My brave father | Eyzid Hadi

Eyzid Hadi on his father's journey from Pakistan to the U.S.

Straight out of high school in Islamabad, Pakistan, my dad was the first to immigrate to America. Because of the education in Pakistan, he knew from a young age that there would be limited opportunities in the Middle East.

In the beginning, it was a very frightening decision: his English skill was limited, he lacked a stable income, and everything was unfamiliar to him, especially with no friends or family by his side. Saving up enough money from Pakistan, he attended Ohio State University, but had to work for the university's cafeteria while keeping up with his studies.

Just when things started to become stable and he moved to California to settle, things changed when the terrorist attack on 9/11 occurred. Even though the discrimination was not terrible, he often still noticed strange and prejudicial remarks about his background. Still, he endured this treatment and was able to use his education in the U.S. to become a biologist.

He was able to adjust to a new culture and adapt to the U.S. I'm really proud of my dad - even though our lives are so connected, I feel like our qualities are so different.

- Eyzid Hadi

📸: @jimmyz_z