Shereen AbuSaeedi
Sep 3, 2018 · 1 min read

I’m 1st Gen American. My mother is German, my father Iranian (I’m a “Geranian” lol)

I look racially ambiguous. I can pass as white. Middle eastern people usually can tell I am also Middle Eastern. Some of my black friends thought I was black. Often people will speak Spanish to me thinking I am Mexican. None of this offends me. I find it amusing.

“What’s your ethnicity” is one of my favorite questions, to ask and to be asked. It is a far more interesting conversation starter than almost anything else. It’s an opportunity to connect with another human being.

Try a book? I’m an avid reader, especially of books by and about people from all different cultures. And connecting with another person in real life, is what builds understanding and empathy and tears down the walls of ignorance, prejudice, and bigotry.

To me, it’s these differences that make America beautiful. I don’t like to think of my country as a melting pot because in a melting pot everything loses its shape and texture and become homogeneous. Boring. It’s the retention and amalgamation of the individual culture with American culture that is so rich and beautiful.

    Shereen AbuSaeedi

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