A story of cultural tension and racism, that became a catalyst for emerging pop artist HATECOPY. For many kids coming from immigrant families, trying to integrate into a new culture can be a lifelong struggle. Maria Qamar has battled racism in school ever since moving to Canada from Pakistan as a young girl. The constant bullying led to issues with self-acceptance, and she became ashamed of her cultural roots. Maria would find an outlet, and channel her frustration by creating art. But even at home, she could never be her true self. Her parents tried to deny her budding passion for art. They didn’t believe she could build a successful career from it, and refused to help pay for her college tuition if she chose to study art. Maria met them halfway, and took creative advertising instead. Entering college, she assumed that everyone would have outgrown racism...until she met her room-mate on campus.