Two worlds

I have lived in two cultures for as long as I can remember. In the sixth grade, a classmate called me Saddam Hussain's little sister. My Iranian identity went into hiding after that, although it remained an important part of me. I feared people finding out, so I taught myself to be an invisible minority, the ambiguously brown girl. The journey to becoming who I am now, someone who is so proud of being an Iranian woman that she wears it on her neck for all to see, is long and a story for another day. My background no doubt has an impact on who I am and what form my activism takes. I am more convinced now than ever that there is great benefit in spreading awareness about Iranian women's and human rights struggles. I want to discuss this issue more with people and I want to write about it. Spreading awareness to induce collaboration, not a rescue mission, because I think people have more power now than ever. Grassroots efforts can become worldwide collaborations, as long as the individuals continue to work together and people don't lose site of the grassroots essence. Three images released in the Vietnam War changed Americans forever and ultimately ended the war.  If a military strike on Iran does happen, people, just ordinary people, do have the power of change. Especially now, as the recent Gaza incident shows, international activists and outrage can produce change as well. It may not be significant change in some eyes, but not all change is revolutionary and immediate.

And this inducing collaboration, especially among English speakers, is where I see myself in this movement, among English speakers.