We The Interwoven

America is at a crossroads. In the great experiment of democracy, a defining moment has arrived, a time of reckoning: What does it mean to be an American? Does the American Dream still exist? In a country created by immigrants, could our differences become a source of strength? From deep in the heartland, a view of American life through the eyes of our newest citizens may help us begin to answer these questions.


In this collection, Syrian father Eyad Said and his young family must build a life together in the U.S. while contending with the horrors facing their people back home. Palestinian American Dhuha Tawil grapples with her decision whether or not to wear the hijab. Shalini Jasti tries to balance her love of the English language with her mother's desire to preserve her connection to their Indian culture and mother tongue. Vanessa “CueponiCihuatl” Espinoza tells of her first legal documents after crossing the Mexican-U.S. border as a child. In a moving letter to his parents, George Khal looks back on his life in Palestine, Egypt, and the U.S. through the lens of gratitude and grief. Hibbah Jarmakani tells of her family's struggle to create a new home in Iowa after leaving their generational home behind in Syria. After speaking truth to power as a journalist in Sudan, Salma Salama migrates to Cairo and then the United States, where she must start anew in her career, language, and community. These seven stories show us that this country is as complex as the people who live in it, and that every resident plays a role in determining the America of tomorrow.