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Anotte

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
Dan

When she reached for the ceiling, she dropped what was under her arm.

Daniel, Amharic (Ethiopia) 1996

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Sam

I lay my hand on my heart as I bid my only one farewell.

Sam, Arabic (Egypt) 1992
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Tarique

Our hope, our pride, I’ll die for Bangla.

Tarique Bangla (Bangladesh) 1996

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Danon

Nothing is better than nothing. What is in the sky is in the ground.

Danon, Bete (Ivory Coast) 2007

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la Khin

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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ALTHERE

We are people of home.

Lionel, Creole (Haiti) 1996

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Laylah

Misandry, Misanthropy, Miscegenation, Missing You.

Laylah, English (USA) 1992

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Reza

As long as there are wild poppies, one must taste life.

Reza, Farsi (Iran) 2007

09 28

Ellen

Why is there something and not nothing?

Ellen, German 1995

10 28

Hisao

Peace, Unity, People, Love.

Hisao, Japanese 1994

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Chen

I need freedom for my art....

Chen, Korean 1992
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12 28

Valdis

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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Aline

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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Shelia and Andrew

For everything there is a reason. I am going home tomorrow.

Shelia & Andrew, English/Shona (Zimbabwe) 1994
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15 28

Luna

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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Leandro

The day that you love me.

Leandro, Spanish (Argentina) 1992

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Alexky

For those who are born as a tamale, heaven will provide the leaves.

Alexky, Spanish (Mexico) 1999

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Fatoumata

You can throw a stick into the river, it will not become a fish.
War is not nice.

Fatoumata, Susu (Guinea), 1994
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Delia

If you don’t look back to where you came from , you’ll never reach your destiny.

Delia, Tagalog (Philippines) 1996

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Shanthy

(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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Kamala

The Lotus flourishes in water with the sunlight. The lotus out of water fades with the same sun.

Kamala, Telugu (India) 1994

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Khanya

Make good do good, make evil do evil.

Khanya, Thai 1999

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Phagyab Rinpoche

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

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Nguyet

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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Amadou

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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Ayo

A man with a head has no hat. A man with a hat has no head.

Ayo, Yoruba (Nigeria) 1993
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