I returned to Ahmed Ibrahim, a young Egyptian student at Hunter, to talk about the intersection between faith and politics. We began with an object of his faith. A framed work of calligraphic art–Ayat al Kursi–a verse from the Quran that details the might of God, that Muslims recite in times of hardship and stress. To Ahmed, it’s a symbol of protection, comfort, faith, and family, especially while they manage the difficulties of immigrant life in the city.

Ahmed sees the American Dream as unique to every person. For him, the American Dream is just about personal success, but he admits that, even within his own family, success means different things to different people. Ahmed also makes a distinction on the American Dream based on location, saying there’s a difference between the national American Dream, and the American Dream in New York. Ahmed argues that New York makes the American Dream more accessible, that through public transportation that everyone has access to, social class is, in a way, removed from public life. Because of this, everyone has equal opportunity to succeed in the city, and many do. Ahmed admits however that outside of New York may be a different experience.

Ahmed expands on his firm stance on his American identity through his politics. Living here all his life, Ahmed says that he and Arabs like him are Americans like everyone else, and he sees the example put forth by politicians like Zohran Mamdani and Abdul El-Sayed as representative of that movement. 

– Ismaeel El-Shafei

Relationship:  Child of im/migrant Child of im/migrant