猫咪社区

The complexity and dangers of post-9/11 America are evoked in the first few pages of Priya Huq鈥檚 new graphic novel, Piece by Piece, The Story of Nisrin鈥檚 Hijab. Nisrin and her friend are walking home after 鈥淲orld Cultures Day鈥� at their middle school when a White supremacist attacks them, wounding Nisrin as he rips the scarf from her head. Nisrin struggles to heal from that trauma, and makes progress when, despite some family objections, she chooses to wear the hijab as a symbol of pride and resistance.

鈥淚 wanted to write something for young people that explained what life was like when I was their age,鈥� says Huq. The challenges of surviving Islamophobia and racism often fall on very young shoulders. Huq鈥檚 story helps by providing cultural and emotional context, while reassuring young people that they鈥檙e not alone.

Portland, Oregon. 2002: Celebrate World Cultures Day

鈥淎lright, big hand for Nicole! Nigeria sounds beautiful!鈥�
鈥淣ext up is Nisrin … who鈥檚 going to tell us all about Bangladesh!鈥�
鈥淲OO! YEAH! Tell 鈥榚m Nisrin!鈥�

鈥淪o, so? Did I do a good job?鈥�
鈥淚 told you already, yeeeeesss.鈥�
鈥淎re you sure it鈥檚 okay if I come over?鈥�
鈥淯h, yeah! My Nani loves you.鈥�
鈥淪peaking of … she shows her love with food … so she鈥檚 going to try to feed you like a hundred times tonight.鈥�
鈥淕ood. I鈥檓 gonna eat so much I explode.鈥�
鈥渘oooo I鈥檒l miss you.鈥�

鈥淗ow come you didn鈥檛 do your presentation on Iran?鈥�
鈥淓丑.鈥�
鈥淟et me see your scarf a minute.鈥�
鈥淎h ah ah! What did we learn today, what鈥檚 it called?鈥�
鈥淎 scarf?鈥�
鈥淣oOOooooOO, it鈥檚 an 鈥擣IRST OF ALL, IT鈥橲 AN ORNA! And secondly鈥斺��

鈥淗EY! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU鈥橰E LAUGHING ABOUT?鈥�
鈥淣颈蝉谤颈苍…鈥�
鈥淔@#$&*# @&#$ @*#&#&@&@. Walking around like you own the place.鈥�
鈥淧lease… help!!鈥�
鈥淚 could kill you and no one would give a $#%鈧�.鈥�
鈥淣辞鈥�

Adapted excerpt from the forthcoming , by Priya Huq, appears by permission of Amulet Books, an imprint of Abrams, 漏 2021