Even if you are from the same neighborhood as someone else, you might still be coming from different places. Where you are from is a complicated question and it elicits complicated, but interesting and thought-provoking responses. We’ve shared some of those responses below.

Randy Aaron | Yoga Instructor & Broadway Actor

I was born in New Orleans, LA., but grew up in Decatur, GA. I was raised by a strong, compassionate, patient black woman who didn’t take shit from anyone. I am the man I am today because of my mother. My mother single handily raised three kids. I have an older brother and a younger sister. That puts me in the middle. And she never asked anyone for anything. Read more>>

Draei Bitsc | Singer Songwriter/Proff. Social Worker

I come from a city in the western side of Uganda called Fort Portal (the only beautiful city in Uganda and the only tourism city in the country). I was born in Kampala the capital city of Uganda but we came to Fort Portal to settle with our grandmother in 1999. Growing with my grandmother allowed me to learn how to be transparent, building trust in people and learning my mother language. Read more>>

Kitty Nguyen | Designer and Founder

My background frames who I am today. A culmination of life lessons. I was born in Vietnam and raised in France. My family later immigrated to the United States as refugees after returning to Vietnam for a brief period. Integrating different cultures provided me with a broad perspective and context from an early age. Learning a new language and pressing to assimilate as a teenager in the US added another chapter. I believe these experiences have made me a keen and empathetic observer of people. I often joke that I approach fashion as an anthropologist. Read more>>