Wajahat Ali was just an ordinary Muslim kid in Husky jeans—but after 9/11, he was called a terrorist. Ali’s new book is a funny, emotional, insightful dive into what happened to America and what we need to do if we want to trust each other again.

Twenty years ago, Muslims replaced communists as America’s public enemy #1. Wajahat Ali, then a student—in love with sports, comic books, and Winona Ryder—suddenly became an “accidental spokesman and ambassador” of all things Muslim. Ali’s Go Back to Where You Came From (out now!) is the story of what happened next and where we are today, offering a deeply personal and human story alongside sharp commentary about the growing danger of Islamophobia and white supremacy we see all around us.

But more than anything, Ali wants to give us hope. We’ve all got to help each other, he says, and his book shows us the power of immigrants and people of color coming together in community. Filled with “brazen wit, rigorous analysis, and searing insight” (Suleika Jaouad, New York Times bestselling author of Between Two Kingdoms), Ali’s inspirational storytelling points the way to a brighter and more inclusive future for his beloved country.