Sonia left Iran as a teenager along with her mother and brother shortly after the 1979 revolution, because the new Islamic Republic Government became extremely repressive. Sonia’s father was not allowed to leave the country; after years of separation and constant questioning of whether they would be reunited, her family structure dissolved due to her father’s inability to emigrate and the ideological differences that divided her parents. Sonia’s is the only one of the three interviewees that has not gone back to her country. She did not elaborate her reasons for not having gone back but been away from Iran for over fifteen years makes her perception of belonging to any particular place more ephemeral from those who have returned or visited.
I chose to present Sonia’s story because again her recounting of exile and immigration presents a deeper layer of distress, the dissolutions of families due to political divergences. Sonia has been my good friend for about ten years. Part of our affinity in understanding each other’s experience of adopting a new culture and always trying to keep a close connection with our heritage. |
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