Adel Almasry, who I’ve given a synonym for the purposes of this submission, is an undocumented immigrant from Egypt. Arriving here when he was six, Adel has grown up with American culture nearly all his life. It’s because of this that he describes himself as ‘feeling American’. However, for his object, he chooses to focus on a family memento from Egypt: a framed piece of Islamic calligraphy that depicts the different names of Allah, along with the name of Prophet Muhammad (S). Adel describes the importance of this object, which represents the faith that guides him in his daily life, and reminds him of the motherland he hails from. Adel discusses the conflicts between his American home and his Egyptian homeland. He feels he contributes to his community, but recognizes the clear animosities there exist for people like him. Muslim, Arab, and undocumented identities are, in his words, often judged by people who don’t have a full understanding of these experiences. Adel also reflects on how these judgements massively shape local and national politics, which can have severe and direct consequences for him and his family. Recently, however, he feels that things are looking up locally. Adel describes the experience of watching Zohran Mamdani, a Muslim Astorian local, rise to prominence in the New York mayoral election. To him, Mamdani is an icon of immigrant stories, giving him hope for more American acceptance of what immigrants like Adel have to offer. 

– Ismaeel El-Shafei

Relationship:  Im/migrant who arrived as a child Im/migrant who arrived as a child