Being A Child Of An Immigrant

People started coming to the United States of America to survive, obtain other opportunities, and provide a better life for their families. Decades ago, this process of immigration was much easier. Since Donald Trump has come into the office, it has been harder for natives of other countries to obtain freedom within the United States. Without this freedom, these individuals can no longer maintain employment or afford necessary education. Their likelihood of passing on a better life for future generations slowly starts to diminish. I know this because of my experience as being an immigrant that currently resides in the United States today.

Nineteen years ago, I was born in Syria with an open heart. At that time, my family could not afford a specialist physician. I needed a cardiologist. A cardiologist in Syria cost at least $10,000 at the time, which is actually worth more than it is now. My father went to the Embassy of Syria to find a different location with a more affordable surgery. My family sent tons of requests to different countries, but we kept receiving rejections. The last attempt to receive help was in contacting the United States. We were approved. It was a “take it or leave it” kind of situation. My family – including my mother, father, 2 older brothers, and I – went with what we were given and chose the United States of America. We originally settled in Salt Lake City, Utah. While residing there, I received the heart surgery necessary for my survival. Until this day, I carry the scar. Although this decision to migrate to the West benefited my health, my family struggled with the transition. Since my parents were able to make sacrifices for me, I will always be grateful. They had to fight to save their child’s life.

My family came without any belongings to the United States. Other immigrants before and after us have endured this same struggle. Immigrants, like us, had to start a new life with nothing but the shirt on their backs. From this point onward, they try to do the best they can to survive and give their children a life they never had. Schools are the best opportunity for their children to learn English. These children have full-time jobs when they move to the United States. They become translators for their parents. Children provide their parents with the help they need whenever they need it. Language is a mandatory thing, especially, when traveling to a foreign land with different cultures, customs, and laws.

I went to a charter school all of my life. Part of being a student at a charter school meant we had to wear uniforms as our attire. Then, one particular day in seventh grade, I came back to school from winter break wearing a hijab. I have beautiful, long, thick hair that I used to show for all the world to see, but I had finally decided to always wear a hijab when I am out in public. Nobody in my school recognized me, even though my classmates were all Arab-Americans. I could hardly see a difference in how I looked when wearing a scarf. I enjoyed wearing the hijab even. I never had issues, especially, since we were currently residing in the state of Michigan, where a majority of Middle Eastern immigrants have decided to reside within the United States.

As a Muslim woman, I have had to deal with the prevailing stigma and oppression towards Muslims. Being a Muslim woman in the United States, I have had to consider the stigma and possible oppression when deciding to represent Islam by wearing a scarf. In fact, I had to make this big decision at an age when I should have only been deciding which friend to sit with at lunch. If I decided to wear a hijab for the rest of my life, it meant that I was willing to encounter negative bias, prejudice, and discrimination at future workplaces. Muslim immigrant women face multiple disadvantages based on their various intersecting identities. Even though my identity involves interdependent social categories, I am known as “the American” when visiting family overseas. I might be allowed to call myself American, but my origin will always come back to one culture. That culture makes me both an Arab and a Muslim.

Back then, I felt like people were scared of women who wore the headscarves because they represented Islam. Islam was also associated with the events of September 11, 2001. After that day, I felt like everyone was afraid of me. I also felt afraid for myself. I grew afraid of my future. Many women who wear the hijab fear failure reaching their desired career because of their physical attire. My desired career is teaching. Since Arabic is my first language and English is my second, I wanted a career that allowed me the opportunity to teach children who have also had to be translators for their parents. This is why I have decided to major in English and minor in ESL (English as a Second Language). I struggled and my parents struggled, which made me want to help others avoid a similar struggle. In fact, I helped aid high school students last year, who have also come from overseas and started from scratch when learning the English language. ESL is actually so important to our current society that it has become a requirement for teachers in the United States.

As of 2019, I identify as an Arab-American woman who actually has more advantages than disadvantages. I have the ability to obtain my desired career. I also have the ability to identify as more than one culture. I identity myself as a woman, Arab-American, and Muslim who wears the hijab. I also identify myself as an individual with even more opportunities than I would have had with a different identity. In today’s society, employers actually prefer bilingual employees. I have this advantage because of my intersecting gender, ethnicity, and religion.