Hi Everyone!
I am excited to be here today to bring you a guest post from Chai, who is one of the authors of America Deconstructed. Please help me by giving a warm welcome! :)
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I am an immigrant, engineer and author. As an Indian techie, the
odds are stacked against me for my writing career. I am often asked, “You
write- In English”, simply because I am an Electrical Engineer of Indian
descent. Yet, words have been my greatest friend. As an eleven year old,
writing became more than a hobby. It became an avenue for survival. After
freelancing for years while working as an engineer, I decided I wanted more.
After being an ardent fan of books and writers, I decided why not me? Why can’t
I be the hand behind the words? America Deconstructed went from being just a
conversation between friends to a book during those moments. I decided to write
a book about immigrants, because being an immigrant was second nature to me.
After doing fifteen years in America, I knew it had become an expertise. My
co-author Shaima and I have been friends since our college days at San Jose
State University. We often shared our experiences as an Indian and Afghan
immigrant post 9/11.
America Deconstructed is short story collection about immigrants in America. The book delves into the human side of immigration, and talks about the embarrassments that are unique to someone who moved countries. As immigrants ourselves, we have had several moments where we have been stumped standing at a Starbucks counter not knowing what a Frappacino and Capaccino is, or what a sourdough bread was. Our book is rich in culture as we explore the small intricacies, which are unique to being new to a culture. America Deconstructed promises a fun and quirky ride if given a chance. Please pre-order our book and support our publishing journey.
Crowdfunding Link:
Social
media links:
About the Authors:
Chaithanya Sohan immigrated to America from
India in 2001. She currently works as an Electrical Engineer in the Silicon
Valley. Chaithanya graduated from San Jose State University with Bachelors in
Electrical Engineering and a Masters in Electrical Engineering from Santa Clara
University.
Chaithanya Sohan has worked as a writer since
2002 when she started writing content for various websites. She free-lanced as
a writer until 2013 when she decided to write her book America Deconstructed.
Some of her works are published in websites such as www.rethinkreality.com. Chaithanya enjoys traveling and runs her own blogs www.nomadicsue.wordpress.com & www.wordspeare.wordpress.com.
Shaima Adin came to the United States as a
refugee in May 2000 at the age of 16 with her mother and sisters. She is
originally from Afghanistan but has lived several years of her life in Pakistan
as a refugee as well. Currently, she works in an engineering management
position at a Safety and Quality testing laboratory in Union City, CA.
In light of recent times and all the debate about
immigrants and refugees around the world, Shaima joined forces with Chaithanya
to put forth the stories of immigrants from different backgrounds that have
called America home. Her purpose in doing so is to paint a different picture of
immigrants and refugees by displaying their side of the stories and the
struggles of starting from nothing.
Synopsis of the book:
Naseer
was nine years old when he escaped Taliban and fled Afghanistan. His story,
“There are some people who are coming to take me away”, chronicles the
resilience of a nine year old boy as he traveled from Afghanistan to America in
his quest for the American dream. “I saw a ripe mango I’d like to pluck”
showcases the love story of Chidibere and Ifeyinwa and their struggles with
language, culture and being African in America. In the story “Kosovo,
really...cool”, Lisian takes us through his journey to America and often being
asked his identity in spite of being white. In the story “I am exotic,
mocha, P-Diddy”, Parag describes his journey from a young sixth grader who hid
his attraction to boys in conservative India to embracing his sexuality in
America. America Deconstructed follows the journeys of sixteen immigrants as
they maneuver cultural differences, accents and uncomfortable situations while
feeling a sense of belonging in America.
Happy Reading!
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