My name is Yalda and I’m just a girl that’s trying to navigate through life as best as she can.

I’m an Iranian/Muslim/American woman.

My identity is one of the things that defines me. In a sense, it makes me who I am (although my actions and thoughts play a role too). The things I identify as kind of come together like puzzle pieces to form me.

I wish more people knew that I can be both Muslim and American at the same time. Sometimes I feel like people want me to choose between the two categories even though I already fit into both. I may dress a little differently but at the end of the day, I’m just a normal human being.