Like me, you are new | 2023 | Video Art | 07:00

In my early days in Chicago, I struggled to navigate my surroundings, often finding it easy to get lost in a big city. One such unplanned journey led me to Lake Michigan and an unexpected encounter with a stranger. He approached me, asking if I could take his photograph, assuming I was a professional because of my camera. This sparked a conversation, and he shared that he was from Afghanistan. When I mentioned my roots in Pakistan, a country that shares a border with Afghanistan, we quickly warmed up. As ‘others,’ we talked about the familiarities of our cultures and our experiences in America. When he said, “like me, you are new,” I found it ironic that, in my attempt to connect with the land, I was reminded of my unfamiliarity with it.