Project

Iraq: The Journey Home

In February 2019, Zahra traveled back to her homeland, Iraq, to reunite with her father’s family after a 20-year separation. In Baghdad, Zahra rediscovered herself being immersed in an environment radiating in Middle Eastern culture. Walking Iraq’s streets humanized the people she’d grown up watching on TV and dismantled stereotypes reiterated throughout her upbringing. Zahra’s story of an Iraqi-Irani woman’s experience of immigration highlights the importance of cultural re-exposure. As an immigrant, Zahra aims to shed light on reestablishing a connection to one’s heritage and encourages overcoming fears of alienation. Our ancestral lineage, values and struggles shape us. We need to tell our stories.