This is my own story: Coming to An Immigrant's Journey of Loss and Renewal From the ancient village of Jalud in Palestine to the vibrant streets of Astoria, Queens, this is the story of one family's search for home across three generations. Born in Jordan to Palestinian refugees, Omar grows up between two worlds—carrying the weight of a homeland lost and the promise of a future in America. When his family finally makes the journey to New York, they bring with them the dreams and ghosts of everyone they've left behind. But the American Dream proves more complicated than anyone imagined. From the corporate towers of Citibank to the endless highways as a long-haul truck driver, Omar navigates a country that is at once welcoming and alien, building a life while wrestling with questions of identity, belonging, and what it means to truly come home. Written with raw honesty and deep tenderness, Coming to Astoria is a memoir of displacement and discovery, of family bonds that transcend borders, and of finding renewal in the most unexpected places. It's a story for anyone who has ever felt caught between worlds, searching for where they truly belong.
This is my own story:
Coming to An Immigrant's Journey of Loss and Renewal
From the ancient village of Jalud in Palestine to the vibrant streets of Astoria, Queens, this is the story of one family's search for home across three generations.
Born in Jordan to Palestinian refugees, Omar grows up between two worlds—carrying the weight of a homeland lost and the promise of a future in America. When his family finally makes the journey to New York, they bring with them the dreams and ghosts of everyone they've left behind.
But the American Dream proves more complicated than anyone imagined. From the corporate towers of Citibank to the endless highways as a long-haul truck driver, Omar navigates a country that is at once welcoming and alien, building a life while wrestling with questions of identity, belonging, and what it means to truly come home.
Written with raw honesty and deep tenderness, Coming to Astoria is a memoir of displacement and discovery, of family bonds that transcend borders, and of finding renewal in the most unexpected places. It's a story for anyone who has ever felt caught between worlds, searching for where they truly belong.
Coming to Astoria