A Story for Second-Generation Americans
Many of us who grew up in the United States are second-generation Americans who have at least one immigrant parent. I am a second-generation American whose family originates from the Punjab region of India. My husband is an immigrant from the Atlas Mountains region of Morocco. This also makes our children second-generation Americans. It’s a blessing to share all of our languages, religions, and cultures together as one big family. Many of us feel connected to our homelands and feel that we have two places that we call home.
Calling Two Beautiful Places Home
Naseem’s Journey is a children’s book that captures a young boy’s experience of discovering his homeland for the first time. The story starts out with a young boy named Naseem who is excited to take his first plane ride to his father’s village in Morocco. He is very excited to meet the family that he only talked to through Facetime. He is nervous about meeting his family and experiencing a new place but he is greeted with love and hospitality. He makes new friends and even learns a few new words in Tachleheet and Arabic. He tries the most delicious couscous that he has ever tasted and joins the family in a traditional dance. Naseem asks his father if he misses Morocco while he is in America and he tells him how he does but he is lucky to have two beautiful places to call home.
Inspired by a True Story
Naseem’s Journey was inspired by my children visiting Morocco for the first time. It also has elements of when I visited India for the first time. My children were very young at the time and I wanted to create this story to remind them of their experience. I hope that this will be something that they will pass down to their children one day too. Naseem’s Journey is available to purchase on Amazon, https://amzn.to/3Jqhlw2. It’s also available in hardcover at https://www.lulu.com/en/us/shop/anjuli-farmay/naseems-journey/hardcover/product-j7p6vk.html?page=1&pageSize=4. I’ve recently made several updates and I’ve changed the book cover. Naseem’s Journey also included a recipe for Baghrir, a type of Moroccan pancake. Naseem’s
Fun Facts about Naseem’s Journey
- There are several hidden birds on each page of Naseem’s Journey
- Naseem’s Journey has been included in several Morocco unit studies
- Naseem’s Journey has been featured in several popular blogs.
- I wrote Naseem’s Journey while I was excpecting my third child and published it a few months before visiting Morocco.
Naseem’s Journey is available to purchase on Amazon, https://amzn.to/3Jqhlw2. It’s also available in hardcover at https://www.lulu.com/en/us/shop/anjuli-farmay/naseems-journey/hardcover/product-j7p6vk.html?page=1&pageSize=4.
