Podcast and post by HLTD50 student KAKhalfan
By Laila Vaziralli, as part of Project Fuel’s “Under The Hijab” initiative.
In this first episode of the KamKast, KAKhalfan recollects stories of his experiences as a first-generation Canadian transitioning between cultural expectations. Through discussing certain characters in Catherine Hernandez’s award-winning novel Scarborough, he connects aspects of their stories to those of the significant individuals within his own life. He depicts the necessity of interconnectivity, not only in the narratives we read but also in the narratives we unconsciously tell about ourselves and each other. While doing so, he emphasizes the importance of recognizing the power of language when conveying our narratives, especially when imaginatively communicating the experiences of marginalized communities – in Toronto and beyond.