Last fall, at the Whitney Museum's 'American Century' exhibit, two of Shazia Sikander's (cq) artworks were on prominent display across from a Jeff Koonz piece. Omer Rahim (cq), 25, became the youngest principal dancer for Susan Marshall & Company, a postmodern dance troupe in New York. Mohsin Hamid (cq), 29, has become and still currently is a consultant at McKinsey and Company, and has also recently published his first novel Moth Smoke.

"When people would tell me that I was a 'Pakistani-American,' I would think they were being ridiculous. But I'm starting to realize that they're not far from the truth," says Hamid.

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Like many young Pakistanis living abroad,
they continue to try to bridge the gap between
their host country and their motherland.

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What Sikander, Rahim, and Hamid have in common is that they are all young, creative,…and Pakistani. Like many young Pakistanis living abroad, they continue to try to bridge the gap between their host country and their motherland. While they all hope to return to Pakistan at some point, they would also like to continue to be a part of the arts and culture here in America.

"A lot of young Pakistanis are interested in creating dialogue between the East and the West," Sikander said.

After studying and teaching in Pakistan, Sikander moved to America to continue her education and assimilated herself into American art culture. Her work is based upon Mughal miniatures, a style of painting that was developed in the 15th and 16th centuries in the Indian subcontinent.

At the moment, Sikander is working with other artists on a mural for Times Square which will involve combining a traditional art form with a contemporary theme. She has also been nominated to work with public schools in Queens, and she feels that this will allow her to get closer to the community-something she would like to bring into her art.

"I try to bring my own interpretations of Pakistan into my work," said Rahim. After deciding that he had exhausted his possibilities with the Company, he left to pursue other interests, notably business. Rahim is now working for the Roman Group, an advertising agency in Manhattan.

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