--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: That experience of losing home, longing…" description: "\"That experience of losing home, longing for home, that yearning for meaning and rootedness and identity in a floating world, it's what often makes an i..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/092/andrew-lam-21834_floating_that-experience-of-losing-home-longing-f_879600.jpg" --- # That experience of losing home, longing for home, that… ![“That experience of losing home, longing for home, that yearning for meaning and rootedness and identity in a floating world, it's what often makes an immigrant story into an American story .” quote by Andrew Lam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/092/andrew-lam-21834_floating_that-experience-of-losing-home-longing-f_879600.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/092/andrew-lam-21834_floating_that-experience-of-losing-home-longing-f_879600.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/092/andrew-lam-21834_floating_that-experience-of-losing-home-longing-f_879600.jpg) > “That experience of losing home, longing for home, that yearning for meaning and rootedness and identity in a floating world, it's what often makes an immigrant story into an American story .” [Andrew Lam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lam/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Immigrants often turn displacement into a uniquely American story by seeking belonging and identity amid constant change. **In simple terms:** Immigrants find meaning by reshaping identity in new lands. Key Takeaway Embrace change to forge purpose. Themes identity belonging migration American Dream Mood reflective hopeful Type narrative inspirational When to use this quote - career building - community integration - creative writing - public speaking Key Concepts displacement narrative reconstruction cultural hybridity Questions to Reflect On - How does displacement shape your sense of self? - What can societies do to support immigrant identity? A Different Perspective May overlook systemic barriers that limit opportunity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Home](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/home/) [Identity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/identity/) [Immigrants](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/immigrants/) [Longing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/longing/) [Longing for home](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/longing-for-home/) [Rootedness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rootedness/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) [Yearning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/yearning/) ## Related quotes > [And so much of my life has been about returning home and longing for home, wanting my children to know about my roots. 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That hasn't changed since the Pilgrims ate their first turkey some four hundred years ago, and they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lam/america-s-story-is-largely-an-immigrant-story-that-hasn-t-changed/) [Andrew Lam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lam/) > [Losing in my home town of Sheffield, it upset me really badly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kell-brook/losing-in-my-home-town-of-sheffield-it-upset-me-really-badly/) [Kell Brook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kell-brook/) > [Losing your home is one of the most destabilizing, inhumane things a person can experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamaal-bowman/losing-your-home-is-one-of-the-most-destabilizing-inhumane-things-a/) [Jamaal Bowman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamaal-bowman/) > [I would see my hometown, Los Angeles, change. Green space and orange groves gave way to cement, freeways flooded with traffic, and air pollution,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-redford/i-would-see-my-hometown-los-angeles-change-green-space-and-orange/) [Robert Redford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-redford/) > [The story of the Underground Railroad is the story of American heroes, and who doesn't want to hear a story about American heroes?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/misha-green/the-story-of-the-underground-railroad-is-the-story-of-american-heroes/) [Misha Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/misha-green/) > [I wanted to do a political film that is as nonpartisan as can be, because I wanted to do a story that was American.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-haggis/i-wanted-to-do-a-political-film-that-is-as-nonpartisan-as-can-be/) [Paul Haggis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-haggis/) > [“The humorous story is American, the comic story is English, the witty story is French.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/the-humorous-story-is-american-the-comic-story-is-english-the-witty/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [Losing a home sends families to shelters, abandoned houses, and the street.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-desmond/losing-a-home-sends-families-to-shelters-abandoned-houses-and-the/) [Matthew Desmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-desmond/) > [“Eviction's fallout is severe. Losing a home sends families to shelters, abandoned houses, and the street. It invites depression and illness, compels families to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-desmond/eviction-s-fallout-is-severe-losing-a-home-sends-families-to-shelters/) [Matthew Desmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-desmond/) > [Losing 7-1 at home is a shameful thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hulk/losing-7-1-at-home-is-a-shameful-thing/) [Hulk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hulk/) > [My story is the American Dream, a hundred percent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-scott/my-story-is-the-american-dream-a-hundred-percent/) [Jeremy Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-scott/) > [The story of American pop music is the story of failure. The blues, country music, it's not the story of success. People don't win;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ry-cooder/the-story-of-american-pop-music-is-the-story-of-failure-the-blues/) [Ry Cooder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ry-cooder/) > [I know what it feels like to hit financial turmoil, to be hit with the threat of losing your home. I kept working, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-messam/i-know-what-it-feels-like-to-hit-financial-turmoil-to-be-hit-with-the/) [Wayne Messam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-messam/) ## More by Andrew Lam > [When I came to the United States in 1975 I was eleven, and within a few months my voice broke. I recited commercials like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lam/when-i-came-to-the-united-states-in-1975-i-was-eleven-and-within-a/) [Andrew Lam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lam/) > [The collection is a labor of love and devotion, and whenever I found free time from my journalism work, I'd work on one story…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lam/the-collection-is-a-labor-of-love-and-devotion-and-whenever-i-found/) [Andrew Lam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lam/) > [I am hopeful that the pendulum swings toward seeing immigrants in favorable terms once more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lam/i-am-hopeful-that-the-pendulum-swings-toward-seeing-immigrants-in/) [Andrew Lam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lam/) > [When a well-rounded character takes over, he doesn't lecture you about his history and how he is misunderstood. He lives his life, does things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lam/when-a-well-rounded-character-takes-over-he-doesn-t-lecture-you-about/) [Andrew Lam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lam/) > [I am glad to see the wheels are moving at last toward comprehensive immigration reform after last year's election. I am glad that immigrants…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lam/i-am-glad-to-see-the-wheels-are-moving-at-last-toward-comprehensive/) [Andrew Lam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lam/) > [America's story is largely an immigrant story. That hasn't changed since the Pilgrims ate their first turkey some four hundred years ago, and they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lam/america-s-story-is-largely-an-immigrant-story-that-hasn-t-changed/) [Andrew Lam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lam/) > [Isn't the first story told in the West about the Fall? 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The atmosphere after 9/11 is toxic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lam/it-s-unfortunate-that-the-country-of-immigrants-has-turned-its-back/) [Andrew Lam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lam/) > [“He knew it even before he could fully articulate it: between East and West lay a terrain that needed to be charted by stories,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lam/he-knew-it-even-before-he-could-fully-articulate-it-between-east-and/) [Andrew Lam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lam/) > [Today, more people are crossing various borders in order to survive, thrive, change their lives. Even if you don't cross the border, with demographic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lam/today-more-people-are-crossing-various-borders-in-order-to-survive/) [Andrew Lam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lam/) > [I have a funny story to tell about English and how I came to fall in love with the language. I was desperate to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lam/i-have-a-funny-story-to-tell-about-english-and-how-i-came-to-fall-in/) [Andrew Lam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lam/) > [I've been writing short stories for twenty years now, on and off ever since I was in the creative writing program at San Francisco…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lam/i-ve-been-writing-short-stories-for-twenty-years-now-on-and-off-ever/) [Andrew Lam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lam/) > [Where are the leaders who can speak to the idea that it is not alien to American interests, but very much in our socioeconomic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lam/where-are-the-leaders-who-can-speak-to-the-idea-that-it-is-not-alien/) [Andrew Lam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lam/) [Explore all 28 Andrew Lam quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lam/) ## More Floating quotes > [Heaven? Floating about with everyone you ever knew for eternity? 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I held my wings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/max-you-have-a-bigger-mission-than-finding-the-flock-s-parents-focus/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) > [Floating in and out of consciousness...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drake/floating-in-and-out-of-consciousness/) [Drake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drake/) > [The floating world is the realm of the graphic designer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-betsky/the-floating-world-is-the-realm-of-the-graphic-designer/) Aaron Betsky > [ There's a video that's been floating around on YouTube where \[Baz Luhrmann says\], "We were looking for a guy that sounded like a young… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quindon-tarver/there-s-a-video-that-s-been-floating-around-on-youtube-where-baz/) [Quindon Tarver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quindon-tarver/) > [Creation isn't forcing or commanding something into existence. 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And drowning in a train.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-zusak/if-you-can-t-imagine-it-think-clumsy-silence-think-bits-and-pieces-of/) [Markus Zusak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-zusak/) > [“You're back where you swore yourself you wouldn't be The familiar shackles you can't tell from your own skin Your head's under water when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sanhita-baruah/you-re-back-where-you-swore-yourself-you-wouldn-t-be-the-familiar/) [Sanhita Baruah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sanhita-baruah/) > [And the Raven, never flitting, Still is sitting, still is sitting On the pallid bust of Pallas Just above my chamber door; And his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-allan-poe/and-the-raven-never-flitting-still-is-sitting-still-is-sitting-on-the/) [Edgar Allan Poe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-allan-poe/) > [My mother has always been the point I calibrated myself against. In knowing where she was, I could always locate myself, as well. 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