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Blazing a trail to literacy
Su Ya always knew that education was the key to a successful future. It was the one consistent thing in her turbulent life. Books became her source of solace throughout her 12 years living at a Thailand refugee camp. Ya attended school through the 11th grade before immigrating to the United States. When she got…
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Starting over in Akron
by Kelly Krabill When Fazal Baryalai awoke on a Saturday morning in March after a late night driving Uber customers, his family was already downstairs. Shai tea, an Arabic drink served to visitors, was already in a pitcher on the coffee table waiting to be poured into ornately designed crystal glasses. As I sipped the…
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‘My favorite thing is driving’: Afghan women embrace independence in Akron
By Catie Pusateri Every year on March 21, Tamana Ziar and her extended family gather to celebrate Nowruz, the Persian New Year. They meet in Paghman, a town just outside Afghanistan’s capital city of Kabul, for picnics and games to celebrate the coming of spring. Her family members would play soccer together, and her parents…