The Super Powers of
New Americans
“Being cautious is my super power”
Wilman
Age 14, Immigrated to USA from The Dominican Republic 2022
Wilman surprised us with his super power of “being cautious”—we were very curious to know more. He masterfully combined two of the poetic devices we gave him—metaphor & repetition—and came up with a dense and delightfully imaginative romp into all the myriad ways that his super power can manifest in order to make sure he’s super powerfully prepared for whatever life throws his way.
After he wrote the poem he said: At first I felt so stressed about it because I have never wrote a poem…but later on it made me feel good about myself and who I am.
“My super power is my love of music. It’s the antibiotic for sadness, a disease of the moment”
Valentina
Age 15, Immigrated to USA from Haiti, 2023
Valentina came to this country just days before the project began. Her poem knocked us out with its emotional power and clarity. Her metaphor of music as an antibiotic to sadness speaks volumes. She said she was “very proud of my poem it was a pleasure to write it and I discovered a part of me I didn’t know about myself.”
Valentina told us that she loved how she got to know her classmates during the portrait sessions, and she became an amazing assistant for the shoots. One of the highlights of these sessions was when she began speaking French with Abdel, who also speaks 4 languages and comes from Algeria. Even though they’re classmates, it was the first time they had a conversation together. In English they explained to all of us the differences in the French dialects. They both know Spanish, but Valentina is fluent in Haitian Creole and Abdel speaks Arabic.
“My super power is helping myself by myself, like twins together in perfect harmony”
Haneen
Age 14, Immigrated to the USA from Egypt, 2022
From the start, Haneen took The Super Power of Me very seriously, quickly uncovering an interesting super power—the ability “to help myself by myself.” Arriving from half way around the world, and needing to adapt to a profoundly different culture requires all kinds of super powers. But to learn that you can be your own best friend and guide through this process is pretty remarkable.
For her portrait shoot, Haneen chose a dress from her culture, and posed with herself in a mirror, perfectly embodying where she came from and who she is becoming now. She was one of five students who wanted to introduce the project at our exhibit. When she explained to the audience that “I recommend this project for anyone who wants to discover his personality, who wants to discover themself, and see themself from their eyes not from anyone else’s eyes,” we felt deeply moved.
