Gannon Faculty Review of 'Here to Stay: Uncovering South Asian American History' published in South Asian Diaspora

"What is the American Dream! Time and again the notion and romanticisation of what constitutes the American Dream captures our imagination as we try and decipher the concept of identity, race, and belongingness in America. A country of immigrants often termed as the ‘melting pot of the world’ is as much a story of American history as it is about the people that inhabit it.

‘Here to Stay’ is a powerful and important narrative on the story of South Asian Americans and their fight for citizenship in the United States. This is an important piece of work that adds to the larger discussion of who is an American, what are their stories, and do they belong. This is the author’s personal journey as well with various brilliant interwoven stories and narratives of her own experiences. In her words,

I couldn’t see myself. I was stuck in limbo between what I looked like and who I was. Instead of an identity that I could share with others, I had an identity that made me feel alienated. I did not belong. I was another.

This is the essence of all stories of all people who have struggled for citizenship and naturalisation in the United States and even after having achieved it, have struggled to truly belong."

Read the full article here.