a very large expanse of sea tahereh mafi

She doesn’t realize that by withdrawing and refusing to form or seek any friendships, she’s letting racists dictate her actions.

“I’m just-I’m sick and tired of trying to explain to the world why racism is bad, okay? Why is that my job?”īut she doesn’t realize how much that anger is affecting her. I’m tired of begging everyone to understand that people of color aren’t all the same, that we don’t all believe the same things or feel the same things or experience the world the same way.” I shook my head, hard. I’m tired of trying to explain why I don’t deserve to be treated like a piece of shit all the time.

I’ve been trying to educate people for years and it’s exhausting.

Who wouldn’t be angry and withdrawn after all she’s experienced, especially when she was born in the US and speaks better English and gets better grades than most of the people who give her a hard time? Shirin is so relatable, despite our obvious differences. I wanted to see a historic time that I lived as a white Christian through the eyes of someone who was (and unfortunately still is) on the receiving end of so much unwarranted hate, anger, and violence. I’m not a huge fan of contemporary/realistic young adult books but this one piqued my interest. I wasn’t too much older than Shirin when 9/11 happened and I remember all the anti-Muslim attacks and rhetoric at the time. I stumbled on this title while I was looking for ideas for #ownvoices books for the Diversity Challenge prompt this month. Ocean makes stupid assumptions about her too but he also asks honest questions, listens to the answers, and genuinely tries to learn from his mistakes. But then she meets a guy who just won’t be ignored. More often than not, she walks with her head down, listening to music under her hijab, and trying to ignore the jerks around her. She’s had one too many teachers ask if she speaks English, listened to one too many “jokes” about terrorists, had one too many strangers tell her to go back where she came from, and in general just had enough. In 2002, only one year after 9/11, she is disgusted with humanity. Her family is Muslim and she chooses to wear a hijab. Shirin is a second-generation American of Iranian descent.

A very large expanse of sea tahereh mafi