I was born and raised in a very homogeneous country, and coming to the US opened my eyes to diversity tremendously. I am from a place where 85% of the population is Muslim and as a woman, I had to dress certain ways. However, I experienced a major culture shock when I saw how American women dressed openly with varied styles. For the first few months, I wasn’t really compatible with the social standards and meeting people who had completely different religious and national backgrounds than mine. It also made me very aware of how much my religion had influenced my own culture: expressions, attires, customs, and routines. In order to live here, I had to adjust my lifestyle to fit the American norms. However, as time progressed, I was able to blend myself and religion into this new way of life. The object in the picture is a picture frame of the 99 names of our God (Allah), which we brought with us from home.  

– LN

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