--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What I am learning from my experience as…" description: "\"What I am learning from my experience as someone who grew up as a refugee, who became French, and then became American is that nationalities are someth..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/957/yasmine-elmasri-66835_humanity_what-i-am-learning-from-my-experience-as_58603.jpg" --- # What I am learning from my experience as someone who grew… ![“What I am learning from my experience as someone who grew up as a refugee, who became French, and then became American is that nationalities are something that we use to divide us. We are all one humanity. I want to dedicate my voice to all people.” quote by Yasmine Elmasri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/957/yasmine-elmasri-66835_humanity_what-i-am-learning-from-my-experience-as_58603.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/957/yasmine-elmasri-66835_humanity_what-i-am-learning-from-my-experience-as_58603.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/957/yasmine-elmasri-66835_humanity_what-i-am-learning-from-my-experience-as_58603.jpg) > “What I am learning from my experience as someone who grew up as a refugee, who became French, and then became American is that nationalities are something that we use to divide us. We are all one humanity. I want to dedicate my voice to all people.” Yasmine Elmasri ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker reflects that national identities are artificial divisions, emphasizing shared humanity over borders. **In simple terms:** Nationalities divide; humanity unites. Key Takeaway Identity is a choice, not destiny. Themes identity humanity migration inclusion social cohesion Mood hopeful empathetic inspirational Type testimonial call to action When to use this quote - public speaking - activism - educational workshops - media interviews Key Concepts nationality refugee experience cultural integration Practical Applications - advocacy for refugee rights - cross‑cultural dialogue initiatives Questions to Reflect On - How do we move beyond labels to see common humanity? - What role can personal narratives play in reshaping national identities? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Humanity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humanity/) [Immigration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/immigration/) [Nationalities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nationalities/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Refugee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/refugee/) ## Related quotes > [I knew that the moment the great governing spirit strikes the blow to divide all humanity into just two opposing factions, I would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/che-guevara/i-knew-that-the-moment-the-great-governing-spirit-strikes-the-blow-to/) [Che Guevara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/che-guevara/) > [“Sapiens instinctively divide humanity into two parts, ‘we’ and ‘they’. We are people like you and me, who share our language, religion and customs.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/sapiens-instinctively-divide-humanity-into-two-parts-we-and-they-we/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [My urgent advice to you would be, not only always to think first of America, but always, also, to think first of humanity. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woodrow-wilson/my-urgent-advice-to-you-would-be-not-only-always-to-think-first-of/) [Woodrow Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woodrow-wilson/) > [By any reasonable measure of achievement, the faith of the Enlightenment thinkers in science was justified. Today the greatest divide within humanity is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/by-any-reasonable-measure-of-achievement-the-faith-of-the-2/) [E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/) > [And just as the terrorist seeks to divide humanity in hate, so we have to unify it around an idea. And that idea is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-blair/and-just-as-the-terrorist-seeks-to-divide-humanity-in-hate-so-we-have/) [Tony Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-blair/) > [“Religions don't divide humanity but it's fanatics, politics and power hungry politicians that do.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-abraham/religions-don-t-divide-humanity-but-it-s-fanatics-politics-and-power/) [Amit Abraham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-abraham/) > [I am the leader of one country which has two alphabets, three languages, four religions, five nationalities, six republics, surrounded by seven neighbours, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josip-broz-tito/i-am-the-leader-of-one-country-which-has-two-alphabets-three/) [Josip Broz Tito](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josip-broz-tito/) > [I have no problem being with people of different nationalities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krzysztof-kieslowski/i-have-no-problem-being-with-people-of-different-nationalities/) [Krzysztof Kieslowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krzysztof-kieslowski/) > [Irish? In truth I would not want to be anything else. It is a state of mind as well as an actual country. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edna-o-brien/irish-in-truth-i-would-not-want-to-be-anything-else-it-is-a-state-of/) [Edna O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edna-o-brien/) > [Mime, like music, knows neither borders nor nationalities,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-marceau/mime-like-music-knows-neither-borders-nor-nationalities/) [Marcel Marceau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-marceau/) > [My mom is from Venezuela, and my dad is German and Japanese, and we lived in Brazil when I was a kid for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-armisen/my-mom-is-from-venezuela-and-my-dad-is-german-and-japanese-and-we/) [Fred Armisen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-armisen/) > [“We are not sheep or cows. God didn’t create fences for us or boundaries to contain our nationalities. Man did. God didn’t draw up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzy-kassem/we-are-not-sheep-or-cows-god-didn-t-create-fences-for-us-or/) [Suzy Kassem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzy-kassem/) > [I've been playing football for 23 years and with more than 30 nationalities; that has been a pleasure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarence-seedorf/i-ve-been-playing-football-for-23-years-and-with-more-than-30/) [Clarence Seedorf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarence-seedorf/) > [I can play lots of nationalities: Greeks, South Americans, Arabs, all sorts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-banerjee/i-can-play-lots-of-nationalities-greeks-south-americans-arabs-all/) [Victor Banerjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-banerjee/) > [Music goes beyond nationalities - it's a language which you can understand in any country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andris-nelsons/music-goes-beyond-nationalities-it-s-a-language-which-you-can/) [Andris Nelsons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andris-nelsons/) ## More by Yasmine Elmasri > [In my opinion, those politicians are making decisions based on calculations related to polling numbers and strategic political agendas. But if they are to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yasmine-elmasri/in-my-opinion-those-politicians-are-making-decisions-based-on/) Yasmine Elmasri > [Years ago, it wasn't easy to communicate, and it wasn't easy to spread information. We were limited to the few media outlets that controlled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yasmine-elmasri/years-ago-it-wasn-t-easy-to-communicate-and-it-wasn-t-easy-to-spread/) Yasmine Elmasri > [For me, as Yasmine, I do this every day. I wake up in the morning, and if I can do something to make someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yasmine-elmasri/for-me-as-yasmine-i-do-this-every-day-i-wake-up-in-the-morning-and-if/) Yasmine Elmasri Explore all 4 Yasmine Elmasri quotes ## More Humanity quotes > [Scrabble - The game is available in Braille. That’s a nice fact. This makes me feel better about humanity for some reason. I can’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/scrabble-the-game-is-available-in-braille-that-s-a-nice-fact-this/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The truth is, of course, that the curtness of the Ten Commandments is an evidence, not of the gloom and narrowness of a religion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-truth-is-of-course-that-the-curtness-of-the-ten-commandments-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Half the misery of human life might be extinguished if men would alleviate the general curse they lie under by mutual offices of compassion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/half-the-misery-of-human-life-might-be-extinguished-if-men-would/) [Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/) > [During human progress, every science is evolved out of its corresponding art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-spencer/during-human-progress-every-science-is-evolved-out-of-its/) [Herbert Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-spencer/) > [“Is it necessary to recall that the earth is not infinite, and that our civilization is close to having invaded all of it? The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-tarde/is-it-necessary-to-recall-that-the-earth-is-not-infinite-and-that-our/) Gabriel Tarde > [“If attempting to make the world a civilized one, makes you a bad woman in the eyes of the dumb patriarchal society, then, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/if-attempting-to-make-the-world-a-civilized-one-makes-you-a-bad-woman/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [“Once the switch of parenthood is thrown, it changes you for ever & you can never escape the extra pull of humanity it gives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-hammond/once-the-switch-of-parenthood-is-thrown-it-changes-you-for-ever-you/) [Richard hammond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-hammond/) > [“The power of imagination is strongest in the place of solitude.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/the-power-of-imagination-is-strongest-in-the-place-of-solitude/) [Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/) > [“Is there any holy beings like human beings?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/is-there-any-holy-beings-like-human-beings/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [“I now know that deep within the human concept is something dark, selfish, and completely willing to do whatever is necessary to support the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-west/i-now-know-that-deep-within-the-human-concept-is-something-dark/) [Melissa West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-west/) > [The concept of humanity is an especially useful ideological instrument of imperialist expansion, and in its ethical-humanitarian form it is a specific vehicle of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-schmitt/the-concept-of-humanity-is-an-especially-useful-ideological/) [Carl Schmitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-schmitt/) > [“He grew away from old associations, and saw something new in life and humanity. Secondarily, he made close acquaintance with phenomena which he had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/he-grew-away-from-old-associations-and-saw-something-new-in-life-and/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) > [What is accurately portrayed is the rich humanity not just of Martin Luther King but of the movement, which was a multiracial movement. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/what-is-accurately-portrayed-is-the-rich-humanity-not-just-of-martin/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [He is not humanity deified. He is not Godhead humanized. He is God. He is man. He is all that God is, and all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-spurgeon/he-is-not-humanity-deified-he-is-not-godhead-humanized-he-is-god-he/) [Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spurgeon/) > [You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is like an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-must-not-lose-faith-in-humanity-humanity-is-like-an-ocean-if-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 9,796 Humanity quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humanity/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "What I am learning from my experience as someone who grew up as a refugee, who became French, and then became American is that nationalities are something that we use to divide us. We are all one humanity. 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