DIASPORA // identity lost, identity found
by Iman Abbaro
This work appears in Khabar Keslan Issue 2. PASSAGE
Whether we immigrate to escape the harsh realities of political turmoil, or to seek better opportunities in another man’s land; leaving our home often means leaving a part of our identities behind. According to the Migration Policy Institute (MPI), there are more than twenty million migrants working within the MENA region, or in Europe. Those who are a part of the African Diaspora in particular, are no strangers to the loss of their identities as they immigrate elsewhere due to inevitable assimilation.
Although I lost a part of my Sudanese identity as I attempted to integrate into different societies, I found myself clinging on to my heritage. As immigrants, we often hold on to our identities without realizing it as we attempt to assimilate or integrate into a new society. This is a reminder that immigration does not mean completely letting go of our heritage and our identities. We may lose ourselves along the journey only to find ourselves with a stronger sense of our heritage and a new identity formed within our new home.
Iman Abbaro is a Sudanese political science student by day; and a visual artist, photographer and videographer by night. She is based between the crowded streets of Toronto and Cairo.