I have explored identity and belonging in this comic strip. I was born in Lahore, Pakistan where I grew up attended school, college, worked, got married but then migrated to the US. I have now been in the US for the past nineteen years out of which I have spent five years working as a Humanities teacher in Saudi Arabia.
So, what is home or is it what you choose to call home? I have moved around so much in my life that I feel like a loose part in a boxed machinery that teeters and totters according to the direction it is tilted in. In addition, my children have a mixed identity and as a parent I made an effort to keep them connected to Pakistan for as long as I could with yearly summer vacations. It was a great time but as children grow up they take on careers with less free time and ability to travel ‘home’. But then again, I ask is Pakistan really their home now?
In addition, it is difficult to mentally and emotionally reconcile the Pakistan of today from the Pakistan that was my childhood. Which again makes me question who am I? What pieces am I formed of? Is it okay to be fitted with scattered pieces that do not fit my own jigsaw puzzle?
LDIT is the only class that gave me freedom to explore my story and I wanted to explore the story from a middle school student perspective as identity is not frequently enough explored for middle schoolers. Middle school is a vulnerable and emotional stage for children and I wanted to pay a little homage to it as well as my children who have all passed through this (sometimes drastically). This may end up being part of a whole 7th grade comic book in the future.
A Summary of Samia and Roosevelt High
I envision the protagonist, Samia as a 7th grade student who has just come to a new school. She is traditional in a shalwar kameez, two pigtails, and glasses. She stands out in the class from other students. I want to tell her story through a comic story. I have started using Pixton to come up with the backdrop and characters. I want to use it while trying out other tools for the comic strip. I would like to write the rest of the story and try to animate it. The storyline will focus on Samia’s difficulty with fitting in while wearing different clothes, having an accent, and just being different. There is a cafeteria scene with mild verbal bullying. And in the art class, Samia is inspired and shows exceptional talent. On the bus ride home one of the bullies who has been suffering in art class doesn’t know how to complete his project. Will something happen to make Samia and John become friends just like Rita has become Samia’s friend.
Here is the full story. And below are the comic panels for the first chapter.
