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A Syrian man's plea reaches President Obama: 'I don’t want the world to think I’m over.'
One man's touching story inspired the president to leave a Facebook comment welcoming him to the U.S.
12.10.15
It's not every day the president leaves a personal comment on your Facebook post.
But that's exactly what he did in response to a recent photo posted to the Humans of New York Facebook page. The photos, highlighting the story of a man and his family's struggle through Syria, Turkey, and soon, Michigan, is part of HONY photographer Brandon Stanton's series "The Syrian Americans."
Just watching the news, it's easy to think of Syrian refugees as some abstract concept, but there's so much more to their story.
That's especially clear in the case of the story that President Obama commented on, which follows the life of a Syrian man who simply wouldn't give up in the face of adversity.
The story is told in seven parts, each with an accompanying photo, and the values he demonstrates — hard work, dedication, love, ambition — transcend nationalities. These are core human values, and it shouldn't be hard to appreciate and empathize with someone who is so emblematic of them.
"I was determined to become a scientist through my own personal will," the man's story begins. "I graduated high school with the third highest scores in all of Syria. I worked construction in the evenings to pay for my school. Even as a teenager, I was being given construction sites to manage. I graduated from university at the top of my class. I was given a scholarship to pursue my PhD. I suffered for my dream. I gave everything. If I had 100 liras, I would spend it on a book. My ultimate goal was to become a great scientist and make a lasting contribution to humanity."
The man's story is filled with dangers many of us can hardly imagine. Every aspect of his life in Syria was under attack.
His home? Destroyed. His wife and his daughter? Both killed by a missile. Upon moving to Turkey, his work went underappreciated, and he became so financially unstable that the country was simply no longer habitable for him. Back into the refugee pool he went, where he learned that, this time, he was headed to the United States.
What's most remarkable, however, is the man's resolve to continue contributing to the world after all he's been through.
"I still think I have a chance to make a difference in the world," he tells HONY after explaining that he's been diagnosed with stomach cancer. "I have several inventions that I’m hoping to patent once I get to America. One of my inventions is being used right now on the Istanbul metro."
"Welcome to your new home. You're part of what makes America great." — President Obama, on Facebook
As for what he hopes to get out of his experience in his new American home, it's pretty simple: "I just hope that it’s safe and that it’s a place where they respect science. I just want to get back to work. I want to be a person again. I don’t want the world to think I’m over. I’m still here."
And it was after reading this man's story of bravery, that the president offered his personal welcome to the U.S.
"As a husband and a father, I cannot even begin to imagine the loss you've endured," writes President Obama in a comment attached to the final photo of the series. "You and your family are an inspiration. I know that the great people of Michigan will embrace you with the compassion and support you deserve. Yes, you can still make a difference in the world, and we're proud that you'll pursue your dreams here. Welcome to your new home. You're part of what makes America great."
An estimated 9 million Syrians have been displaced since the start of their country's civil war.
Al Jazeera recently published a graphic showing the distribution of refugees out of Syria. Of an estimated 9 million Syrian refugees, what's most concerning are the 6.5 million people within the country itself that have been displaced. Not that there's ever a good time to be without a home, but now is just about the worst.
Image from Al Jazeera.
How many others like the man are out there? How much potential and warmheartedness exists in the world?
Where you are born, who you are born to, what religion you were taught as a child, and countless other factors beyond your control determine so many of life's basics. For those of us who've lucked out in various ways, we should try to empathize with others.
We should welcome these families to the country with open arms because, as the president said, they're "part of what makes America great."
And how is it fair that out of the sheer luck or misfortune of being born in one country over another that we should be able to turn away families like this? If you're an American citizen, it's likely because you were born here. As the result of that luck, you have the comfort of not living in a war zone, not fearing missiles coming through your windows, and not facing the other hardships unique to the people of Syria.
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There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."