John K

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Major: Pharmacy

Hometown: Windham, New Hampshire

Age: 23
Parents' Home Country: Lebanon 

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"I am the very last piece to the puzzle of my parents’ pursuit of the American dream. My parents grew up in a worn-torn country riddled with conflict and violence. Every hardship, every risk taken, every sacrifice made, every long night they spent praying to god, was to one day be able to give their children a life full of opportunities, freedom, and happiness.

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I feel most at home when I am back at my apartment heating up or cooking some Lebanese dishes that I had grown up on. The smells that consume my apartment remind me of home. I celebrate my family’s culture by being proud of who I am, what my beliefs are, and educating others about my family’s background (their story and where they came from). Food and meals are a major part of our culture, eating is not just a task to check off for the day. We use food to show those we are eating with that we truly appreciate their presence, it may even facilitate some conversation. It is in our culture to absolutely stuff our guest’s face with the food we have spent hours to prepare. Even if you say you’re full and that you can’t eat anymore, there will be another scoop of hummus, rice, chicken (or all three) on your plate in a matter of seconds. You will never leave my home hungry, that’s an absolute guarantee.

 I carry on some of the same values, morals, and disciplines that they instilled in me ever since I was a kid. I think to an extent, naturally, first/second generation americans start to mold a new form of the culture that they grew up to love and respect. The world we live in today is so vastly different than the one that our parents grew up in. Our cultures are built on the same concrete foundation but the building that stands upon it just looks a little different, maybe just a bit more modernized.    

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