Lemar-Aftaab Oct-Dec. 1997 - Articles - Take Another Look at Afghan Life!

Take Another Look at Afghan Life!

By Ajmal Akbar

Salaam my fellow Afghans. I am a twenty-three year old Afghan male. I came to America about nineteen years ago.

I can still remember my mom peeling oranges for my sister and me on the plane; as I ate the fruit, played with my toys, and looked at the clouds outside the window, I did not understand what was going on around me.

All I knew was that I was going to see my daddy. Little did I know that I was about to enter a whole new world--America. I have lived in this country for a while now, nineteen long years. In these years I have seen and been through a lot in this country.

I used to live and breathe the American lifestyle. I stayed away from Afghan life and Afghans. Out of all my friends, perhaps only ten percent were Afghan; the rest were American. I was never interested in Afghan music, food, culture, or morals. I even went as far as telling people that I was half Mexican or just full blooded Mexican.

I think I did that because I was embarrassed of being an Afghan. The reason I was embarrassed was because I didn't know enough about my own people, and I didn't give the Afghan culture or people a chance. It was a loss for me.

Now that I look back, I wish I could have changed my previous ways. It has only been four or five years now that I have really tried to learn more about Afghan culture, people, music, and way of life. The odd thing is that the more I open my eyes to Afghan life the more I want to change. You see I have been through all the experences that American culture has to offer. I have not seen too many positive aspects.

I thank God that my parents never gave up on me. My parents kept pushing me towards Afghan life. They never let go of me, and now I have made a huge change in the way I think and live.

Through the years I have learned that the Afghan youth is slowly becoming more Americanized. This I blame on the parent's of the Afghan children. Even older generation parents are showing bad examples to there children by calling them David instead of Doud or Jasmin instead of Yasamin; To top it off, naming there kids with American names!

I am not saying that I am not Americanized--I am to an extent. When people ask my name I tell them my Afghan name, but I also tell them they can call me "what ever American name is easier for them to pronounce".

My fellow Afghans, these are the little things that add up.

The way of life that we used to live in our beautiful country looks and sounds great. If only we stopped for a second and looked at our culture, then we would see the right way to live our lives.

Young Afghans, be proud of where you are from. Take time to look at our great culture and what it has to offer. Take whatever that you want from the Afghan life style and live it. Then you will see the beauty.

All I am saying is please open your eyes, look very hard inside yourselves, and find the true Afghan in your hearts. Please don't make the same mistakes that I have made.