I Am Sam Kurdish [patched]

For many Kurds, their identity is a source of pride and strength, but it can also be a complex and sensitive topic. The Kurdish people have been forced to navigate a delicate balance between preserving their cultural heritage and assimilating into the dominant cultures of the countries they live in. This balancing act has often led to a sense of disconnection from their roots and a loss of cultural identity.

is a matriarchal whisper. It is the voice of my mother, my aunts, and the 10,000 Yezidi women who survived genocide in 2014. We carry them in our larynx. i am sam kurdish

If you want to understand “Sam Kurdish,” come to my house on March 20th. That is Nowruz—the Kurdish New Year. It is not the Persian New Year (though our Persian neighbors celebrate it too). For us, Nowruz is the story of Kaveh the Blacksmith. For many Kurds, their identity is a source

When I say I am not naming a country. I am naming a trauma. I am naming a memory of being displaced, of seeing a key to a house in a village that no longer exists hanging on my grandmother’s wall. That key is rusted. But it still turns. is a matriarchal whisper