I recently was approached by a website (Mixed Up Messed Up) that focuses on mixed identity and multiculturalism to write about my own background for a project called Put It In A Frame, where I placed in a frame the most important items that make up my identity, heritage and background. Please see below my mixed identity frame and the story behind each item included. Thank you Nora Fakim for asking me to do this – it was such a pleasure!
Kamran Assadi – Journalist & Marketing Specialist, London
This unique frame of mine represents the most important facets of me and my mixed identity whilst also eluding to new identities I’ve acquired. In this frame, I have very important things that make my background.
There is the photo album I grew up with in my household in North London (Archway) – the album is opened out on the pages where there are images of my mum holding me as a baby and my dad holding me as a baby, spending their individual time bonding with me. My mother and father were married and deeply in love. Having me increased this bond and love between them and this was truly extended to me. There’s a sense of peace, happiness and calm in those pictures that gives my life and heart more depth than ever before. It reminds me of a happier time in all our lives before my mother and father split up. It also reminds me of my mixed heritage being of Caribbean (Montserrat) and Iranian ethnicity.
There is a photo of my dad which reminds me of how much we look alike and of my Iranian roots and my family over there. My mother’s Bible reminds me of her devout Christian roots and myself being brought up in the church. My dad’s Persian-English dictionary reminds me of his Muslim roots and my interest in getting to know that side of my culture. And the New Orleans Saints jersey is to represent my new love for American Football and my new American roots through my American wife and family. It also shows my passion for wanting to move to America.
The duvet cover background that each of these items lays on is my mother’s duvet cover from the house I spent my childhood in and is one of many possessions I have to remind me of her after she passed away 14 years ago.
Original Article Link – http://www.mixedupmessedup.co.uk/#!put-me-in-a-frame/cn8n
Kamran Assadi 