Reading The True American made me think a lot about stories. Stories are powerful. Stories determine how we think about the world. Stories can challenge stereotypes and bring depth to flat assumptions that we make about others. I sometimes think that the most fundamental core of human connection is internalizing the reality that each person carries with them a lifetime of stories that have made them who they are. Upon hearing and understanding another person’s story, we often find that we have much in common with them and are more likely to empathize with their life narratives. At the other end of the spectrum, refusing to acknowledge people’s stories allows us to demonize and dehumanize them.
I wondered, while I was reading The True American, how Mark Stroman would have approached Rais Bhuiyan during their first interaction if he knew Rais’s story, or even the stories of people in similar situations. If Mark knew about Rais’s gentle personality, his closeness with his family, and how much work it took for Rais to make it to the United States, would he have walked into that convenience store and seen an enemy? If Mark understood the depth of Rais’s spiritual beliefs, the hurdles he was overcoming in a brand new country, and the fear that he experienced on a regular basis, would he have been able to shoot Rais in cold blood? I doubt he would have, because Mark would have seen pieces of himself in Rais’s story.
As we continue to move into a world where social justice issues are becoming more salient, I think it is important to remember that all people’s lives are comprised of stories that influence thoughts and actions. The more triumphant stories make us feel victorious. The tragic stories can damage us. Some stories, such as Rais and Mark’s, require us to look deep inside and make hard decisions about our values and behavior. Reading The True American made me ask what stories about myself most people do not know. It made me imagine what types of stories about others I don’t know. I thought about times when I labeled people unfairly and eventually learned in their stories that I was completely wrong in my assumptions.
As you read The True American, I hope you will think about stories in your own lives and remember that all of us have many to tell.
Adam Ortiz is a Residential Learning Communities Specialist at UMass Amherst.