Under The Baobab Tree

Cultures and the baobab tree share a lot of similarities. A culture stores a lot of stories and experiences within itself and gives out much, just as do the hundreds of branches of the baobab. The baobab has a great significance to many cultures. To some, it exemplifies strength, to others longevity. To me, it is a reflection of stability in the face of adversities and a perfect image of the stable but unacknowledged core that all cultures have. I do have a specific purpose in writing these stories. It is to reach persons who will never see my kind of world, or the world that only myself and persons like me can appreciate. These stories are written for those who do not look like me, or who have not had childhood experiences like me or opportunities to negotiate two or three worlds, all at once. You guessed correctly; I am trying to portray the immigrant's world. These are stories based on true experiences. I cannot take credit for all of those experiences. I was fortunate in experiencing some, and sad that some incidents left me with unnecessary trauma. . . . However, the majority of my subject materials have come from strangers. These are not stories about racism, and these are not my attempts to alter the world. I want to create, simply, emotional human characters. I want to stir the feelings, I want the profile of an immigrant man or woman or child to fizz.