Back Story…

This painting is based deep in the past, as well as the present. The title is “Bruce, I love you” mixed media. 7in x 7in. 2010. As a young college going girl in Pakistan I would listen to Bruce Springsteen religiously. “Born in the USA” was my anthem, day in and day out. This song triggered a wave of euphoria; I would immediately be transported to America, living a happy, contented life. A life without many issues, where people were treated equally and where every US citizen was happy. The song was a voice of the people who were proud of their country and that really resonated with me. Like any outsider, I dreamed of coming to the US one day. Being part of the American fabric, where people stood side by side, regardless of color and race. Once here, I realized, and especially after 9/11, there was a place for me, a place, under the radar, under suspicion, and terribly misunderstood. Thus, I created this image, which replicates the poster, for the album “Born in the USA”, with a Muslim women standing in place of Bruce Springsteen, signifying the pride and permanence of the Muslim community in America. The polly pocket in Muslim garb signifies the hybridity of our identity. She has raised her abaya to reveal the red, white and blue in her pocket. We are here and we are Americans. Even though many of us are not, born in the USA.

Sophia Ahmed Sattar is a Muslima Ambassador. To see more by Sophia Ahmed Sattar, visit her website see her work in the Art Gallery.