Sade Olutola
KIROKAZE
sheepfilms
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祝日 / Permanent Vacation
art blog(derogatory)
Kiana Khansmith
d e v o n
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❣ Chile in a Photography ❣
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#extradirty
dirt enthusiast
cherry valley forever
Sweet Seals For You, Always
trying on a metaphor
i don't do bad sauce passes
roma★
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seen from United States
seen from Singapore
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seen from Malaysia
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seen from Hong Kong SAR China
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seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from France
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@embodyingancestry
“I have these bracelets that are also from Palestine and they’ve been passed down generationally. This one is from my grandma (top) and this one is from my mom (bottom). My mom has six or seven of them and I would know when she was coming in because I would hear the *jingle* When I get married, I’m suppose to put them on my right wrist. I don’t know the meaning behind that, but it was told to me when I was 15 when I got these.”
- Brittany
“This throbe is specific to Ramallah. It’s actually where my family is from in Palestine. The colors are very specific to Ramallah and the West Bank areas. This is the traditional Palestinian wear — you would wear this everyday if you wanted to or you could wear this to church or weddings and special occasions too.”
- Brittany
Dancing bodies are vessels for ancestor’s spirits.
Featuring Brittany
Palestinian roots & rhythms.
Featuring Brittany
“A huge thing that my family experienced when they immigrated in the 50s is that they had to get rid of their identity to fit into American culture. My grandmother stopped speaking Arabic to her kids and she straightened their hair everyday with big cans of tomato sauce. They wanted them to be white so badly so they wouldn’t be rejected. It has generational effects because I think that’s why my mom married a white man to continue perpetuating. So I’m rejecting that because I’m super proud of being Palestinian and it gets me tight when I see those checkboxes. There is one called MENA — it stands for Middle Eastern/North African and its in parenthesis next to White. And I’m like, “I’m not checking that damn box!” It takes away from who we are! Palestinian and White are not synonymous. Palestinian culture is way different from straight European culture.”
- Brittany
“I grew up with my grandmother & my mother and their both from Palestine so I felt like there was a tear in my identity because I was growing up eating Arabic food everyday & listening to Arabic music. I don’t speak Arabic, but if my grandmother speaks to me I know what she’s saying. I have a relationship with my dad, but in terms of being immersed in the culture like I was with my Palestinian side, I didn’t have that experience. I know where my family is from in Italy, we’re from Lucca and Genoa. I’ve grateful that I’ve been to Italy and I know where my family is from, but I just don’t know that much about my Italian side. And its funny because I look Italian! I guess those are the genes in me that are super apparent.”
- Brittany
“But I’m not allowing [for things do be done the way my parents did them]. In the future, I’m definitely going to teach my kinds everything about my culture. That it’s important. And my husband should know my culture! There’s nothing wrong with that. I feel like he could learn mine. I could learn his. We can blend and teach the children both.”
Featuring Lontia
Featuring Lontia
***On Patriarchy
Featuring Lontia
***Witnessing a mother and grandmother’s love
Featuring Lontia
***Embodying humility
Featuring Lontia
*** Sometimes all it takes to feel strong is looking up!
Featuring Lontia
***Africans are transnational.
Featuring Marylin
Featuring Marylin
*** You will know us by the character of our mother’s mothers.
Featuring Marylin
*** Will be still keep physical photo albums decades from now? There is something so beautiful about the materiality of images.
Featuring Marylin
*** If I can get you to walk away with more questions than answers, then I will have done my job well.
“I’m from California. My family is originally from Nigeria and they are Yoruba. Despite growing up in the states, I have a connection to my culture — from the food and the music to the language. But at the same time I do have my American culture as well. So it’s a balance between both worlds and I often feel like it’s judgement from both sides because people have this perception that you can only be one or the other. I like both. I understand my parents’ native language, but I don’t know how to speak it. I enjoy being Nigerian. Most times when people ask me, I say I’m Nigerian even though I wasn’t born there.”
Featuring Marylin