What is the author's perspective in the memoir, We Have Always Been Here?

We Have Always Been Here is written entirely from the perspective of the author, main character, and narrator, Samra Habib. Samra writes about her childhood and her family from the perspective of someone who has distanced herself from them and is able to analyze her past and her loved ones with a mix of both personal investment and objectivity. As a feminist and a queer Muslim, Samra's perspective is shaped by that intersectional identity in addition to her other life experiences and her education. However, early in life, her perspective is shaped by her parents and her cultural upbringing. Initially, she does not see alternative life paths beyond following in the footsteps of the other women in her family who become wives and mothers. As Samra gets older and begins to be introduced to feminist ideas and values, her perspective on what is possible for her in her life begins to change. Furthermore, her introduction to the queer community offers a myriad of new perspectives on the world as well as alternative options for how she can live her life as her most authentic self. Samra's perspective is likely also informed by her extensive reading, the friends and mentors she meets, and the perspectives of other members of the queer Muslim community with whom she connects.

Samra's perspective on the world would likely be classified as liberal and left-wing. She values and encourages an intersectional perspective that challenges stereotypes and presents a more nuanced and complex understanding of the world and the people in it. She is able to apply critical thinking to her own life experiences, analyzing why her parents made certain choices and recognizing how our perspectives are all shaped by our upbringings, the tools we have at our disposal, and our relative privilege or lack thereof.