“We are not different. All of us, we are human.”

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Transcript for Where Are You From

The first semester here in the College of Nursing at Valpo University, I found it hard to make friendship with the American students, even with the international students because I didn’t know anyone and they didn’t know me very well. But after that, like one month later, I started to open a short conversation.

The American people one day asked me, “Where are you from?”

I said, “I’m from America.” It’s worked 100% because they thought I am an American because I think maybe because I have green eyes, my face it’s kind of white, you know? And it’s just a funny way to make the American people rethink about, don’t judge about anyone or someone from his accent, or from his face, or his clothes.

One day I went to the Family Express, and I was just trying to buy a coke I believe. I just said, “Hi, how are you?”

And there was a man and he said, “Where are you from?”

I said, “I’m from America.”

And he said, “No, where are you from, sir?”

I said, “Yeah I’m from America. I’m from Indiana, especially here from Valparaiso.”

He said, “No, you are not American.”

I said, “How do you know that.”

He said, “I can recognize your accent. It’s very special accent. It’s different. That makes me think you are not American. So where are you from?”

I said, “Okay, I’m from Iraq.”

“Oh,” he said “Oh yeah you are from Iran.”

I said, “No, that’s a different country.”

He said, “Oh you mean Saudi Arabia.”

I said, “No, that’s another different country.”

He said, “Okay, I don’t know where you are from.”

The Iraqi currency, I have it in my pocket. All the time I carry it, just to show the people the other face of my country. I said, “Okay this one is a gift for you.” And I signed it for him.

I’m not different. You know I’m a human being like you guys so we are not different. All of us we are human, but we are from different countries.