Ilayda
I like to write about Belonging. As a diaspora child, I long for a sense of belonging everywhere I go. Was it worth it to leave for a better future? There’s a slight feeling of belonging everywhere and nowhere all at once, and it never really goes away. Will it ever?
Articles by Ilayda
I Am Every Age I Have Ever Been
Sometimes, we are childish. Sometimes, we do something our 16-year-old self would have done and cry like our 7-year-old self would have cried. Why is this so embarrassing? When you're 20, 30, or 40, are you not also every age you've ever been?
January 8th, 2025
From Resentment to Appreciation: How Being a Diaspora Child Shaped My Musical Identity
Many children of immigrants go through a similar journey, where the music of their heritage becomes more meaningful as they age. There’s something universally relatable about this experience, isn’t there? As children, we often push away the things...
November 24th, 2024
Barbie for President
It’s the Monday before November 5th, the eve of the U.S. elections. This little video slides across my For You page: a Barbie. But not just any Barbie. A 2004 President Barbie, created as part of the White House Project, a campaign meant to inspir...
November 7th, 2024
Behind the Barricades: Experiencing the Heroes Festival Freiburg Like a Fan, Not Like a Journalist.
01099, Trettmann, Shirin David and more... I was a little late for a review pass for the Heroes Festival this year, but anyone who knows me knows how obsessed I am with this small German indie band called 01099. So, when I heard that the Heroes F...
October 19th, 2024