Muslim students at Rutgers University in New Jersey (Photo: AP)

When I started the process of applying to undergraduate schools in the United States, I never thought about whether America would be a welcoming place for a young Muslim student. I read articles that talked about the diverse America, the melting pot America, and the land of dreams America.

I had conversations with friends who were already studying at American institutions; they reassured me that there was nothing for me to worry about.

When I received my acceptance letter from the College of St. Scholastica, a Catholic school in a very small town in northern Minnesota, I did not even look up how many Muslims go to the school.

But maybe I should have looked for these answers. Muslims have a lot of differences from Christians. Like Jews, Muslims are not supposed to eat pork, and we can only eat Halal meat. Halal meat is meat slaughtered or prepared in the manner specified by Islamic law. Muslims do not drink alcohol at all. We also pray five times a day between sunrise and late evening, and must be cleaned and showered before each prayer.

If you are studying in the States right now, look around and see if your campus is warm and welcoming to Muslim students. Is there an Islamic center or a mosque? How about even just a small prayer room? Does your cafeteria know that Muslims do not eat pork? How many special dishes for Muslims do they make for every meal? Let me help you by mentioning some food that contains pork: pepperoni pizza, sausage, hot dogs, ham.
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The sharp scent of red spices and curry powder. Heat emanating from the fresh pieces of naan bread. The sound of silverware clattering against each other. And the sight of native, desi food. I suddenly felt that a piece of me that had been empty for months was alive again.

I was in New York, where I had traveled for fall break in search of a taste of home.  I wanted to see all the famous sights of New York City of course, but I was most excited to visit the neighborhood of Jackson Heights. I had been told it was the hub for South Asian food and attire; a treat for all natives who want to seek home away from home.

South Asia is known for its spicy, fiery food and wide variety of dishes. From the day we are born, we adore food. Memories, events and photo albums are incomplete without remembering the food and if anyone ever says they don’t like food – well, they are pariahs from that day on (trust me, I have tried it).

Thus, when I came to America, it was hard for me to adjust to the bland, mild taste of pastas, pizzas and sandwiches. Every now and then, my taste buds started demanding a respite from the constant taste of cheese, tuna, lettuce and carrots, craving the more spicy chicken, beef, curry and green chilies. But until now, I had been unable to fulfill their wishes.

Gyro stand we found in Times Square

Other South Asian students who live in mainstream places like D.C., Chicago or California might think I’m crazy for going all the way to New York just for a taste of spicy curry, but that’s because they probably have places like that near where they live.  George Mason University in Virginia has traditional desi food available in the cafeteria every single day.  Even New Yorkers don’t have to travel to Jackson Heights for food – the streets in Times Square are lined with carts selling chicken gyro (a Greek dish popular among South Asians because of its spices).

However, Mount Holyoke College is in tiny, remote South Hadley, Massachusetts.  There it is impossible to satisfy such food cravings.

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“I realized that whatever I said and whatever I did, I was helping create my classmates’ perception of what an Afghan person is,” wrote Abuzar last week of his experience studying at a U.S. high school.  He worked hard every second to “introduce Afghanistan through the eyes of my generation, a generation tired of the animosity and ignorance that had ruled Afghanistan, endeavoring to make the country a better place.”

He’s not the only one. Muhammad wrote in to say he had a similar experience when he went abroad for the first time, thanks to a scholarship to complete his high school education at the United World College in Costa Rica.

Muhammad Jaweed Ahmadi

I was expecting to face many challenges and new life experiences, but I had no idea how to prepare myself. All I knew was that I needed to attend the college if I wanted to achieve the ideal future life that I have always worked for. I did not want to think about whether or not I was going to be welcomed by the community.

Although the prejudice of the West towards Muslims and my country is not something new, the unexpected discrimination was much worse that I imagined. I found myself shocked when I heard a classmate saying, “When I hear the name Islam, terror, killings, aggressiveness, violence, and unequal rights, come to my mind.”
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Rahela spent her junior and senior years of high school studying in Vermont, and is now starting at an American college. She shared this story about her first year in the U.S., which held more than its fair share of disappointments.

Click for full-sized image

The United States is a multi-cultural country that is famous as a melting pot. This country has many international students who came from different countries around the world. Some international students can’t get close to American students easily, and have a difficult time making American friends.

I was one of those students.

[Read more about the difficulties American and international students have in making friends]

I spent my junior and senior years of high school in the U.S. and had a hard time finding an American friend. I think one of the main reasons was my language. This problem is common in the first year of being international student in a foreign country.

It was hard to share my feelings and experiences with other students. Sometimes I was afraid I would use improper or unrelated words in my conversation that would embarrass me.

I remember one day I went to a doctor for an examination. The doctor said, “Ok! Now you’re here.” I thought that she said, “Ok! Now your hair,” and I immediately took off my head scarf. The doctor looked at me strangely and smiled. She realized that I misunderstood and said “No! No I mean you are in our building, in the hospital now. You are here.” I was a little bit embarrassed, but was pleased that she behaved kindly and tried to understand me.

Language is like an ocean – the learners need to swim in it in order to learn. I really wanted to improve my language by finding an American friend.

My religion was another thing that limited my relationships with students. As a Muslim female, I wear a scarf and have certain beliefs, and this created differences with my classmates. I could not be friendly with males and could not shake their hands.

[More about being Muslim in the U.S.]
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Creative commons photo by Flickr user Chapendra

These are my favorite two posts from last semester.

The first one is a compilation I liked since it breaks the stereotypes and stands up for an ideology that had been falsely attacked.

The second one is a post from Jamie that I found particularly helpful and I think a lot of college students may have done so too.

#1) We are Not Terrorists: Muslim Experiences on Campus, Question of the Week

#2) Guide to Getting Through Final Exams, by Jaime

What were your favorite articles from the past school year?

I went through the posts, and picked the ones I remembered. Here they are, in no particular order (except perhaps chronological):

#1) How to Speak English Fluently?, by Nick

I thought that one was helpful when it comes to learning and getting accustomed to the English language. Plus, I didn’t know Nick could write so well.

#2) Empowered to Create Change: Being an LGBTQ Student, by Jaime

The social and political issue surrounding homosexuality in America – and certainly for student life in America – was well-highlighted, I thought, by this post.

#3) My Work Experience with the Female Politicians of Afghanistan, by Farima

#4) Being Afghan and Muslim at a US High School, by Farima

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I did a similar list at Christmas time, so I won’t repeat any of the posts I listed there. Take a look back at that post from December 2010 to see some previous favorites worth checking out.

Top 5 personal favorites

Farima represents Afghanistan at a school cultural event

#1) We Are Not Terrorists: Muslim Experiences on Campus, Question of the Week

Also:
My Biggest Surprise in the US: Sadia’s Story
Being Afghan and Muslim at a US High School, by Farima

I loved these three posts because of the unique insights and perspectives they offered on being a Muslim in the U.S.  Sadia, Farima, Umer and Beenish (the two people we interviewed for the “We Are Not Terrorists” story) all talked honestly about their experiences – both good and bad.  And I felt like their conclusions were summed up beautifully by this quote, from a Pakistani UGRAD partipant on his first day in the U.S.: “There are only two kinds of people which you will find in every corner of the world, in every society, in every country. That is good and bad. It exists everywhere, and last night I found this true.”

#2) On Cultures and Sub-Cultures in America, by Nareg

We came to know Nareg as our resident sociologist/anthropologist, always interested in the foundations and layers of American culture.  This piece explores a particularly unique part of American culture – the way it enables innumerable subcultures sprung up around everything from particular styles of dress to musical preferences to emotional states.  I enjoyed seeing his take on some subcultures I’ve grown up with, and tussling with him in the editing process over his portrayal of hipsters and nerds.

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Farima represents Afghanistan at a school event

With yesterday’s news of the death of Osama bin Laden, and stories of Americans celebrating in the streets (including on college campuses), it seemed an opportune time to look back at the posts we’ve done on what it’s like to be a Muslim studying in America.

Back in January we talked to a number of students from Pakistan, Afghanistan and other Muslim countries to find out about their experiences.

We heard from Umer Sultan, who came to the U.S. from Pakistan and recently decided to grow a beard in accordance with Islamic law, and from Beenish Akhtar, who decided to start wearing the hijab after 9/11. They’ve both experienced some negative reactions since they changed their appearance, but according to Umer:

It’s more on media. People are nice. In general people are nice, there are just one or two people here or there who might give you trouble.

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I received an email recently from a student in California – Sadia Awan from Pakistan.  Inspired by some of our posts on this blog about arriving in the U.S. and how foreign students are treated in America, she shared her story of going through airport security for the first time.  It was a shock, she says, but a positive one.  Here’s her story:

The day I received my visa to go and study in the U.S. after getting a Fulbright scholarship from the State Department, everybody told me the same thing: security is very strict, and it’s almost humiliating at the airport security checks when American officers deal with people from Pakistan.

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Earlier today we posted about Islamophobia and how Muslims are viewed in America.  But when we asked you what you wanted to know from Muslims students, it turned out you also have some more practical concerns about observing Islam on campus.

Many colleges, even those with smaller Muslim populations have a Muslim student association, which facilitates activities for Muslim students and can help advocate for any special needs Muslim students may have, like dietary and prayer requirements.

Every college campus is different of course. Some have large Muslim populations, some have smaller ones. Some have very active Muslim student associations, some don’t.  There’s no guarantee of exactly what you’ll find at any given school. But you are guaranteed some basic rights, as listed by the Council for American Islamic Relations (CAIR).

So let’s talk about some of the myths surrounding what Muslims students can and cannot do in the U.S. …

Dispelling the myths

Myth: I won’t be allowed to wear hijab or other religious attire

There is no ban on wearing hijab, or any other religious attire, on campus.

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Farima represents Afghanistan at a school event

Last week I shared a message that I received on Facebook:

I hope American people wouldn’t bother it at all for a moeslim girl like me study and live in their neighbourhood

It inspired us to look at stereotypes and how American classmates react to foreign students. Our bloggers said they have had positive experiences, and that Americans who don’t know much about their countries are more likely to be curious than judgmental. But we wanted to look deeper at what it’s like for Muslims students who come to the U.S. Is Islamophobia real, and will you experience it?

We are not terrorists

Our reporter Suzanne Presto spoke this month to a group of students who had just arrived in the U.S. from Pakistan as part of the UGRAD exchange program, and many of them talked about their desire to prove to Americans that Pakistanis and Muslims are not terrorists.

Muhammad Aslam told her he had read in the media about controversy over building a mosque near Ground Zero and the rise of Islamophobia in America. “We have been labeled as terrorists and aggressive people, but we are not like that,” Muhammad said.

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Many of our bloggers have brought up that one of the things they’ve been most pleased to find in America is diversity – people from all over the world and people with all sorts of beliefs and preferences. But Martin Luther King Day yesterday serves as a reminder that America has a difficult history, and ongoing struggles, when it comes to accepting people from different backgrounds.

This week we’ll be looking at prejudice and tolerance on American campuses – what prejudices you might encounter and which ones you’ve heard about that aren’t true at all. What have you heard about how different races, religions and ethnicities are treated in America? Would you be worried about how U.S. students would accept you?

We’ll look in particular at what it’s like to come to America as a Muslim. I recently received the following message from a student on Facebook:

I really want to study abroad, to America of course… Actually, my boss would probably pick Aussie for us as most of them had studied there, but I need to go further than that

But, the “jilbab” that I wear quite worry me, I hope American people wouldn’t bother it at all for a moeslim girl like me study and live in their neighbourhood

I wanted to write back and say, “Of course it wouldn’t be a problem.” But the reality is probably more complicated.

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I was holding up Afghanistan’s flag as the photographers, teachers, and other students watched … I felt love, and respect for all of the other flags, and slowly my tears came down my cheeks.

I came to the U.S. in order to get a great education, and to make my family and my country proud. I thought coming to the U.S. and getting education was the only important thing for me. Even though my education truly was important and still is, I discovered something that now gives a meaning to my life – my passion to build friendship between different cultures, and to raise awareness of diversity in my community.

When I first came to the U.S., I found myself in a place where people were from different countries, cultures, and spoke different languages. It was a change from Afghanistan, where I lived and grew up with people of the same culture and language. I didn’t even know what it would be like to meet a person who speaks in English, so I was nervous about living with an American family and going to an American school.

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We do this thing where he teaches me his prayers in Arabic, and I share with him the prayers I say as a Catholic

The Washington Post reports on Muslim international students who enroll at Catholic colleges, saying that they find familiarity in the focus on religion. The story also looks at the varying extents to which Catholic universities accommodate their Muslim students.