My object is called a hijab.  It is important to me because it is an integral part of our religion.  When my grandparents moved to the United States they had very little to build off of, but they were able to rely on their religion.  Through strength of faith and lots of hard work, they were able to establish themselves here in Southern California and help their siblings find their way across the Atlantic.  I am a Muslim living in a post-9/11 world and it isn’t the easiest time to practice my religion.  Islam means peace and our religion, when practiced according to the Quran, is characteristic of humility and kindness.  The hijab is not necessarily just a garment.  It should be a connotation of humility and self-respect; humility in that the hijab is supposed to encourage modesty in the way a woman carries herself and self-respect in that women will be identified as Muslim once they don the hijab and they should wear the title proudly. The hijab is meant to draw attention to a woman’s intelligence and personality, to avoid any kind of objectification, and to promote a kind of global unity when women from different cultures see other sisters wearing the hijab.  The idea that this concept was so instrumental in my grandmother’s life and that it promotes so many positive things when it comes to women makes it very important to me.   

– Laila

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