I Was Born in America, But Guyana Was Always There

A short reflection on growing up between places, and why the full story is on Substack.

I was born and raised in Richmond Hill, Queens, New York.

If you know Richmond Hill, you know it is often called Little Guyana. The restaurants, roti shops, bakeries, mandirs, masjids, clothing stores, puja stores, small businesses, and family-owned offices all tell a bigger story.

But even though Guyana was close, I still grew up having to explain it.

As a kid, a lot of people had never heard of Guyana. Some thought I meant Ghana. Some could not pronounce it. Some had no idea where it was.

And every time I explained it, I was trying to make a whole country, a whole history, and a whole identity fit into a quick answer.

That is a lot for a child.

The truth is, I was born in America, but Guyana was always present.

It was in the chicken curry, roti, pumpkin, bhaji, bake and saltfish, and cookup rice.

It was in the old Bollywood songs, chutney music, Sunday bhajans, pujas, prayers, and family routines.

It was in the way my parents kept culture alive without needing to explain that they were doing it.

I wrote the full story as Day 2 of my limited Substack series, I Come From More Than One Place.

This series is for anyone who has ever had to explain where they come from, especially when the answer is not simple.

The full article also includes a Prompt of the Day that helps you use AI to turn your own photo into a reflection journal page about your background, culture, family, neighborhood, and roots.

You can read the full piece here:

[embed]I Come From More Than One Place - Day 2: I Was Born in America, But Guyana Was Always There For anyone who grew up between the place on their birth certificate and the place in their blood.open.substack.com

Read the full Day 2 article on Substack and subscribe there if you want the rest of the limited series.

Written by Mandy Rahim | Mandy Everyday Chick — Creator of practical AI tools, digital products, and journals designed for real life. Learn more about AI here.

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