted to scream, but nothing came out. I wanted to run, move, or even scream, but I couldn't. I was paralyzed in fear. in that moment, my world felt like it crumbled down. The only steady person in my life has died. She's been with me through everything. Knowing that she wasn't there anymore, it killed me inside. Knowing that I wasn't going to see her again, I didn't know what I was going to do. I needed her to tell me everything was going to be

I walked into class and instantly clicked with this really funny girl. She was super friendly and even showed me around the school. She seemed as if she was popular so I was kind of excited to get to become friends with her. I even got comfortable enough to tell her why I left my last school. She introduced me to her group of friends and they were exactly what I imagined they'd be like. One of the girls looked really familiar but I thought nothing

The one question I hate being asked the most: “Where are you from?” Why would such a simple question bother me? It is simply just too complicated to answer. I was born in New York, and have moved to Maryland, California, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and eventually to Indiana. By moving so often, I have been able to accomplish a goal that many could only dream of. Visiting all fifty states, because of all my experiences in other places and people, I desire to learn more about others. As well as gain new experiences and live life to the fullest.

How many different “hats” do we each wear on a daily bases. From our careers, to our family and friends we all have different identities that we claim and live out day to day. These identities help us define who we are. “When we identify ourselves, we draw on a host of different characteristics associated with various social groups to which we belong” (King 2012, pg. 429). My ornament is explaining the social identity through a snow-women and her many hats.

Our history is what defines us, shapes us, it is what we have done but doesn't necessarily mean what we are going to do. I was born in Southern California into a Mormon family and I love my life. The moving trucks came when I was five and off we went to the smack-dab-middle of the USA: Kansas City, Missouri. Instead of the ocean we now had corn fields and cows. What a trade! I grew up in the country, which was a dream come true for an adventurous kid like me. I could ride my dirt bike as far as I could see. Wrestling was big in my small town, so at a young age I joined a club team. It is now a near useless sport that I did for ten years. You see, no ones goes to the church tuesday nights to wrestle, but I did lean hard work, patience, and perseverance

In the first telling of my personal narrative, I did not consider including what had led me to a point where I began to embrace my identities and become proud of my heritage as Korean. There were many factors that led me to be who I am today. The reason for leaving out the information was because there were so many people and occurrences that led me to the point where I am now. For example, moving to different elementary school where there were more diverse body of students, annually performing at the Mosaic in the Korean pavilion, my parents being a positive role model, and becoming a volunteer teacher at the Korean Language School are some of the reasons which have led me to be who I am today. As I was surrounded by people who were interested