When Stars are Scattered Author Interview

Recording and transcript of the conversation with Omar Mohamed and Victoria Jamieson

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Michael Macaluso: Alright, so I think we'll we'll get started here so for anyone who's watching this thanks so much for joining us I'm Mike Macaluso i'm a professor at the University of Notre Dame.

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Francesca Ciaramitaro: My name is Francesca my middle school English language arts teacher in New York City.

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Michael Macaluso: And we are just so thrilled to have with us Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohammed authors of When Stars are Scattered.

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Michael Macaluso: Let me be the first to say, congratulations on receiving the inaugural Alexandria award.

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Michael Macaluso: You know so many people behind this University of Notre Dame the Institute for educational initiatives, the Alliance for Catholic education and.

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Michael Macaluso: The Center for literacy education so congratulations we're just so honored and so thrilled to be to be awarding this book to you both and we're just so happy to have you here so here is the award metal will be getting this to you guys.

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Michael Macaluso: St. Catherine of Alexandria is kind of the inspiration behind this award and you know she was someone who was just a tenacious teen and a tenacious.

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Michael Macaluso: adolescent and someone who you know sort of spoke up and and fought against unfairness and injustice, so I mean do do either of you just sort of want to speak to that.

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Michael Macaluso: You know the just sort of how how popular this this book is right now and just sort of the the resonance that it has with so many people.

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Victoria Jamieson: um well it's been great seeing the feedback i'm one of the nicest parts of you know, following this books publication has just been the outreach, especially from kids.

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Victoria Jamieson: Omar has his nonprofit organization refugee strong which she can talk more about.

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Victoria Jamieson: But it's one of the volunteers with refugees strong it's been so nice to see the reaction from kids and kids sending in their birthday money or lemonade sale money just the support that the book has garnered has been really wonderful to see.

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Omar Mohamed: Yes, it's an honor to say what would even be considered for it, so no wonder, one, one thing is from a juice, to share my story was not my story, because my story is like a similar story about savages.

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Omar Mohamed: I just wanted to share for the sake of those who can share their their voice to be a voice for the voiceless and and that's why I was had the ios help us to to reach where I reached out to be where.

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Omar Mohamed: or even in Barcelona, the.

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Omar Mohamed: Different organizations evolve of a windows in adult industry verticals now for me this nonprofit organization, we stand by all volunteers.

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Omar Mohamed: are what we do is we just use our methodology is no child should actually stay home because or national law.

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Omar Mohamed: school because they can't afford school supplies books very good info a symbol that we just we want how we want to connect in the kitchen available for most for both children around the world, wherever they are, you know vacation unsafe conditions or less.

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Omar Mohamed: After this movie came out it really helped us glass organization and vicki said, most of our donors, I children it's just Julian has to be another children, now that we use children healthy healthy another to build the whole goal.

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Francesca Ciaramitaro: that's fantastic that's fantastic, and I think that mission resonates with so many children and so many educators and that's kind of where I want to go with this next question.

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Francesca Ciaramitaro: I as soon as I read this book wanted to get it in the hands of every student that I had for a lot of different reasons and in the hands of a lot of different educators i'm wondering, in terms of.

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Francesca Ciaramitaro: The decision to make it a graphic novel what the thought process was there and what advice you might have for teachers who don't typically teach graphic novels or might not have them on their shelves as often as Chapter books.

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Victoria Jamieson: Well, I think the graphic novel is mostly my doing to kind of convince somewhere in some ways, or you know discuss what it might look like it's a graphic novel.

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Victoria Jamieson: For me, I think graphic novels just have so much opportunity to reach all kinds of readers I hear from a lot of educators that it's great for reluctant readers it's great for students learning English.

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Victoria Jamieson: it's great for all readers I love graphic novels and as a story about.

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Victoria Jamieson: An environment I didn't know much about I thought, a graphic novel would be a great way to.

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Victoria Jamieson: kind of show what life is like as a American who's never been to a refugee camp I don't know what one looks like I didn't know what omar's home look like or school so graphic novel was a way to show.

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Victoria Jamieson: Things that I couldn't really imagine because i've never experienced it myself, so I get to all the educators out there.

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Victoria Jamieson: I love graphic novels and I think they're a great tool for reaching and teaching things like visual literacy, along with traditional written literacy so there's a great many things graphic novels can offer.

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Omar Mohamed: You and i'm glad we met the I agree with that decision for making this book.

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Omar Mohamed: Because I grew up in the industry becomes the only books that are available to us to our picture books and graphic can also grab English because.

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Omar Mohamed: English was not our first language so we just follow, along with the pictures and I really can say imagine in this is my story Colombian told.

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Omar Mohamed: Another former Governor of I don't think it could get the actual or or even club understanding, because we talked about schools.

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Omar Mohamed: People may assume the schools there, she will talk about houses linear student houses that they have, but surely this there's a picture of it really helped me to really open.

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Omar Mohamed: their eyes are really, really understand what it really means to address this refugee considering is a lot of people just really miserable really means like they have been there before the cannabis identify one or two 600.

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Michael Macaluso: it's a great point, I think that you know the the graphics help.

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Michael Macaluso: You know any any reader adult or child to just sort of step out of what home means for them, and just sort of see what what this What this really look like and what your experiences really were.

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Michael Macaluso: sort of to this point, you know just like Francesca as soon as I finished reading it, you know, I was just kind of speech list, and I just knew that I needed to pass it on to people and.

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Michael Macaluso: You know, for the first person I pass it on to was my 11 year old son, he was in fifth grade at the time, you know that the same age that you are Omar when the book started and and.

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Michael Macaluso: When he finishes he just came to me and he's like you know data I just I had no idea, and he couldn't even like articulate.

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Michael Macaluso: What it was that that he had no idea about and so.

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Michael Macaluso: When I think about this book getting into schools, I mean you know what what what is it you mentioned this a little bit you know you, you say this at the end, but you know.

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Michael Macaluso: i'd ask this to both of you, I mean what do you hope people take away from this book and.

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Michael Macaluso: You know it's it's one thing to think about books in schools as generating you know themes and plots and character, but you know, this is a little different what you know so So what is that for you, if someone is just sort of speechless about I had no idea what you hope that that is.

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Omar Mohamed: One or two things that people can take away from the book The book is one thing is.

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Omar Mohamed: That how I didn't choose to be a DVD, for example, no human being, wants to be a refugee was notice add or a political forum, a lot of people.

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Omar Mohamed: Immigrant became a talking point or refugees or so forth, so I really want people to understand that no human being, wants to be a refugee know, in the last thing that I wanted.

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Omar Mohamed: or any refugee wants to flee from the Hong Kong and live in another country or city, for example, I was born and my my family is what you guys called here in America middle class family.

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Omar Mohamed: My father own one of the largest from my mom was assuming so they were able to provide every entity that there that we need.

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Omar Mohamed: So we need to leave our home account so one thing that really bothers people is like.

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Omar Mohamed: A lot of people may think, being a religious or just like liberal fleeing their home country looking for bluejeans know a 99.9% of those religious.

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Omar Mohamed: Is between better life, using you die then usually, you have the budget of five and one very unfortunate thing is, we forget those who lost their lives, university Kansas.

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Omar Mohamed: You know, realistic about religious coming to live in Kansas, but we forget those who lost their lives when they were sick every.

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Omar Mohamed: will never get it from there, we will never have leverage their stores, because they lost their lives 100 million of them lost their lives when.

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Omar Mohamed: They receive one thing the model has to take from this book is my story I didn't use to to grow up the way I grew up energies.

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Omar Mohamed: ages to come to college it's all my by circumstances I had no other option, so that is one thing, the second thing that Google also highlight is.

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Omar Mohamed: How we always every person in this world, will the struggle of a fumble it, you know, we are all created yet as someone who only supply our patients will be tested a fumble it up.

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Omar Mohamed: In one way or another, so we always have to be patient alone is the grid full of what we have we don't want to you don't have the.

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Michael Macaluso: that's wonderful and I think that again everything you said that just resonates so much, I think, with what this award is all about, and what the you know what this award wants to draw attention to so thanks that's great.

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Francesca Ciaramitaro: yeah another.

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Victoria Jamieson: Question OK.

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Francesca Ciaramitaro: Now go ahead.

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Victoria Jamieson: um well in terms of what I was hoping readers would take away from it it's funny because I never really entered into stories with a goal in mind, or a theme.

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Victoria Jamieson: I think, in this case writing our story was my goal was to just be as honest and as truth like as stay as close to home our story as possible and it's really up to the readers with what kind of message they want to take away.

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Victoria Jamieson: And the message that we've heard from readers over and over again it's just empathy and increased understanding, so I think that's really the best I could have hoped for.

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Victoria Jamieson: With the book is just getting to know Omar and his family and friends and just having a better understanding of what other kids around the world are experiencing.

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Francesca Ciaramitaro: Absolutely, along with that honesty and that empathy I think there are a lot of opportunities for students who might not be growing up in refugee camps to still connect.

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Francesca Ciaramitaro: To Omar story with his resistance to attend school and his relationship with his brother and how he cares for him.

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Francesca Ciaramitaro: And so I just was wondering your thoughts on that reliability factor and how students can still really connect with Omar and His story, even though they might be very living very different lives.

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Victoria Jamieson: Through an answer that Omar.

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Omar Mohamed: knew.

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Omar Mohamed: I wasn't sure.

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Victoria Jamieson: yeah.

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Victoria Jamieson: I think your life when kids are relating to.

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Omar Mohamed: yeah I see.

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Omar Mohamed: You know, when I was, I was child and.

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Omar Mohamed: Most of.

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Omar Mohamed: my brother first our souls check I was doing everything I was a student of the time to be a better person for not.

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Omar Mohamed: For me, for for for for my brother and I always wanted to be honest and also be kind to him, first, before I knew to a tool for for for other people, as I said before.

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Omar Mohamed: kids here in the US, or even the other parts of the world that they have access to a terrible I bought books or notebooks on textbooks.

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Omar Mohamed: may not realize the challenges those other children may be made a decision because they didn't see the have never encountered.

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Omar Mohamed: You know, when I was in school will use one pain for maybe three four months or one notebook for five subjects and I just wanted.

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Omar Mohamed: I wanted to highlight like the those the struggle those children around the world affairs, and I, and I want those children who read the book good no issues to to to try like if I was.

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Omar Mohamed: If I was a child or qualified them so when you for it encourages them by just reading my story help them.

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Omar Mohamed: To overcome the small challenges that they may have here here in the US, I was able to see the former or jewelry or this other character for both overcome this, and this, and this.

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Omar Mohamed: For me, to overcome this and this one should be nothing I want them to come there my my story with with their children, they are faced with challenges in the present moment and also want them to see the support that I had understood.

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Omar Mohamed: Or the resources that we have access to, so I hope you can help them to overcome the challenges difficulties that they have.

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Michael Macaluso: And so the next question is, I say even that to write this this idea of.

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Michael Macaluso: You know thinking sort of about what you had and and you know the the moment in the book where you know you are so grateful and you sort of give thanks and you recognize sort of how how.

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Michael Macaluso: blessed you are by family and friends and there's there's so much more that's around you, I think, maybe, along with this note, you know i'm assuming that that we maybe come from and have different faith traditions.

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Michael Macaluso: So I mean one thing that i'm wondering here is, you know, despite the the faith tradition, the different faith potentially different faith traditions.

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Michael Macaluso: there's so much that that sort of resonates with how we as Catholics, think about faith about prayer about God.

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Michael Macaluso: You know, one of the beneficiaries of this award is Catholic schools, so I mean what would you say to maybe this this potential here for this connection across across faith across across religious difference.

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Omar Mohamed: I think we are all created by God, so it is interesting, it is really unfortunate that you know the Assembly, I say I am the way I look at I look because God created.

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Omar Mohamed: I was morning so Monday I didn't choose to be born somebody that you didn't choose to be wherever you are born, it was all justin for us by God, and we always have to be grateful to him, no matter what order to do.

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Omar Mohamed: This while we are we have been tested, you know we're here to be here to be tested and that's part of our our our.

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Omar Mohamed: Our challenges, this is also part of our life, we will be challenged all the time, you know it's all up to how our mission will also be tested, so it is good to see like a Muslim and in the beverage because.

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Omar Mohamed: They were different faith, you know the marketing mix newer Muslim is going on in.

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Omar Mohamed: The other stages in that industry verticals and they you know face.

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Omar Mohamed: We also it's not as we have we don't have to change people looking based on their race, this of nationality, based on that especially based the way they talk the way this.

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Omar Mohamed: sort of sort of talks to us it's up to the one who created it and that's got there, but now, when we put in the shoes of the creators, a lot of problem.

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Omar Mohamed: When we start charging people why, why is this like this way of ladies what you look like this, so it is like, why are you why are you black when you grow then there's none of this is not up to us to change.

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Omar Mohamed: Those evil, they will be reporting to God, whatever they do, and however they did it for us as a human being it's all for all our job is just tell them.

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Omar Mohamed: If you have a good advice to other human beings tell them do you see this yes so tell them you think this is a restaurant it's up to he.

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Omar Mohamed: And it's activity on the gap between the one who created it so repeat again will be tested will be challenged in this world and that's all all all bone bone bone.

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Michael Macaluso: I think it's so beautiful and I think that it makes me think about there's this prayer attributed to Mother Teresa who says, you know it was never between us and that it's always been between us and God and.

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Michael Macaluso: And this message.

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Michael Macaluso: You know, we are tested and and it's not up to us to judge, I think that just resonates so much with with us and what we believe and just sort of how we can live our lives, so thank you for that I think it's a beautiful.

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Omar Mohamed: Beautiful testament.

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Francesca Ciaramitaro: And one final question i'll jump in with here and we've touched on in at different points where you've talked about the message that you hope young readers take away from it.

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Francesca Ciaramitaro: In particular there's a lot of different types of adversity, that these characters face.

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Francesca Ciaramitaro: Especially with gender dynamics some of the young girls and opportunities that they have or don't have based on.

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Francesca Ciaramitaro: decisions that they don't get to make and so i'm wondering what advice you might have for students or young readers that faced similar types of adversity when they might not have a choice or.

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Francesca Ciaramitaro: They might be denied a certain opportunity, what should they do and how can they look to Omar and his friends and his siblings for inspiration.

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Omar Mohamed: We had to the medicine, we added other characters, which is, in my study was to tell our stories within my story, so that is what is there to be added and one day that was really that has been my eyes dollar syndication, for example.

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Omar Mohamed: Students with disabilities have no access to education, of any type of form, so that is really just wanted to highlight and also that also.

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Omar Mohamed: Teaching I wasn't the only struggle with the others within the come within label that struggle, especially other other students.

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Omar Mohamed: who have disabilities goddess who wanted to go to school, and they were not allowed because of that conditional because of their culture Gala second season I don't know if relation was MGM was also a huge factor in those in those.

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Omar Mohamed: indices, as you can so for the movie I realized in school, when I was growing up at school, there were a few girls in the village, there are many girls.

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Omar Mohamed: So is the oldest one that are in our classroom is $35 if it was over at 90 boys and then at home, you see how it goes and all doing how's your way.

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Omar Mohamed: And then there were some girls who really started advocating for themselves, they wanted to do.

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Omar Mohamed: To go to school, so I still it comes back is all up to you it's all up to the individual, the effort and the time and and the work you put in.

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Omar Mohamed: Overcoming whatever circumstances and whatever challenges, you may encounter or the mysteries and only thing you really have to know is it's not it's not you're not alone has been challenged.

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Omar Mohamed: In one way or another you're not the only one, because when we when you take Barcelona when you always say why me why me it's never only you.

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Omar Mohamed: know people who are was circumstance was jealous jealous, then you then the one you don't hear your fishing, you always talk to the team bus.

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Omar Mohamed: Normal is for bonus aspartame must always have to say I can do this I don't want other people to tell me I can't because it's your life, and you can do whatever you want to you want to do, or you can be whatever you want to be in school.

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Omar Mohamed: To school utterance could ever tell them if you become a president or do you become a leader or a manager become a millionaire people like money now there's so much if you can hear a.

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Omar Mohamed: song for you you're not gonna remember you are a kindergarten teacher or the facilities are known for his teacher that tell you.

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Omar Mohamed: or encourage you only want you to succeed in life, he only wants you to be a better person it's all for you, so if you want to fail it's all going to be.

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Omar Mohamed: You if you if you do when your life is going to be so I hope that I hope they never give up hope and deliverer lose hope because we have.

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Omar Mohamed: Always you know scheduling I have scheduled million, but God always has a blonde for me and it's always he always have a better block so people need to understand that we have not gotten this as a better balance for each and every one of us.

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Victoria Jamieson: And something we talked a lot about I think when we were writing the story was.

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Victoria Jamieson: How because it's a book for children's we had to kind of always toe the line of being really honest and not sugarcoating the truth.

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Victoria Jamieson: But then, making it appropriate for children, so I think part of the reason we wanted to put in several girl characterised was to show the truth that some kids do have more obstacles and others girls face special obstacles when going to school.

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Victoria Jamieson: So I hope what kids will see is that they may have more obstacles than their peers, you know from whatever their background or whatever special obstacles they face, I think it's important to face those obstacles and be honest about.

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Victoria Jamieson: The stumbling blocks kids might have around the world, but then with that honesty and facing those problems your battle April to tackle it so that was our hope, or at least my hope and adding some some female characters in the story.

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Michael Macaluso: And it's so great and I just appreciate so much that it's that that it is honesty right as one of the drivers here.

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Michael Macaluso: You know, regardless of of a child or if being a children's book or whatever I just appreciate that so much before we sign off, you know, I just want to say again.

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Michael Macaluso: As a result of this award we're going to do our part to make sure that it gets into elementary schools middle schools high schools.

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Michael Macaluso: You know, some people may be watching this and classrooms us down the down the road even so.

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Michael Macaluso: I don't know if either of you just kind of you know, want to respond to that, how does it make you feel that that that this book is being part of a formal curriculum in a classroom or.

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Michael Macaluso: If there's any updates you want to give maybe and Omar on your story, but I mean anything that you can have like to say here as we sign off.

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Michael Macaluso: Victoria or.

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Omar Mohamed: No, no, they don't say this it's an honor to receive this award and it's also not only for me, but mostly children.

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Omar Mohamed: Around the world, to the story the.

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Omar Mohamed: More students will be able to be able to read and understand and get to learn from it and one or two things that my organization our organization run by all volunteers, what we do is we really want to eradicate.

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Omar Mohamed: Things that we highlighted about Dallas education, you want me to go that that wants to go to school, needs to be.

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Omar Mohamed: Specifically in that part of the Walter, specifically in those energy comes and one thing to indicate that we have qualitative our images, if you follow us on Facebook, you may see the different updates a budget that we did this year we did.

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Omar Mohamed: cemetery box for high school does, because there is a model that we have seen sanitary been forgotten high schools, we give a gun is good for the cemetery but.

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Omar Mohamed: You also built more more popular with the pilot for godless because what I realized was when I was in school, we used to share the pilot.

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Omar Mohamed: One entirely will be both voice and data, so you can see the equity of the show, and they may face this girl is a boy standing at the door.

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Omar Mohamed: When she she's using the bus this thing was this guarantee them to go to school, everyone to come to school, you want to you want to indicate that.

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Omar Mohamed: We have also provide transportation organization also provide transportation.

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Omar Mohamed: for students with disabilities visually blind students that want to go to school, but he can talk a minute, which will help.

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Omar Mohamed: You as kingdom their mother smoking in every day from home to school and then, when when this came out then she has to walk all the way from village to school and then walking back you want them to read the.

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Omar Mohamed: Data students to the physical disabilities this year were ever to take to school about 17 disabilities, we have for me or transportation.

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Omar Mohamed: taxi that will take them from other tutors nothing really to school from school to relate, and we want to reach more is also the beginning and wanting a totally different.

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Omar Mohamed: from other organizations that you may encounter is, I know I lived there for 20 years, so I go behind I will identify the most affordable among different books.

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Omar Mohamed: And if someone donates $100 the whole hundred dollars will go to the broker, because for me, I will be based on volunteers, that they are not, they are not they know.

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Omar Mohamed: How to do will go to the to to to to that project and the religious religion out there, I hope, a lot of people, a lot of children, a lot of people will help also organization, so we can also help those children who are, where I was.

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Michael Macaluso: and your information about that is in the back of the book right it's that's great perfect Victoria go ahead and respond to i'd love to hear your thoughts.

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Victoria Jamieson: No i'm happy to have the last word, but just wanted to add my thanks and echo what Omar said that we're really honored and so pleased and thrilled that the book will be in reaching a wider audience, so thank you once again for the honor.

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Francesca Ciaramitaro: I told Mike as we were in this process, what, no matter what wins this book is going to be taught in my classroom it's just happening so i'm.

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Francesca Ciaramitaro: it's such an honor to meet and talk with you both and I can't wait to continue to share the story with my students and more teachers and beyond.

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Michael Macaluso: I just want to show you about two so something fun when I picked up this book ages ago in in our campus bookstore it's a signed copy.

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Omar Mohamed: I don't know how but you guys are in.

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Michael Macaluso: there.

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Michael Macaluso: Signed copy so.

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Victoria Jamieson: If we do that.

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Michael Macaluso: Well, thank you again both so much and will hopefully be in touch as we move forward and and hopefully have some more opportunities with you both we.

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Michael Macaluso: love and appreciate that if it's at all possible, but thank you again for your story for your work and we just we just look forward to being in touch, so thank you.

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Omar Mohamed: Thank you.

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Omar Mohamed: Thank you.

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Francesca Ciaramitaro: Thank you, both so much.