As a builder, a fixer, and a challenger, I love tearing things apart to understand them, and then try to prove or disprove their merit. This allows me to move through life with an air of certainty about what I know, and also what I do not know. So naturally when I lived abroad, the social and cultural consciousness of the people I met, and the things I observed inspired my natural inclination to understand and study the value of cultural norms. The more I traveled overseas, the more I grew to understand certain aspects of the American perception of culture. My journeys inspired me to write a book. ‘Hyphened-Nation’ by Nicole Draffen focuses on ways the U.S. and Europe differ culturally via media and how a bridge might be created. (Nicole Draffen, 2022)

‘Hyphened-Nation: Don’t Check the Box’ is an honoree of three prestigious Literary Awards, The Independent Authors Network (IAN) Book of the Year Award, the indieBRAG B.R.A.G. Medallion, and The Wishing Shelf Book Awards. The author’s travels overseas and time spent living in the United Kingdom inspired ‘Hyphened-Nation.’ Living abroad was an eye-opening experience; she grew to understand certain aspects of American culture better the longer she lived overseas. This book is about her insights, and experience of being treated as an American, rather than a hyphenated one. The difference was startling and lead her on a journey to understand why The United States is one of the only, if not the only country, that hyphenates its citizens by ethnicity before nationality. It is a journey of discovery in understanding that those same boxes we allow ourselves to be placed into as hyphenated-Americans, limit economic, educational, societal, and cultural growth. Her story focuses on ways the United States and our global community differ culturally, and steps citizens can take to create a non-hyphenated coalitional nation.

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PP