"Who am I?": RRR for Maisami

     

        In Mona Marimow Maisami’s essay “Born in Amrika” (2003), Maisami explores the identity issues that an American-born Iranian can face and that how one is perceived by more pure Iranians can muddle one’s perception of themselves.  Her explorations are supported solely by personal experience and examples; pathos and ethos are used to provide the reader context and support the reader in understanding the struggle that exists with the writer.  Maisami’s purpose is to show the reader the internal struggles that occur with American-born immigrants, and in a larger context, the struggles that occur when anyone is confronted with personal behaviors that differ from prescribed cultural traditions in order to bring awareness to the issue.  Intended audiences for Maisami’s essay include American-born immigrants, recent immigrants, individuals who deviate from traditional cultural roles, and English majors.     
    While reading Maisami’s essay, I realized that her experiences were representative of experiences in my own life.  Maisami uses an example of a young, American-born, Iranian woman, but it is a reality that I, and many others, can relate to.  At one point in Maisami’s interaction with Nina (her cousin), she expresses her frustration, “I want her to be more like me-is there something wrong with that?” (Maisami).  People relate best to those who share similar backgrounds and beliefs, but you also miss out on learning and exploring new things when confronted with someone who is not as similar.  I appreciated her feeling of being torn. On the one hand she almost felt beneath her cousin due to the quality of her silk scarf; on the other hand, she felt morally outraged that her cousin had to wear the scarf.  In my own life, I have relationships that reflect this struggle.  Friendships and family relationships that always seem at odds.  I enjoy their company and care for them, but at the same time I often find myself in disbelief at some of the things they say, do, and believe.  I also appreciate Maisami’s question of “Mom, am I Iranian or American?” (Maisami).  People compartmentalize; it is how we understand and handle the world around us that makes it difficult at times to identify who we genuinely are.  So many labels exist: American, southern, black, male, rich, poor, etc. In reality, most people do not fit neatly into those labels or categories.  As her mother states, Maisami is the best of both worlds.  She is a unique mixture of her personal experiences, her family, her heritage, and her personality.  I am not just Southern, just male, just black, just anything; by transcending these different labels, I have become me, just as Maisami has transcended her experiences to become who she is at the moment.       
    Pathos is the main supporter of Maisami’s exploration of identity, but she uses ethos to help bolster her feelings and experiences.  The author uses examples of how other Iranians view her and her American-based family, and inversely, how she views those who are ‘fresh off the boat.'  Interestingly, it is a quote from her mother that sums up the point of the article; “You have to look at yourself in order to find out who you are-it’s not where you are from that defines you” (Maisami).  While this statement is accurate, it also exemplifies the inherent struggle in finding out ‘who’ you really are.  Where you are may not ‘define’ you, but it does provide a solid base that, by necessity, lends some defining characteristics to your personality and identity.  Maisami’s eventual response, “I don’t have to decide” (Maisami), is also an excellent end to her essay.  It will continue to be a struggle throughout life to really define who you are, but you do not have to choose to be one way or relate to only one culture.  Mona Marimow Maisami’s experience with identity petitions the reader to understand her struggle with the use of personal examples and emotions that clearly reflect what the author is exploring. 

Napoleon Walker Revised by: Nianicole Wedlowe 9/30/17

Works Cited 

Mona Marimow Maisami.  “Born in Amrika.”  The essay was originally published in Franklin and Marshall University’s The College Dispatch, September 6, 2003.  Used by permission of the author.