Mani Samei

Creating Inclusive Communities

ALA 421

February 22, 2018

Testimonial Reflection

I had some difficulty choosing the topic for my testimonial. The topic that probably

would have been the easiest for me to speak about was also the one I wanted to speak about the

least: my trans identity. I have told my story so many times that I know how to do it very well.

I’ve done it over and over in the past few years, and so I know how to tell it succinctly, in a way

that makes sense to people. But I chose not to talk about my trans identity. This was partly for

the reason I mentioned above: I have simply done it so many times. Cis people continually

demand to hear my story, and I repeatedly feel the need to tell it to them in order to justify my

existence and the existence of those like me. Having to constantly tell people this story which is

a very painful one to me,has made me honestly very tired of recounting it. When I had to choose

what to speak about, I was divided- wouldn’t it be easier to write about something that I know

how to talk about? And wouldn’t it benefit and educate the cis people in the class?

In the end, I decided to share some thoughts about my racial identity. I wanted to talk

about the dichotomy of my identity as an Iranian American and my privilege as a white-passing

person. This dual identity is something that, though I have thought about it extensively, have

never tried to explain in any kind of coherent way. The experience of trying to put the

testimonial I would present together was difficult, but rewarding. Ultimately, I’m not sure I did it

justice. I spent so much time deciding what to write about, I didn’t have a lot of time to put
together what I wanted to say very thoughtfully. I would like to return to the subject again in the

future and try to work out how to best phrase these things.

Overall, I really enjoyed the experience of this testimonial. It was very special to be able

to hear others share their experiences. These stories are invaluable. I felt like I gained a deeper

perspective on each of my peers in the class through this process. Perhaps I did not get to know

them very well, but I deepened my knowledge of just their names and majors to an

understanding of what each of them was bringing to the space. I gained a little bit of insight into

what experiences and identities were shaping and would shape their ResStaff experience.

I hope to bring the experience I had with this testimonial process into my work on

ResStaff. I learned that it’s important to take the time to understand your residents’ stories and in

so doing, what they carry with them into the community.