One may think that Ali is a student from another country visiting Karaganda, Kazakhstan. In fact, Ali is a Kazakh who grew up at an orphanage and differs from other Kazakh people with the color of his skin.
This is a story about a man trying to find his place in this life.
Ali is a Kazakh with black blood in his veins.
Ali was born in a one-parent family in Tashkent in 1991. He grew up with his mother until he was 10. His mother was a saleslady and they could hardly make both ends meet. When Ali turned 10, she decided to go back to Kazakhstan, her homeland.
They headed to a village near Karaganda in hope that their relatives who lived there would help them. However, when they saw the color of Ali’s skin, they turned Ali and his mother down.
All Ali knows about his father is that he was from Africa. On the whole, everything connected to his father is a taboo for Ali.
‘To Ali from his mother’
When Ali’s mother learnt that her relatives were not going to help them, the woman decided to send her son to the children’s home. Ali says that he got used to the fact that he is alone and doesn’t want to revive that connection with his mother who sometimes sends letters to him.
However, the boy still cares about his mother and keeps all letters from her in a folder with his documents.
Ali’s ID.
It is very difficult for Ali to be different. It is difficult to live in the orphanage and it gets even more difficult when you’re the only one with black skin there.
Ali keeps asking himself questions, like why he is different, why he doesn’t have a loving family, why he always has to prove to other people that he is Kazakh…
When Ali was a child, he would always lose control hearing “Hey, nigger!” from his classmates and put up a fight. Besides, he could not read until 12 and it made the situation even worse. Only now, when he got older, he learnt how to turn every comment on his skin color into a joke.
In high school, the boy began participating in KVN, a humor show and competition, to realize that his look was his big advantage rather than disadvantage.
Ali was so good playing for ‘Bolashak’ college that the principal offered him to enter the college to stay in the team. Ali agreed and entered the faculty of foreign languages to become an interpreter.
It was in Karaganda, where Ali acquired his first fans and became popular.
Ali realized that to become a successful showman, he has to be witty and well-educated. So now he works hard reading books and studying, trying to perfect himself.
Besides, he joined dancing classes because he understands that being athletic-looking and having good control over his body would be an additional plus for him.
Half a year ago, Ali tried to enter the Academy of Arts in Almaty to study acting technique but he failed. Next year, he’s going to try to do it again.
Heading to Karaganda.
This lady is a fortune-teller. She said that Ali’s life would be connected with acting, warned him to stay away from gilrs and advised him to work harder to score successes. She also added that his father had no idea that he had a son in Kazakhstan.
The boy is always in the center of everyone’s attention.
Ali has a funny joke or story for everyone.
In Karaganda, Ali was welcomed by his KVN teammates.
Jokes, laughter, exitement… that’s how the team rehearses for another KVN game.
Ali says that these people are more than just his friends. They’ve become his family.
This time there was no doubt that Ali and his team would take first place.
And they did win!
Ali could work as an interpreter or a server. However, he doesn’t imagine himself anywhere but on stage and think it to be the only right choice for him. It is only on stage where he feels really alive. In these moments of triumph, he understands that he should work harder and deserves the best!
Ali loves Karaganda, even though sometimes people take him as an ‘alien’. Once he starts telling them a joke, they stop seeing the color of his skin.
When he returned to Almaty, he headed straight to a corporate party because that’s how he makes money.
His unusual look is what makes him special. People like seeing a black guy speaking the Kazakh language perfectly.
Apart from success and fame, Ali dreams of having his own family. He wants to get married and have children. He wants to have people whom he could give his love and warmth to. He will do anything to avoid making the same mistakes that his parents did. He wants his children to know who their father is and be proud of him.
Location: Kazakhstan
via voxpopuli.kz
it sais “His unusual look is what makes him special”.
There is nothing special about his look
The real tragedy in this story is having to say you’re Kazakh. Lame joke aside, pride of any people in any geographical space is misguided.
You must be a Communist.
I think he is a realist
Right, because you both are of the vein that heritage/culture and an established existence of race of said heritage/culture is nothing but a dream and something that is just a mere fancy, right?
What is that American double-standard again, that diversity can only be had when everybody lives together, mixes and becomes as ONE?
Makes sense, Communist.
Vlad, both (r)evolutionist and I live in two different countries, neither of which has a communist govt. Surely you can understand (r)evolutionists concept. You can be proud of your heritage or culture if you think it important. But why would you feel pride in the geographical location of a place. For the most part, where we live is simply a matter of circumstances any way, not our choice.
Actually, I’m envious that you live in a place where a city is named “Darwin.” Doesn’t get much better than that…
You made me laugh till I cried…..and I cannot see the keyboard.
Whatever…we have Hoboken…
The work, effort, blood, sweat, tears and generations of my kin that have lived here before me that have developed, tended, built and ultimately made this place HOME is why one should be proud of a “geographical location”. You don’t have to have a communist government to BE communist in thinking. Anybody that thinks culture/heritage and a “geographical location” to propgate themselves is not important is two things: 1) ignorant of the most basic laws of natural survival of life and 2) a person brainwashed by the illogical fallocies of Marxist Communist — which is entirely a Jewish concept, just like Christianity, Judaism and Islam, which just so happens to be the major driving factors as to why this Earth is in complete self-destruction and is a flaming fireball of mediocry.
Vlad thank you for the reply.
It’s special in Kazakhstan, where there’s only Asians and white people (Russians, etc..). People there have only seen black people in the movies, never in real life. He’s probably the only black person in the whole country, and he speaks Kazakh fluently. That’s extremely rare for Kazakhstan.
Moral of the story: never race mix, or you’ll end up looking like that – black and desheveled, looking like Babayka.
very true ))))
Mixed race people are some of the most beautiful people in the world.
In my opinion he looks pretty ugly, but that’s just my opinion.
Hybrids aren’t prettier than mono race people.
a good looking Mulatta for example, probably will be more of an eye catcher than a as good looking asian or white woman because of her “specialness”.
Its very subtle and depends to the observer.
I have to agree with you on that one e.
I think if we looked hard enough at our individual heritage we would find that not only is each one of us special, individual and different in so many subtle ways, but that we are all so mixed up we actually belong together, as one Human Race.
Now, if only we could remember that more often, just saying x
No, we don’t belong together any more than a lion belongs with a zebra. We can learn to co-exist together and share the earth, which is much more realistic than sharing to share each other’s women, each other’s food and house and land. Contrary to popular belief (or should I say the propaganda shoved down our throats from Hollywood), mix-race peoples are generally not beautiful at all. Not only that, they suffer serious psychological issues, especially when it comes to their personal identity – which, come to find out, is very important to ones personal happiness!
there are not mixed races in world’s provinces. Multi-culture you can find only in top states of the world. Not like Russia or Kazakhstan.
Disagreed with you about Russia. Russia is a multicultural country.
Anyway, I wish all the best to Ali.
I wish him much success! Interesting post.
I read all the comments and I realize that it’s still hardly to consider the people as they acting instead as they looking. How many years we need to reach the spiritual level where we be able to see the soul, not only the body…?
strange only in those russian speakears countries nothing wrong with this guy…that is why those countries belong to the 4 world with africa ..
He looks bizzare lika a sad clown. Maybe somebody should tell him that his place is in Africa not in Kazakhstan
Wow! So if you are black, then you don’t even count as a human to some people here, huh?
Beautiful. Powerful. More power to you baby you got skills.
Raptivism.tumblr.com
I’m biracial and this story seemed kind of sad to me. I’m not sure if I would be as proud as him to be Kazakh after his experiences, which says a lot about his character to see through people’s ignorance and see them as human beings. Compassion I’m sure they do not extend to him. The alienation he’s experienced/experiences must be palpable. Reading this story I am grateful for two thing: that I have the love and support of both sides of my family and that I live in NYC. I wish Ali the best and continual great strength as he achieves his goals and find his happiness.