Hasan Abbas
This interview is with Hasan Abbas, a Pakistani first-generation American who works in accounting. Hasan talks about his interest in culture, from American pop culture to traditional Pakistani culture, and his continuing efforts to participate in and learn about both. He compares his experiences of different places, having lived in New York and Texas and visited Pakistan many times with his family. Hasan also shares how his religious, cultural, and family backgrounds influenced his life path and his values of empathy and respect for others.
Husaina Yusuf
This interview is with Husaina Yusuf, a young Muslim woman who was born in California and raised in Texas. In this interview, she discusses her upbringing in Houston, the cultural dynamics of her religious sect, and her life experiences. Yusuf was raised as a Bohri Muslim, a subsect of Shia Islam. She shares stories of her family dynamic, her community, and observations of Bohri culture. She also discusses her experiences as a woman navigating gender roles in her religion and personal life.
Qusay Hussein
This interview is with Qusay Hussein, an Iraqi former refugee who fled his native country to Jordan after losing his vision after a bomb blast detonation in Baghdad. After working with Doctors Without Borders in Jordan, Hussein moved to Austin, Texas in 2012. Hussein credits groups like Interfaith Action of Central Texas for supporting him through his transition. He now studies at the University of Texas at Austin and hopes to uplift those in need of help as a psychologist and motivational speaker.
Miqdaad Bhuriwala
This interview is with Miqdaad Bhuriwala, a current master's student in urban planning and a member of the Dawoodi Bhora Muslim community. Miqdaad immigrated to America right after 9/11 and speaks to the experience of uprooting his life, losing parts of his cultural heritage, like language, and learning how to fit in as a Pakistani-American. Miqdaad also discusses how living through a global pandemic has allowed him the chance to work on his mental health and focus on his goal of making the world a better place for both humans and our environment.
Sharjeel Syed
This interview is with Sharjeel Syed, a first-generation undocumented Pakistani Muslim-American, who is currently in his first year of residency in Chicago, Illinois. Sharjeel’s experience of growing up in San Antonio, going to the local mosque, and feeling a close kinship with Islam, has shaped who he is today. He speaks to wanting to impart systemic changes in the healthcare system in America while also being involved in advocacy or social justice work.
Neda Hamid
This interview is with Neda Hamid, a Palestinian Muslim and recent Human Development and Family Sciences graduate from the University of Texas at Austin. Neda speaks to Islam being a very important part of their life and the subsequent ramifications of being a highly visible hijab-wearing Muslim. Neda also navigates a shift in their leftist political identity and discusses how being surrounded by progressive-minded people in college was a stark contrast to their high school experience in Baytown, Texas, where they were born and raised. During college, Neda was highly involved with the Liberal Arts Refugee Alliance (LARA) as well as the Palestine Solidarity Committee. Neda would like to tie their life’s work to helping the local refugee community.