TWO CULTURES ONE ME The South Hills of Pittsburgh is home to a diverse group of people from different cultures, backgrounds, and life experiences. In 2016, middle school students in SHIM's Youth Mentoring program participated in the inaugural Two Cultures, One Me project. The students were from refugee families who were resettled in America after spending on average 15 years in refugee camps—many of the students themselves were born in the camps. The project aimed to capture the dual identities that many foreign-born youth often experience. Five years later, students have a slightly different story to tell. In the second iteration of Two Cultures, One me, writer Stephanie Hacke led a writing project that encouraged students to explore their identities. Through this exercise, students found pride in their heritage and discovered that being different only makes the world a more beautiful and interesting place. Then, photographer Edward Coll worked with students to capture their stories and identities in a series of vivid photographs. SHIM is proud of the amazing resilience of these young adults. While the world can feel hopelessly disjointed sometimes, these inspirational teens show us that more unites than divides us.
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