Shame. My mother was born in Kentucky in 1974 and moved to Iran shortly after. The Iranian Revolution began in 1978 when my mother was still there. My mother’s grandfather,my great-grandfather was regarded as an enemy to the new regime. He had supported the previous government and had tried to create an Iranian branch of the University of Illinois to give everyone an equal opportunity in education. I never met my great-grandfather. My mother woke up at the age of 5 with officers pointing weapons in her face asking about her grandfather’s whereabouts, for he wasn’t in the country. After the government raided her home and took away all her family's material possessions, her family moved to London where she stayed for about a year while her family saved money to move to the US. When she got to theUS, she moved in with her uncle. She was enrolled in her first year of schooling as a first grader with no knowledge of English. She arrived late almost every day, since she had a 45 minute walk to school. She arrived particularly late one day and the only thing she remembered about her elementary and middle schooling was her teacher's words: “Shame on you Susan, Shame on You.” My mother had no idea what she was saying. She wrote the word on her hand by sounding it out in farsi. She went home that day and her father explained the word to her. One of the first English words my mother ever learned was shame, but she never let it shape her life. 

My mother is the most persevering person I know. My mother lived in suppression in her first 20 years in America, her father telling her “You will no longer call yourself Iranian, you are Persian.” She lived like this for years, and she has inspired me to be proud of my heritage. I am Iranian. My last name is Moazzez. My name, Aiden, in farsi, means bright, or illuminated. I am illuminated by the wisdom my mother has given me over the course of my life. I am illuminated by my luck of not having to experience the hardships my mother experienced. I am illuminated by the inspiration my mother gave to me to express my Iranian heritage. My family is from Iran, a part of the middle east. My family is from the middle east, a part of Asia. My family is from Asia, a part of our planet. We should act as one, forging connections beyond borders and differences, celebrating the rich tapestry of cultures that make up our shared humanity, yet, somehow, our differences are dividing us, not connecting us. It’s truly shameful. 

My parents taught me that just because I am Iranian, it doesn’t mean I can’t achieve anything anyone else could. This my parents discovered, for they were not taught this themselves. My parents worked tirelessly to get what they wanted as Iranian Americans, and nothing was handed to them. I love my parents for the grand opportunities  and the valuable lessons they have given me over the course of my life. They were never given these opportunities, and they had to learn these lessons themselves. I am grateful for their perseverance, and I am grateful for my heritage.