Refugees, especially in their early years, are still caught up in the experience that made them refugees. And they're much more melancholic. They're much more oriented towards the past and towards the country of origin. That can make the process of becoming a part of the new country much more fraught for them.

I never called myself a writer because it seemed so pretentious - a writer was what somebody else called you, a title bestowed.

No one wants for their child to become a refugee. It's an awful experience.

My identity is deeply intertwined with being a refugee because that's the first experience that I remember.

Writers from the majority can assume their audiences know what they're talking about - they don't have to explain things, whereas minority writers are expected to.

People may be vaguely aware that there's suffering in Iraq and Afghanistan, but simply because the media are filled with American-centric versions, we still see the experiences through the American perspective. We are just completely ignorant of what might be happening to other people.

If you're a so-called minority writer, the temptation is to write for the majority... I refuse to do that.