The object I chose is a masbaha (praying beads) that has belonged to my mother for about 30 years. I use a masbaha to pray and use it during days I celebrate important events such as Ramadan and Eid. I first learned about it when my mom introduced it to me during the first day I ever fasted in Ramadan. I regularly see it every day since my mom uses it every night before she heads to sleep or whenever she's free. A masbaha is very important to me because it holds a lot of impact and meaning to the religion I practice, Islam. To be honest, when I first started using a masbaha, I just wanted to do it because I would constantly see my mom. My mom doing it made me want to do it. When me and my family first migrated to America from Yemen in 2016, we moved to Bensonhurst, where there were barely any Muslims at the time. Ten years later, now living in the same area, there are many more Muslims, specifically Yemenis filled the area making it feel more welcoming. Although this is the case in Bensonhurst, many people across the United States were Islamphobic towards many Muslims. To add on “We the People”, I believe that discrimination should be firmly prohibited against any person of race, gender, color, and religion in New York and across the US. 

– malak

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