The Exile Project
The Exile Project is a series of portraits of people who live in one language but have their hearts in another. The subjects in this series are, for a variety of reasons, existing in a language other than that of their
birth. Some are political exiles and refugees, some are indigenous exiles in their own lands, some are immigrants far from home. Read more
When she reached for the ceiling, she dropped what was under her arm.
Daniel, Amharic (Ethiopia) 1996
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Our hope, our pride, I’ll die for Bangla.
Tarique Bangla (Bangladesh) 1996
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Nothing is better than nothing. What is in the sky is in the ground.
Danon, Bete (Ivory Coast) 2007
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la
You should always wear the flower of love (in your hair) and wherever you go you will receive graciousness from others, wherever you go you will shine with the medicine of loving kindness.
Khin, Burmese 2000
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We are people of home.
Lionel, Creole (Haiti) 1996
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Misandry, Misanthropy, Miscegenation, Missing You.
Laylah, English (USA) 1992
08 28
As long as there are wild poppies, one must taste life.
Reza, Farsi (Iran) 2007
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Why is there something and not nothing?
Ellen, German 1995
10 28
Peace, Unity, People, Love.
Hisao, Japanese 1994
11 28
Language, culture, and upbringing is determined mostly by human nationality, but language came to me from overseas relatives, I was brought up in a strange environment and culture. Who am I? A Latvian exile? Is that all?
Valdis, Latvian 1999
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Silk cloth, beautiful and good: it covers you when you are cold, it adorns you when you are happy, it wraps you when you are sorrowful, it shrouds you when you die.
Aline, Malagasy (Madagascar) 2007
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For everything there is a reason. I am going home tomorrow.
Shelia & Andrew, English/Shona (Zimbabwe) 1994
15 28
The memory of Somalia: Fear of God, fear of Men, fear of Death. But the love of grandma kept me alive, her name was “cotton flower.”
Luna, Somali 2000
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The day that you love me.
Leandro, Spanish (Argentina) 1992
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For those who are born as a tamale, heaven will provide the leaves.
Alexky, Spanish (Mexico) 1999
19 28
You can throw a stick into the river, it will not become a fish.
War is not nice.
Fatoumata, Susu (Guinea), 1994
20 28
If you don’t look back to where you came from , you’ll never reach your destiny.
Delia, Tagalog (Philippines) 1996
21 28
(We Meditate on Sri Vishnu) Who is Wearing White Clothes, Who is All-Pervading, Who is Bright in Appearance like the Moon and Who is Having Four Hands.
Shanty, Tamil (India) 1999
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The Lotus flourishes in water with the sunlight. The lotus out of water fades with the same sun.
Kamala, Telugu (India) 1994
23 28
Make good do good, make evil do evil.
Khanya, Thai 1999
24 28
Even though the presence of your appearance here in this body is for the purpose of all sentient beings, still we wish you to be without illness, to be full of power, and to gather together all the blessings of prosperity.
Phagyab Rinpoche, Tibetan, 2007
25 28
We grew up in a prejudiced environment. The school was there, but not for us, the Amerasians. There’s a division between what they call “true Vietnamese” and us, the “not so Vietnamese.” For we are the enemy’s children. We are the forgotten children of American soldiers and the poor Vietnamese women. The war took away our childhood.
Nguyet, Vietnamese 2000
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Exile is only interior, we are all exiles. Exile begins when the umbilical cord is cut and you are separated from your mother.
Amadou, Wolof (Senegal) 1993
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