As Aysun speaks to us we begin to feel a connection of joy and understanding for someone who may not be a native of the United States but has definitely made America their home. Often, she is questioned as to what it was about her native land or her experience there that made her move? She finds that sometimes she knows people want to ask but in America it is seen as rude to do so but it is not in her country. It is through this story that we gain a better understanding of the reasons she came to America and also a better realistic look at the things people leave behind. She tells us about her upbringing in Ankara, Turkey. With a mother, a father, and a little brother, her parents worked, and the children went to school. It sounds all very normal which is something that people tend to forget, that what's happening in America is often happening in other countries we just see it differently. She talks about watching 9/11 unfold on television and being able to disconnect from it but as Americans we couldn't. For her family it was when terrorism struck a little too close to home that her father decided they needed to leave for a place that would keep them safe. When they got to America, they thrived but definitely had moments of feeling like they didn't belong and weren't accepted as often immigrants do. But the core of this story is about how wonderful her life was before a violence situation forced her to leave. Her hope in sharing her experience is to teach us that when someone chooses to leave their home the most difficult thing they leave behind is a large part of themselves, their family.
The Reasons I Came
What was the first question you want to ask me met? Come on don’t be shy you can tell me. I’m asking because I already know the answer, but I wanted to see if you would be honest. So? Nothing? Okay, it’s not a trick question you know. I have an accent that you can’t quite place. I look different, not 100% American but…hmm not anything else specifically either, I get that a lot too. You want to guess where I am from behind closed doors. Where that accent places me/ scrolling through your historic playbook trying to remember anyone you’ve encountered that looks like me and sounds like me. People want to know but often people are so scared to ask. This kind of thing does not exist where I come from. Where I come from, we tend to ask more questions than people would ever ask in America, and we ask them expecting an answer. That sounds insane, doesn't it? But that is one of the many reasons that I love my people. One of the many reasons that I absolutely love being here in America but I also love being at home where everyone said what was on their mind and it wasn't seen as anything other than, this is just how we are and who we are, and we hope that you understand and take it at face value. My name is Aysun, which means as beautiful as the moon, and I am from Ankara, Turkey.