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Mahreen Ansari: To Be a Pakistani-American in White America Mahreen reflects on the complicated nature of intersecting identities.  In her stories, she remembers formative incidents of prejudice, friendship, and learning as she developed her own identity as a Pakistani American.   The smell of curry and other spices waft through my home and cling to my […]

Nooran Alhamdan: I Am My Own Superwoman Nooran describes her struggle to reconcile two identities growing up in a small New Hampshire town.  Her story speaks to the power of confidence, perseverance, and heritage.   I had an innocent childhood. I never saw a difference between the little girl at home who spoke Arabic with her

When her mother fell ill, Farah become increasingly aware of stereotypes and prejudices as her family sought medical care.  Her story describes how this experience brought strength, confidence, and growth.    As a Middle Eastern, Muslim individual growing up in America with parents who didn’t speak English as their first language, my identity has evolved

In my years of life, the number two has been very symbolic. The birth of my twin brother and I, and my varsity number for the past four years, universally involve the number two. Most importantly, there have been exactly two defining experiences that have made me reflect on a unique quality of myself- my

Daniya Ahmed: Muslim OR American? My identity is continually changing as I grow and learn more about myself and who I aspire to be. I have always thought I was stuck between identities, unable to fully commit to one or the other. Being raised by immigrants, I was regularly told to act culturally appropriate when

Beatrice Davis: Not Limited to Any Race But the Human Race In this narrative, Beatrice Davis describes growing up through a myriad of different cultures and how she joined the music industry in an age where women typically didn’t work. She tells the story of how being a citizen of the world shaped her understanding

Neiha Lasharie: Iqra, The Command To Read From the very beginning of Islam, it was our lot, as Muslims, to be hyper-aware of our identity. Just as the Prophet (PBUH) was forced to reconcile the truth shown to him with his heritage as part of the Banu Hashim clan and larger Quraysh tribe, so too

Nazifah Anjum: My Trip to Umrah I define myself as a Muslim and my faith has been a constant reassurance throughout my life. That being said, there were still times I would have doubts about certain rules in Islam, or why some things were the way that they were. However, an experience that changed the

Ali Hijazi: Challenges Through Adversities Growing up in a small city in California, I was always looked at as someone who was obviously different than everyone else. Being Lebanese American, it’s hard to make or even stay with friends with other people, and what hurt me the most is that I try too hard to

Humayra Himel: Endeavors Of All Sorts I am a Muslim, Indian-Bengali immigrant. I was born in a small town in Dinajpur. I am starting my MS in Biomedical Sciences and ultimately want to become a doctor. Growing-up, I saw many villages where people did not have enough food, proper housing, education, or healthcare. One such