Who am I? My name is Jacqueline Ali and I was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. My mother is born an Irish-American woman from Brooklyn and my father hails from Cairo, Egypt. I think that at a young age traveling to Egypt to visit my father’s side of the family had an impact on me. I was exposed to different cultures and people that were very different than my own living in Brooklyn, New York. Being able to travel and immerse myself within different cultures allowed for me to learn and appreciate where I came from. When I think of a historical event the first one that comes to my mind are the events that took place on September 11th. I can remember being in school and hearing students and teachers repeating what was going on but not understanding the extent of what was exactly was happening at the time and then coming home and seeing those events being played
out on television. I am especially reminded of those events when traveling to and from school. September 11th is one of the first historical events in my lifetime that I have been either effected by or have been able to grasp the understanding of such an a matter. On some level those unfortunate events have reminded me of the mark from the recent super storm and how I am progressively watching areas in my neighborhood rebuild as Downtown once did.
out on television. I am especially reminded of those events when traveling to and from school. September 11th is one of the first historical events in my lifetime that I have been either effected by or have been able to grasp the understanding of such an a matter. On some level those unfortunate events have reminded me of the mark from the recent super storm and how I am progressively watching areas in my neighborhood rebuild as Downtown once did.
I would like to start off by saying hello to a fellow New Yorker. Your background is really interesting. It is not often that you see someone that is Irish and Egyptian. That is quite a mix. I think it is wonderful that you exposed yourself to a culture or cultures that you might not be familiar with. It is always a good thing to learn about where we come from and why people do what they do. Knowledge is always a good thing and in my opinion, experiencing a different culture is one of the best feelings.
ReplyDeleteThe events that took place on September 11th were truly devastating. I was eight years old and I could remember the principal announcing it over the PA system. Every adult had a worried look on their face. Parents rushed to get their children from school and tried to reach relatives to find out how they were doing. Too many people suffered from this whether it was personally or by knowing someone who was affected by it. Even though we were too young at the time to comprehend everything that went on, we now have a grasp of the horrific attack that took place on that day. Every year since then, the solidarity that we see throughout the country is incredible. This is something that we will share for the rest of our lives.