24 year old Karim first came to the United States after getting into Berea College in Kentucky, one of the only tuition-free undergraduate programs in America. He described arriving in rural Kentucky as disorienting. "I was the only Moroccan kid in the middle of nowhere, and everyone else was super white.” There were very few Muslims, virtually no Arabs, and no one who shared the language, food, or life he had grown up with. He said one of the first things he bought for his new dorm was an overpriced multi language dictionary from the campus bookstore, which proved to be less helpful than the internet. After graduating, Karim moved to New York for work. He found an apartment in Astoria and within weeks he had found a mosque, frequented cafes where people spoke Arabic, and met neighbors who took care of him like their own family. "In Berea I was the only Muslim people knew," he told me. "In Astoria, I was just another Arab guy on Steinway."

Although Karim’s time in America has not been without struggle, he cites going to college in Berea as the best decision of his life. Now the dictionary sits untouched in his coffee table, while a different uncertainty occupies his life. Ongoing work visa issues have left him unsure where he will be a year from now. Though he admits he’s never been able to get much use out of the book, he keeps it close by. It reminds him of every stage of his life and every version of himself, and that he was able to overcome struggles over and over again. 

– Ariba Hassan

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