How Immigrants Can Move Past The Belief That They Need To Achieve More To Be Worthy

Navigating Culture | Sharing The Stories of Bold, Brave & Badass Immigrant Women Creating their Dream Life

At 4 years old, Parisa immigrated to the USA from Iran and became the weird girl with the parents who had weird accents.
After the Iran Hostage Crisis in 1979, her Arizonian community shrouded her in suspicion — she was now also a weird terrorist. Those labels compelled her to push for that ever-moving goal-post of ‘Good Immigrant’ but, as many of us know you can achieve all the features of this title but still not be and feel accepted.
She even felt out of place in the Persian community. She was told that she talked too much, that she took up too much space, and that she had too many opinions. Eventually she left Arizona and moved to New York, a place she dreamed about for years.
In that glorious city, she dug deep and peeled back the layers. She graduated from Parsons, she became a Drag King, and she embraced her weirdness. Parisa is honest about living. And her honesty prevents her from saying that life suddenly becomes a bed of roses.
Despite this she shows with each personal story that when you embrace your quirks, when you welcome being on the margins, when you fall in love with who you truly are, that’s when success shows up for you.
If you’ve ever felt alone in this world because of who you are. If you’ve struggled to feel comfortable, seen and accepted, then listen to Parisa’s story and understand that when you commit to unlearning expectations and remembering your truth, your angels smile down on you.