Shaheen Samadi: I grew up in the post- 9/11 era as an Iranian-American boy trying to make sense of who I am, what I was, and whether or not I belonged here. Hearing President Bush branding Iran has the “axis of evil” back in 2002 was a blow to the self-esteem of everyone in my community. I grew up to be an angry dude, with no love for the motherland until I was about 19 or 20 years old, when I started surrounding myself with people with more of a diverse background. I learned that in order for people to come together, unite and live in peace, we must first begin to love ourselves, and unapologetically embrace who we are.