Nicole Draffen offers their groundbreaking, thrilling memoir, Hyphened-Nation: Don’t Check the Box. This is a story that is full of personal, relatable experiences but takes the reader beyond the individual story, exploring identity in the context of America and how many people live “hyphenated” lives.
The book is focused on the idea of hyphenation, how Americans are divided by ethnicity first, and how it affects their experiences of citizenship. It is based on the author’s own lived reality. However, it tries to take it all a step beyond and offer a broader perspective on America’s recent and not-so-recent history.
Nicole Draffen is an author characterized by their unique sense of curiosity and passion for learning. They are always trying to understand the inner workings of everything they encounter. They have traveled the world to get to know as many cultures as possible. This is a central source of inspiration for them, those new cultures, and their book shines through with the sense of the social and cultural consciousness that they have worked hard to cultivate. Hyphened-Nation explores themes of cultures, drawing on these experiences.
In addition to their fascination with social and cultural topics, Nicole Draffen enjoys gardening, Feng Shui, collecting old paintings, jazz festivals, and antiques. They also love running, and this has shaped their attitude towards life, wherein being positive and determined will help anyone achieve their dreams. Thanks to the author’s travels, Hyphened-Nation is a book enriched by exposure to new cultures and seeing the world through a different lens, as well as being able to look back on American culture with some perspective. It also allowed Nicole Draffen to see how things changed when they was treated as an American and not as a hyphenated American. The insights the author came up with helped them realize that the United States of America was one of the only countries to use hyphens to divide citizens by ethnicity before nationality and ponder how this could limit the growth of American culture. Here, Draffen discusses how the United States is different from other lands and how hyphenation becomes something that separates people from each other.
The book is available as a Kindle edition and recommended as an ebook, but also comes in other formats.
We had the pleasure of interviewing Nicole Draffen. Here are the excerpts from the interview.
Hi Nicole, Great to have you with us today! Please share with our readers about yourself.
Hello, I’m the author of the groundbreaking memoir, Hyphened-Nation: Don’t Check the Box. My book explores the hyphenation of American citizens by ethnicity before nationality and provides a fresh perspective on America’s hyphenated history.
Please tell us about your book, Hyphened-Nation.
Hyphened-Nation is a thought-provoking non-fiction work that delves into the socially accepted yet shocking norms that millions of American people of color are subjected to their entire lives. It challenges readers to rethink the way they view and discuss identity, especially when it comes to race and ethnicity.
Please share with our readers about your journey.
My journey as a writer began when I realized that there was a significant gap in the conversation around identity and race in America. I wanted to create a work that would explore this topic and offer readers a new perspective. It was a long and challenging journey, but the recognition and reception that Hyphened-Nation has received have made it all worth it.
What are the strategies that helped you become successful in your journey?
One of the strategies that helped me become successful in my journey was being persistent and dedicated to my vision. I also made sure to connect with like-minded individuals who could offer me guidance and support along the way. Additionally, I made use of social media and various platforms to promote my work and connect with readers.
Any message for our readers?
We need to be more aware of how we talk about and perceive race and ethnicity. The hyphenation of American citizens by ethnicity before nationality has been normalized for too long, and it’s time for us to challenge this norm and work towards a more inclusive and accepting society.
Fantastic! So tell us, how can people find out more about you?
You can find out more about Hyphened-Nation and me on my Instagram page, @hyphenednation, as well as on my website and other social media platforms.
Thank you so much, Nicole, for giving us your precious time! We wish you all the best for your journey ahead!