According to Lalami, her decision to write “The Other Americans” through the first-person perspectives of nine different characters aided her in transmitting this message.

While Lalami recognizes that immigration is an experience shared by many, she also emphasizes the diversity of experiences and perspectives on immigration. So I was in middle school I really became exposed to Moroccan authors, people like Mohamed Choukri, Fatema Mernissi…it was the first time in my life that seemed in a sense relevant to my own daily life… And I think it was around this time that I made up my mind that I wanted to be a writer,” said Lalami.Īlthough her parents’ initially disapproved of her aspirations, Lalami continued to pursue English and eventually immigrated to the United States of America, where she obtained her PhD. “My earliest exposure to books and literature really came through French… if the only people you see in books are French, in a child’s mind it would follow that the only people who belong in books are French. Reflecting on the effect of colonialism in Morocco, she noted that, during her formative years, she primarily read French literature and struggled to identify with the characters, communities, and cultures in those books. Growing up in a family of avid readers, Lalami was naturally immersed in the world of books as a child. “The Other Americans,” her most recent work, was a national bestseller and a finalist for the Kirkus Prize and the National Book Award in Fiction. Lalami has penned five books, including “The Moor’s Account,” a Pulitzer Prize finalist and recipient of multiple awards including the American Book Award.

Themes that permeate her works include family, immigration, and community. In honor of National Arab American Heritage Month, Southwest Asian and North African Society (SWANA) invited Laila Lalami, award-winning author and essayist, to discuss her newest book, “The Other Americans” in Kemper Auditorium on April 21.

The other americans by laila lalami