Finding Identity in a New America
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America is known for it's giant melting pot of different races, religions, and ethnicities, and while we do have a shared "American" history, we also have our own, personal histories.
For some, those histories have American roots that stretch back decades, but for the approximately 80 million first or second generation immigrants in the United States, those histories are much shorter. And balancing that history and native cultural traditions with what it means to be "American" can cause some people to prioritize or even compartmentalize their identities.
Mmachi Dimoriaku, is a senior at DreamYard Preparatory School in the South Bronx. She's a second generation immigrant from Nigeria and a passionate storyteller who uses performance to understand and share her many identities. Here, she talks with John Hockenberry about life, school and expectations.
Mmachi is performing at a spoken word event tonight in The Greene Space at WNYC with other young immigrants from around the city. Watch it live here starting at 5:30 PM Eastern.
