ABOUT YASIR ALANI

I was born in Baghdad and spent my childhood as a refugee in Syria. I later returned to Iraq, worked as a linguist alongside U.S. forces, moved to the United States and served in the U.S. Army.

Today, I write, act, make music and share honest conversations with people across cultures. None of it followed a straight plan, but every chapter still shapes how I see people and what I create.

A life across cultures.

ROOTS & DISPLACEMENT

I learned early that home can change before you are old enough to understand why. Living as a refugee changed the way I see belonging, identity and the things people carry quietly.

It also taught me not to judge people too quickly. There is always more behind the person standing in front of you. That has stayed with me in the way I listen, write and relate to others.

Where the story began.

SERVICE & RESPONSBILITY

When I returned to Iraq, I worked as a linguist alongside U.S. forces. The work demanded attention, judgment and calm under pressure. Listening closely and understanding the situation often mattered as much as the words themselves.

After moving to the United States, I served in the U.S. Army. That chapter strengthened my discipline and taught me what it means to be someone others can rely on. Those lessons still shape the way I carry responsibility today.

What service taught me.

REINVENTION THROUGH CREATIVITY

After years of duty and survival, creativity asked something different of me: to be seen.

I trained in Acting for Film at the New York Film Academy, published my poetry collection, The Way Home, and released my first Spanish-language song, Cuando Dices Habibi. I also began sharing poetry, culture and real conversations online.

What began as a way to express myself became a way to connect with people. Whether it becomes a poem, a song, a performance or a conversation, I want it to be honest, make people think and bring different worlds into the same conversation.

Creating to connect.

ACROSS CULTURES

Iraq gave me my roots. America gave me a second beginning. Latin America became an unexpected part of my life.

Learning Spanish and spending time in Colombia showed me that people can feel familiar even when their stories begin far apart. That connection now shapes my music and the community around me.

Between worlds.

WHAT MATTERS MOST

My faith, my word and the way I treat people matter more to me than any title.

I am ambitious, but I do not want success at the cost of character, family or peace. I am trying to build a life that is meaningful, stable and present, not one that only looks impressive from the outside.

The man behind the work.

WHAT COMES NEXT

I came from a life where many dreams felt out of reach. I am still building mine, one step at a time.

I want this journey to connect with people and remind anyone who started with little, or who feels forgotten, that where you begin does not have to determine where you end. There is still so much to create, learn and to become.