Mohamed Zeeshan self-petitioned for a green card in 2021.
Courtesy of Mohamed Zeeshan
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Mohamed Zeeshan, 32, an Indian national and green card holder, who lives in Arlington, Virginia. The following has been edited for length and clarity.My parents are both Indian. I was born in Indonesia because my father's job took him there, but we moved back to India when I was 7. In Indonesia, everyone knew me as the Indian kid, and in India, everyone knew me as the kid from Indonesia.Since I'd spent my early life as a foreigner, I developed an interest in international affairs. That led me to the US, where I pursued a master's in the field at Columbia in 2016.
The US drew me because I was enamored by Ivy League universities. I was also a huge fan of President Barack Obama, who I related to because he grew up in Indonesia and has spoken publicly about his identity across different cultures.
Zeeshan studied international affairs at Columbia.
