My Diasporic Diary: A Reflective Journal For Members of the Diaspora

My Diasporic Diary is a reflective journal for members of the diaspora worldwide. Divided into 10 sections, the journal is filled with contemplative prompts and artistic challenges to help members of the diaspora better navigate and discuss their feelings, experiences and perspectives.

The creator of this journal, Anisa Hagi-Mohamed, is a 1.5 generation Somali immigrant residing in the U.S. She created this journal for fellow diaspora, wherever they are in the world, and whatever their origins may be. The inspiration behind this journal is Anisa's countless life experiences of feeling lost in translation, of lacking a sense of belonging and facing unique diasporic challenges but also her burning desire to document her journey. To write about her family, culture and language alongside topics like love, healing and passions in order to fully capture her experiences. This journal is her gift, her legacy to those young and old who wish to journal their diasporic journeys. To jot down their thoughts, unearth and unpack their feelings and hopefully leave a literary inheritance for their descendants. It’s not often we are asked about our perspectives on having complex identities or our sense of belonging; our traditions, family, food, and cultures – especially not in one sitting, and never in one reflective journal. It is Anisa's hope that you will find love, healing, and self-discovery within the pages of your journal.

About the Author:

Anisa Hagi-Mohamed is a woman of many labels and passions. She describes herself best as a quirky, bubbly, average but striving to be extraordinary Muslim, Somali and American. Holding both bachelors and masters degrees in Applied Linguistics, she is an ESL teacher by profession. She came to the United States when she was very young. Her family fled from the civil war that broke out in Somalia in the mid 1990s. After living in neighboring Kenyan refugee camps for a few years, the family were then resettled in Memphis, Tennessee, thereafter shortly relocating to Fresno, California. After nearly two decades in Fresno, they moved to Southern California (San Diego) in 2010. Currently, Anisa lives in Saint Cloud, Minnesota with her husband and two children. In her free time, the author loves to research, read and write about language, identity and home.