PATHWAYS May 2016
Hijabs Worldwide
Coming to America
A System of Change
The Journeys of Refugees The Stories of Immigrants
Table of Contents Letter from the Editor About the Authors Pathway to Success
One family’s journey 7,133 miles across the world
Make Your Way to the U.S.A
Put yourself into one of the many paths of immigration to America
A Broken System
The story of a system that needs to change
Immigration Illustrated Basic facts about U.S. immigration. The Ongoing Battle The results of the Syrian refugee crisis Immigration by the Numbers
The number of sylum-seekers and migrants entering Europe in 2015
Refugees and Renewal
Pathways to acclimation by refugees
Where Our Refugees Live A map of where refugees in each state are originally from Refugees by the Numbers
The facts on refugees and asylees in America
Different countries, different styles
American Mipster The newest fashion style for Muslims Hijab Styles Across the Globe
2 | Pathways
04 05 06 10 12 16 18 22 24 28 29 30 34
Pathways | 3
Letter From The Editor Dear Readers, Hi there. I’m Emily, the Editor-in-Chief of Pathways Magazine. When I shrugged and said “I guess I’ll be the editor,” that second week of the semester, I didn’t really understand what it meant. Sure, I’d get to write this letter, and of course, I’d get to make small decisions, but I did not realize the mass of my responsibilities. As far as being a leader for my group as well as the comic relief, it’s been one heck of a ride. Our group consists of five girls who are fascinated with the world. While this magazine is what unites us, we all come from different and diverse backgrounds. From across the world to just across Austin, it has been so fun learning about each other this semester. This issue of the magazine contains stories about topics such as religion, immigration, and while we might not look informed, we definitely are. We are so excited to release this issue of the magazine and hope you enjoy reading!
Sincerely,
Emily Kolodney
author and editor-in-chief
4 | Pathways
Meet the
Contributors नमस्ते मेरा नाम अनिका है (Hi my name is Anika!) Anika Singh was born in Agra, India and raised in Austin, Texas. Being an immigrant herself, she likes to educate people on the different aspects of immigration and being an immigrant. Singh enjoys speaking Hindi with her family, playing violin and would like to pursue a career in science.
Ihay ymay amenay isyay Ellisyay (Hi my name is Ellis!)
Ellis Prater-Burgess was born and raised in Austin, Texas. Growing up in the capitol city of Texas, Prater-Burgess enjoys following politics. She especially enjoys how immigration relates to politics. Prater-Burgess is of Norwegian, Scottish, and Irish descent, and enjoys learning “hidden languages” such as Pig Latin. She hopes to go into politics as a career.
(Hi my name is Mallory!) Mallory Conely was born in Amarillo, Texas and raised in Austin, Texas. Conely grew up in a multiracial family, her mother is of Scottish descent and her father is African American. Conely enjoys learning languages, culture, and following politics. She enjoys speaking French and Arabic with her friends and would like to pursue a career in international relations.
Ciao Il mio nome è Chiara (Hi my name is Chiara!) Chiara Torrini, born and raised in Austin, Texas, is the daughter of an Italian immigrant. Torrini enjoys learning and writing about immigration because much of her family is in Italy. In her free time she enjoys learning Japanese, speaking Italian with her family, and fine arts.
(Hi my name is Emily!)
Emily Kolodney was born in Kfar Saba, Israel to a South AfricanIsraeli Mother and a PolishIsraeli Father, and immigrated to America at the age of two. Kolodney was raised in Austin, Texas and currently attends the Liberal Arts and Science Academy where she is a staff writer for the LBJ Liberator. Kolodney speaks fluent Hebrew, enjoys politics and social media, and hopes to be an ER surgeon one day.
Pathways | 5
6 | Pathways
Pathway to Success One family’s journey 7,133 miles across the world
By Emily Kolodney
A
s they walked into the Delco Convention Center in Austin, Texas, they were overwhelmed with the colors of the world. Flags were flying, cameras were clicking, unidentifiable languages were spoken with ease. The walls were covered with directions on how to get to their seats. As they sat, they observed the masses of people in the room. Although everyone was different, they were all united as one group for a singular reason. To become a citizen of the United States. Before they decided to immigrate to the U.S., my parents, Uri Kolodney and Susan Slomowitz, lived in six countries combined. After deciding to immigrate in 2002, they were unaware of how long their stay would be, but they would eventually land up in the situation above, near to becoming permanent citizens of the U.S. They spent a long 13 years going through the many different stages of naturalization, citizenship, and passport holding, but today they are full citizens.
An airplane flies high above the ocean, making its way to the final destination.
The story starts with Susan Slomowitz, my mother, who was born in Dartford, Kent, England. She moved to Zambia when she was 3 years old with her parents and younger sister. She then moved to Tel Aviv, Israel when she was 12 years old with the addition of two new younger sisters. She lived there until it was time for her to attend university at Witwatersrand University of Johannesburg in South Africa. The other side of this journey comes from my father, Uri Kolodney. He lived in Israel his whole life, taking small trips around the world, but never fully lived in another place. After my parents met, married, and I was born, my father wanted to return to his studies, but this time in America. “I wanted to change my professional career and study in the US,” says Kolodney. “Also, after living for 40 years in Israel, I felt that I needed a change due to the political, social, and economic climate in Israel in the late 1990’s.”.
Many immigrants see America as the ‘land of gold’. My father was extremely motivated to come to the United States in the sense that he was ready for a change in his surroundings. Israel’s politics were getting complicated and he was determined to make the move. “[We came to America] because I always liked the American way of life, socially and culturally, and I thought it would be easy for me to assimilate and feel comfortable in this kind of immigrant society,” says Kolodney. “Also, there was the question of language, as I mentioned above; my wife is British and I’m fluent in English, so I assumed this would not be a barrier.”. In contrast to my father, my mother was not as ready as he to move here. Having moved around a lot as a child, she may have been used to it, but she always thought of Israel as her home. “Immigrating to USA as a parent of a young child was more difficult,” says Slomowitz. “I had always thought of the Pathways | 7
The famous University of Texas at Austin clock tower, set in the middle of the campus. It chimes the number of the hour every hour.
USA as a temporary arrangement and that one day I would return to my home country, Israel.”. Picking up completely from one place and moving to another just to resume normal business is not as simple as it sounds. The immigration process, often difficult and logistical, and although it was not meant to be that way, is most often very long. My family was sponsored through the University of Texas at Austin because my father was coming to study there, so we traveled on a student visa. “...[S]o I had to prepare all kinds of paperwork for UT and for the immigration office, formerly known as “INS” – “Immigration and Naturalization Service”,” says Kolodney. “Now it’s called USCIS – “U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.”.”. The plans to travel continued on building up, with more things to do before they could actually do them. This particular part of the immigration process included interviews and proofing, 8 | Pathways
making sure that things would be set up in America when we arrived. This involved meeting with American ambassadors and UT representatives. “We had to interview at the American embassy in Tel Aviv in order to get our visas and before we could travel,” says Kolodney. “We had to prove that I was accepted to UT, and also show that we have enough money to support ourselves in the US. Once we got the approval and the visa, I had to close my business in Tel Aviv, sell all of our belongings, and get tickets to Austin.”. Picking up everything from one place and moving is very difficult. Some of the problems my parents ran into when it came to that were housing and finding a job. Neither of my parents could work legally yet, as they had just arrived, so they had to make do with what they had from Israel. “We sold his apartment in Tel Aviv so that we could finance for his schooling and living (as we could not work legally),”
says Slomowitz. “Once the apartment was sold we sold/gave away the majority of our household belongings and packed up and traveled to Northern Italy for 10 days prior to arriving in Austin, Texas.”. Although many people take the route of immigrating to America, not as many usually move to Austin, especially in the times my parents did. Most foreigners dream of moving to New York City or Los Angeles, but my father made a decision that the university he went to would determine where we could live. When he applied for school to get a Master’s degree in Information Science, he applied to three schools and got accepted to all of them. The three options were Syracuse University, NY, Rutgers University, NJ, and UT at Austin. “The first two locations were too cold as far as weather, and too expensive. Austin was a perfect match, both in its warm climate and financially,” says Kolodney. “I liked the idea of “going to Texas” as it was all new to me, and we
heard many good things about Austin.”. Paperwork can be one of the easiest parts of immigration, but it can also be one of the hardest. Many immigrants choose to get assistance and advice from a lawyer or legal official so that they make sure everything is right. My parents received legal help from two sources to assure that no problems would occur. “We worked with both a lawyer for advice and legal assistance from the international office at the university,” says Slomowitz. The immigration process is long and difficult and has multiple different stages. Although my parents started out with no knowledge of this, extensive research lead them to finding that the process is not what it looks like on the surface. They found that the intricate difficulties with citizenship are often not well known. An immigration attorney based in Austin, Texas, Martin Hale, helped them with this. “I think it’s important to understand you can’t simply go from being a foreigner in the United States to being a citizen,” says Hale. “There’s several different pathways to citizenship, but what they have in common is first you become what’s called a “non-immigrant” in the United States and then when you naturalize you are a full immigrant, you’ve actually come to the country and become a citizen.” Not many people need a lawyer to help them, but since my parents got legal help from the university, Mr. Hale worked more of a background job. He gave advice on what to do next in the process and
supported my family’s case on the side of his regular work. “My relationship with your parents was really more just kind of like in the background, giving a little bit of advice here and there,” says Hale. “It was really the attorneys at UT that were able to progress your family’s case”. The time frame for citizenship can vary between about six to 28 years. My parents were somewhere in between. Although they were simply going from Israel to America, my father was sponsored by UT, so the time to get citizenship was pretty medium.
“You have to know the basic history and government of the United States.” -Hale “The most quick way to become a permanent resident is marriage to a U.S. citizen,” says Hale. “Or, possibly, asylum seeker. The longest journey is usually for employees who are sponsored by U.S. companies. Once you become a permanent resident there are some built-in delays before you can become a citizen. Then, even once you reach that threshold waiting period, you have to go through the administrative waiting process of filing an application, getting it reviewed, getting your fingerprints taken, they do a criminal background check. Then, if all that goes well, they schedule a ceremony where you complete an oath of allegiance to the
Constitution.” Every step of immigration and citizenship has reason, but some people must take more steps than others. My parents managed to evade some of the more time-consuming steps because they already spoke English well and learned American history in school. “I didn’t even mention most people, but not all, but most people have to take an English language test and a basic history civics test,” says Hale. “You have to know the basic history and government of the United States”. The immigration process is different in each case. My family’s case highlights one of the common procedures taken in regards to immigration from a foreign country. At first it was not difficult, but when the background checks and legal paperwork begin, it becomes more labor intensive than ever imagined. After the whole process, we finish at the end of January 2016. My parents, after completing the citizenship process, were invited to the Delco Convention Center in Austin to participate in a citizenship ceremony. After living in America for 13 years, my parents decided to become citizens. “I lived here with a work visa and later a green card for 13 years, and it was important for me to get naturalized and become a citizen, so I could vote and take part, even a small one, in shaping the American politics,” says Kolodney. “I also wanted my daughter to be a citizen, and I could not have done that without me being a citizen first.”. My family would not have been where they are today without the process of citizenship. I would not have all the opportunities I have if not for the lawyers at UT and Martin Hale. Although when they arrived they were uncertain, my parents are now happy to be here and are looking to the future.
Martin Hale in his office in Austin, Texas. He regularly works on cases of immigration within the area and in consultation with his partner firm in Dallas, Texas.
Pathways | 9
MAKE YOUR WAY Welcome to a game called “Make Your Way To The USA” where you can role-play yourself into different situations of immigrants across the world. This flowchart show you the four paths to the U.S. through immigration.
Instructions: 1. Choose your starting box 2. Follow the path to the result!
Sorry, you’re outta here!
Is your family a U.S. citizen or permanent resident?
If they are a US Citizen, are you the relatives parent, spouse, or minor-aged child?
If they are a lawful permanent resident: are you their spouse or child?
Do you have family in the USA?
Do you have $500,000 to $1,000,000 or extremely special skills?
You’re about to immigrate quicker than everyone else! It will take about 12-18 months for you to get your green card. Do you already have a job in the USA? So your employer willing to file paperwork for your labor certification?
Sorry, you’re outta here! 10 | Pathways
photo courtesy of Wikipedia
TO THE U.S.A. You can apply for a green card! Congrats! You’ve found possibly the easiest way to acquire your green card! You can receive it in mere months.
If you’re the child, are you a minor? Sorry, you’re outta here!
Single adult child: 6-14 year wait Married adult child: 7-15 year wait Sibling of a U.S. citizen: 11-22 year wait
After you have your green card, you can become a citizen in 6 years.
TOTAL TIME TO IMMIGRATE AND ACQUIRE CITIZENSHIP: 12-28 YEARS
After 3-5 years you can become a citizen.
The citizenship process with take between 6-12 months.
Spouses and minor children can apply for green card! Wait 5-7 years.
With a green card, you can be a citizen after 6 years.
TOTAL TIME TO IMMIGRATE AND ACQUIRE CITIZENSHIP: 11-13 YEARS
Are you single?
You can wait for 9-14 years for your green card and citizenship.
TOTAL TIME TO IMMIGRATE AND ACQUIRE CITIZENSHIP: 14-20 YEARS
TOTAL TIME TO IMMIGRATE AND ACQUIRE CITIZENSHIP: 6-7 YEARS
Sorry, you’re outta here! After your green card you can get citizenship in 5-6 years.
Great! You are now waiting for your green card for six-10 years.
TOTAL TIME TO IMMIGRATE AND ACQUIRE CITIZENSHIP: 6-7 YEARS
After your green card, you now wait for another 5-6 years for citizenship.
TOTAL TIME TO IMMIGRATE AND ACQUIRE CITIZENSHIP: 11-16 YEARS
If your employer doesn’t want to wait, they can apply for your temporary work visa! Would they do that?
You have a 50% chance of getting one because they are capped at 85,000 every year. If you are lucky and you get one, you can start working in the USA while you employer continues to file all your paperwork.
Pathways | 11
A
Broken System By Chiara Torrini
The story of a process that needs to change.
“O
ur immigration system is broken,” says Paul Parsons, a veteran of the U.S. immigration system. He knows better than most about the overcrowded system that should help people come to our country, but has become a hulking beast of paperwork and garbled laws, restricting foreign nationals from legally entering our country and tearing families apart. Our immigration system has 12 | Pathways
changed a myriad of times since it was created. This antiquated system keeps getting amended, creating a problematic, inefficient process. It traps people, takes away their options, and forces thousands to leave their families. The constant flow of people trying to enter the country is bottled up and backlogged. Women and children are detained. People are calling for change. In our current immigration system, there is almost no easy way to
The Statue of Liberty in New York, where all immigrants historically came through. The sight is synonymous with the idea of immigration to America, and the freedoms there.
immigrate. The easiest way to immigrate is being a relative of a citizen; otherwise, if you’re an educated professional, you might have a chance. There’s almost no chance for the thousands of people who try to come here for work It can take up to a decade, and while workers are waiting for their application to process, they can’t work here. Illegal immigrants
who marry U.S. citizens often encounter a variety of extra challenges. Even if they have citizen children together, and they have lived here for almost all their lives, there is almost no legal way for the illegal spouse to become a citizen. In this scenario, all possible options require them to leave their families. This wasn’t always the case. “[20 years ago], if [a man] had come from Mexico and married a U.S. citizen, we would file a petition with immigration here, it would be approved and sent directly to the U.S. consulate, and his penalty for having come across was he would have to leave, go back to his country, and have a medical exam, interview, make sure it’s a real marriage, and within a matter of days he would be approved to come live with is family again,” says Parsons. An immigration lawyer in Austin for 38 years, he has experienced the changes to the fluctuating system and seen firsthand how they have affected those trying to immigrate. “We’ve had major changes to the immigration laws that were negative.” Over time, the immigration system has become more and more restrictive, a somewhat inevitable development as the number of immigrants rises. But the system has failed to change in ways reflecting the current situation, as well as failing to make immigration accessible to everyone who wants to come to America. Changes in immigration law are complicated, and they can be passed by multitudinous different institutions. They are written by the Senate and the House of representatives, but they can also be written by individual state legislatures. Laws can vary by state and the changes have added up over the years, creating a very complex system that’s very hard to understand. Some changes were more major than others, and a plethora had major consequences. “[In 1996] they came up
with [a] ten year penalty,” says Parsons. “Prior to that, if someone had lived here without permission, they would have to leave and go to the U.S. Consulate and then they could come back if they were eligible. [But now] if they’ve been in the U.S. without permission for more than just 1 year, the minute [they] leave, [they] start a ten year penalty” This change in law completely changed the way people came to our country illegally, mostly for the worse. “We used to have circular immigration,” says Parsons. “Foreign nationals from Latin America and other countries would come, they would work for six, eight, 10 months a year, then they would go back to their families for several months per year, come back the next year and work again, usually for the same employer, go back to their families in the home country. Well now, if they come here and they leave, it starts a ten year penalty. Not only did [the ten year penalty] stop them from going back, they bring in their families because if they leave, then they have this ten year bar over their head. So it stopped the old traditional immigration. [The government] thought this would
“We’ve had major changes to the immigration laws that were negative.” -Parsons
be a deterrent, but people come here for a better life, some to escape violence, and so instead of going back, it essentially makes people remain within our country” Some would say this law hasn’t helped; if anything, it’s provided encouragement for foreign nationals to stay more permanently. Sadly, that’s only one of copious problems; workers who come here illegally and then try to legalize their status have almost no legal way to stay in the country, even if their children or spouses are citizens. “For [them] to qualify for papers, [there is] a ten year penalty and [they have] to return to [their] home country,” says Parsons. The practice often splits up families. “And in my opinion, that’s too harsh. We should try to keep families together.” There are numerous reasons why the immigration system is so convoluted. “We’re dealing with the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952, and they keep adding layers of [excluding] this group, or [not giving pardons] for this group, add[ing] new requirements, like [the] ten year penalty,” says Parsons. “It wasn’t written for modern times. It was written for 1952 and amended and amended and amended. They say the immigration laws are as complicated as the tax laws. They’re so
“People come here for a better life.” -Parsons
An example of how paperwork for immigration would look; it is often very complex and hard to understand.
Pathways | 13
A representation of the idea of immigration; immigrants become American, regardless of their specific race.
confusing and it’s so difficult.” The trend is clear; “They’re making it tougher. Immigration lawyers work really hard, long hours daily to try to keep up with the changes. We get memos from the government, we get new regulations, we get proposed rules, we get final rules, we get new laws from Congress, but not the comprehensive immigration reform we need to fix the whole system.” The system is changing, but the changes aren’t helping. Shifts keep families apart, instead of keeping them together. They bar people from entering. Statutory changes make for an even harder time for potential immigrants. “In immigration law, part of the confusion is sometimes it’s a law passed by Congress, [sometimes by another legislature] and there have been many statutory changes,” says Parsons. “There have also been a lot of changes just to regulations where the 14 | Pathways
government says, ‘Okay, this is how we’re going to interpret this law.’ It’s getting more and more restrictive. The applications themselves are getting longer, so it’s harder for people to figure out what they need to do to try to legalize their status. For example, [the application for citizenship]. For a long time it was eight pages, then 10 pages, and then they said we’re [going to improve it]. The ten page form suddenly changed to a 21-page form.” While a longer form can seem insignificant, it represents the increase in difficulty of immigrating. For someone who already doesn’t speak perfect English, filling out a 21-page form is significantly harder. “Congress, for over twenty years, keeps saying they’re going to do something, and they’re afraid to do anything,” elucidates Parsons. “But they need to address it because our country would be stronger and more unified if we had a system than would work for employers, and for families.” 9/11 caused a wave of change. The fear of terrorists forced a stricter system: our airport security, our background checks for visas, and our immigration system all toughened. In the panic after the tragedy, everything became much stricter. There was good reason, but the changes did not necessarily have a positive effect. “I actually got lucky because [my naturalization] got started before the September 11th attacks,” says Antonio Torrini, who immigrated from Italy in 1998. “Everything became much harder after that. [My friend’s] naturalization
“Our country would be stronger and more unified if we had a system than would work for employers, and for families.” -Parsons
took something insane, like one to two years longer. But that was after the attacks.” Of the people trying to immigrate, countless are educated professionals with college degrees. But even the process for highly educated individuals who would greatly aid our country is difficult. “If an employer wants to sponsor [an educated professional] when they graduate from one of our universities or from another country, we only allow 85,000 of those from the whole world,” says Parsons. “In 2015, during the five days when they opened
“It reminds me of when we detained the Japanese, in World War II.” -Parsons the door to accept applications, they received 233,000 timely filed cases for these highly educated professionals wanting to work mostly for technology companies, but also shortage areas. [We do] a random lottery of the 233,00 [applicants], and only about a third got accepted. And the rest returned to their home countries or went to Canada, or another country that recognizes the value of having these foreign workers helping get patents, start new companies and invent new ideas. They bring so much to our country, and we’re losing those workers.” A lottery system is impartial, but it’s also unfair; chance should not decide who gets to work in America and who cannot. People fleeing violence also experience problems with the system for applying for asylum This matter is of growing relevance, with refugees from the Syrian Civil War. The current system makes it very difficult to apply for asylum. Women and children fleeing from Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, where there is widespread violence, travel far to reach the U.S. “And when women that are desperate,
The United States Congress house is where most laws are made, including those pertaining to immigration.
h “C
e ve r b e d e
t
e d.” -Parson s
i l d re n s h
u
n ld
a in
o
battered, beaten, starved, and they have young children, cross Mexico, sometimes
they’re raped, they get to the United States, and they turn themselves in,” says Parsons. Instead of having a chance to apply for asylum, women and children are often detained. “It reminds me of when we detained the Japanese, in World War II,” says Parsons. “We had no business locking them up. And we’re
going to look back in our history and regret that we were detaining mothers and children. Children should never be detained.” Over the years, the varied personal experiences of those who have immigrated have reflected a common theme; a system needing improvement. “I found the system was simply not that good,” says Torrini. “Actually, at some point[s] I was close to giving up.” Torrini’s experiences mirrors those of the vast group of other immigrants. This straining and convoluted system has put overwhelming stress onto those who can’t keep up with the process. [If you don’t hire a skilled lawyer], “you just spend money,” laments Kana Allcock, who immigrated in 2013. She had an experienced lawyer, but not all are so lucky. “You cannot get the green card. So I think that the money you pay is a really
big deal.” Good lawyers can be the key to successful immigration, but they are pricey and even they don’t always win their cases. Immigrants who have been through the process often feel, since they had to work hard to get through the complicated system, that they have been mistreated instead of assisted. Although people often agree that our immigration system is flawed, the current process for creating new legislation seems to only resolve small issues, not the overarching problems that need fixing. According to Parsons, if the country can create a system that allows for effective immigration, a more united country will be created. Changing the way people come to the U.S. will change the country itself and strengthen the foundation of our legal system.
Pathways | 15
By Chiara Torrini
42.1
These graphics demonstrate basic facts about immigrants and foriegn workers living in the U.S.
Million foreign-born people live in the U.S.
Immigrants are 13.3% of the total U.S. population
Most immigrants (28%) are from Mexico
12.1 million Mexican immigrants
16% of immigrants speak only English at home Almost 47% of immigrants are naturalized citizens Information from the Center for Immigration Studies, the Pew Research Center, and the Migration Policy Institute
16 | Pathways
51.7% of immigrants are women.
There is an estimated 904,000 LGBTQ adult immigrants in the U.S.
48.3% of immigrants are men.
2015
2000
35.3% 31.1 million people
Increase in foriegn-born people
4.7 million undocumented adults have children
42.1 million people
64%
of U.S. born children of immigrants are homeowners
36%
of U.S. born children of immigrants are college graduates
31%
of U.S. born children of natives are college graduates
Pathways | 17
18 | Pathways
The Ongoing Battle The results of the Syrian Refugee Crisis. By Anika Singh
I
Sympathizers of the Swedish Democrats protesting in Stockholm on May 24, 2014
t seems like a never-ending battle. You keep fighting, hoping to see an uncertain yet a bright future. The increase of tension of immigration since the Syrian Refugee Crisis create a new obstacle. Some immigrants see their hopes slowly slipping away. Immigration becomes a sensitive topic, accompanied by heartfelt stories of journeys and struggles. With the rise of the Syrian Refugee Crisis, a wave of anti-immigration protests strike countries in Europe. Political parties who support anti-immigration start to dominate European politics. Ordinary immigrants like Shilpa Kelkar, Shyam Reddy and Shilpa Reddy personally experience the tough change in society. The United States has also noticed an increasing amount of problems with immigration, but what about other countries? Across the globe, countries face this problem, and it keeps increasing. The immigration situation of Sweden varies from other European countries. “I was treated very well you know Sweden is a good country and they were very open to new people,” says Shilpa Kelkar. “People are very liberal, but it was weird cause little immigrants were there.” Immigrants wish to migrate to Sweden for a better
future. Sweden is a generous country which provide food, shelter and free Swedish lessons to its immigrants. Swedish language help immigrants to adjust in new society and get jobs. With the exquisite countryside and a stable economy, Sweden has evolved to become a fascinating country. About one-fifth of Sweden’s population have an immigrant background. About 15.4 percent of Sweden’s population includes foreign-born citizens in 2012. “I felt safe and happy being in Sweden,” says Kelkar. “They were very helpful to new people. One of the reasons I came here was so that my son could get good education that I don’t think he would have gotten in India.” Along with these superior characteristics, Sweden appeals to numerous refugees. An estimated 190,000 Syrian refugees will come to Sweden searching for a better future by the end of this year. The rising refugee numbers also creates a rising amount of tension among the people. “There is some empathy, but there are also a large increase of extremists,” Ms. Kelkar explains. “People feel kind of scared of so many people coming. People are making problems. There are extremists but these cases are very very rare. It is enough to Pathways | 19
make the media always overly highlight these events.” Sweden has met abundant instances of tension on immigration including incidences with throwing acid at immigrant owned stores, to immigrants being peppered sprayed. As more refugees pour into Sweden, these occurrences have increased. When Syrian refugees enter Sweden, they initially apply for a job and integrate themselves into the society. While back in Syria, several of those Syrian citizens are well-educated and were employed as teachers or clerks, and they were doing respectable jobs with high income , but when they immigrate, they got subjected to lower class jobs such as cleaning on railway station and sometimes they don’t even get job in Sweden. Sweden is good at accepting immigrants but they are not able to integrate them well in society. “Some refugees complain to me about how they used to be the manager of big companies and now we were giving them such degrading jobs,” says Kelkar. “They feel very frustrated and some might convert frustration into violence.” 20 | Pathways
Although the Syrian refugees face discrimination and violence, the effects also indirectly affect other immigrants. Discrimination against immigrant citizens increases as the refugees increase. “One time I was sitting on the bus and I heard a conversation behind me,” Kelkar mentions.
“I could only think about my kids and what I would have to do with my family.” -Shyam “I heard a husband and wife talking about how their brother lost a job to some Indian person. They were getting angry that immigrants were getting higher than them. I think this is unfair. I mean immigrants, we, are working the hardest. So because
Thirteen thousand protesters in Germany, listening to speeches made by the anti-immigration party, PEGIDA.
some one person did some violence, this shouldn’t be the new stereotype of all immigrants.” Kelkar mentions how the immigration tension keeps increasing in couple of last months. “[I was talking to a] friend of mine and she was telling about one time her son and his Indian friends were playing on the street near night time,” Kelkar mentions. “And then a drunk man comes and starts yelling at them, go back to where you are from we don’t want your kind here! But then again this type of stuff happens in many countries.” Now a new question arises, how does Sweden differentiate from other countries? “I feel like Sweden probably is the most welcoming compared to other countries,” says Kelkar. “I don’t want that to change. I feel pride when I tell people I am from Sweden.” Discrimination isn’t an issue only in Sweden. Across the globe, problems due to race and immigration arise.
“I think Germany has many immigrants too so I thought it wouldn’t be bad,” says Shyam Reddy. For 15 years Shyam has lived in Germany working in one of the largest software companies. Germany is one of the most popular countries in Europe to migrate to. About 12 percent of Germany’s population has immigrants. Germany ranks third in the most international migrants hosted worldwide. With the increasing migrant population, the number of protests has also increased. “I thought I worked so hard to come here and then I would end up having to go back,” says Shyam. “I could only think about my kids and what I would have to do with my family.”
11.9 percent of UK’s population comprise of immigrants. About 1,000 Syrian refugees reside in the UK currently. “The racial tension has increased in my workplace since the Syrian refugee crisis,” explains Shilpa. “My coworkers will see the news and think that there are too many immigrants and they will feel awkward around us during work. The crisis definitely has changed the minds of many people. Most of the people I met didn’t have a strong opinion on immigration,” describes Shilpa. “One thing that the Syrian refugee crisis have done is allow the citizens to develop opinions. It has shined a light on immigration and violence. ” Across the globe, the atrocities in the Syrian war has shocked everyone. People sympathize with Syrian people and wants to help. With the unprecedented number of people leaving Syria to find safe haven, it is hard to understand the complex situation. This led to rise of antiimmigration parties, and protests occur in countries throughout the world. The world has always been a cold place for immigrants to prosper.
The German media has countless stories regarding assaults of refugees. “I can sometimes notice when I am on the streets who is pro and anti-immigration,” Shyam explains. “The people who are
anti-immigration will talk behind my back. Sometimes I get asked if I am from Syria. The anti-immigration people feel insecure around me.” Since the Syrian refugee crisis, the amount of discrimination has increased in subtle ways. “There will be heavy antiimmigration protests and the countries will be very divided and excluded,” Shyam mentions. “This is a world that I would be afraid of the progress goal we were looking for. But now everything seems to be backtracking. There has become an incorrect association of religion and terrorism.” Immigrants have adapted to sticking together to survive and prosper. They have formed communities where they live together. “We all live together and we all have each other,” describes Shyam. “The community all the immigrants have formed has made it easier for us to survive in foreign places.” “Sometimes I feel like immigration is a process where no one wins,” says Shyam. “But then I see my children’s future as a promising one and feel like I came here for good reasons.” Other countries like the UK faces similar problems like Germany and Sweden. “People see [Syrian refugee crisis] problem as being a distant problem,” says Shilpa Reddy, a citizen of the UK for 15 years. “It’s something people didn’t think they needed to know about or something you read about when you want to feel better about your own life.”
The PEGIDA demonstration taking place in Germany.
Apartments in Tensta, Sweden during the winter.
The main housing center in Tensta, Sweden. Photo By Shilpa Kelkar
“Sometimes I feel like immigration is a process where no one wins.” -Shyam
Photo By Shilpa Kelkar
Pathways | 21
Migration By the Numbers
By Anika Singh
The following numbers and facts illustrate the amount of asylum seekers and migrants going to Europe as of the end of 2015.
Origins of Asylum Seekers Total Approximate: 1046600
Migrant Deaths while crossing the Mediterranean
Total Approximate: 3770
Kosovo
Syria
Afghanistan Other
22 | Pathways
Octo
Fe br u
Iraq
ar
y
November
December January
ber
September
August
July June May
March
April
Sweden
Total Claims: 32215 Asylum Application per 1000: 1667
UK
Germany
Total Claims: 13905 Asylum Application per 1000: 60
Total Claims: 140910 Asylum Application per 1000: 587
France
Italy
Total Claims: 20630 Asylum Application per 1000: 114
Total Claims: 29615 Asylum Application per 1000: 138
Netherlands
Total Claims: 16450 Asylum Application per 1000: 266 Information by BBC
Pathways | 23
Refugees and
Renewal
Pathways to acclimation in the U.S. Refugees from Syria, fleeing problems in their home country, arrive in a boat.
By Ellis Prater-Burgess
E
very day, people get up, pack their bags, and leave their home. Fleeing the lives they’ve known forever, they start a journey to what they hope will be safety and security. They leave because they have no other choice. Over barren desert and stormy sea, they travel to the United States, desperate for a better life. Refugees and asylum-seekers travel to the U.S. because they are unsafe in their own countries. At home, they are threatened or hurt. Here, they are offered help with the tough transition. The Refugee Services of Texas focuses on setting refugees up in new homes, and preparing them for a new life. The Multicultural Refugee Coalition provides a safe community center for refugees. Meanwhile, immigration lawyers are dedicated to assisting those who are combating legal troubles. This essential, intricate support network aids immigrants who come to the U.S. for aid. Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, an Austin immigration attorney, works at Lincoln-Goldfinch Law, an immigration firm. Early on in her career, she took an immigration clinic where she was a student attorney. She interviewed a family of Iraqi Christians who were 24 | Pathways
detained in the Hutto detention center. In Iraq, the father was kidnapped and held for ransom, because their Christianity was seen as western. After the ransom was paid, they fled to the U.S. and were put in detention. She spoke to a mother with her infant child. “When I went there, the baby was wearing a little prison-issued baby onesie and the mom asked me if I would hold her baby because she said I smelled like the outside world; immigration jails have this smell to them,”
“When I went there, the baby was wearing a little prison-issued baby onesie and the mom asked me if I would hold her baby because she said I smelled like the outside world.” -Lincoln-Goldfinch describes Lincoln-Goldfinch. “It’s institutional. At the end of the interview, she asked me if I could sneak her baby out with
Many view the United States of America as an unachievable dream, blocked off by hostility.
me. It was that day that I decided I could spend the rest of my career working on this one issue.” Refugees and asylum-seekers both come to the U.S. seeking protection. Once here, they are generally placed into detention centers. She explains refugees have extensive support by the government, because they come here with legal status. She provides asylum-seekers more help than she does refugees, because asylees come here without legal status. They leave their home country fleeing persecution or violence, which they have to prove once they arrive in the U.S. “[I]f they say “I’m afraid of returning to my country,” then they have to pass something called a Credible Fear Interview, where they tell their story,” she elucidates. The C.F.I. lasts about an hour, and if the asylum officer believes the person is eligible to be granted asylum, then they are usually let out of detention. Next, the final full-fledged asylum hearing. If the asylum officer doesn’t accept the asylee’s story, the court gives them one chance for appeal in front of a judge. “A lot of it is really based on the judge,” divulges Lincoln-Goldfinch. “There’s a judge in San Antonio who hears a lot of the family detention cases and he has an 8 percent
approval rating, meaning he grants fewer than one in 10 of his cases. He’s very tough. And then there’s judges who have 90-something percent of their cases approved.” If someone doesn’t pass their C.F.I. and the judge doesn’t grant their appeal, then they can be deported, or forcefully sent out of the U.S. Lincoln-Goldfinch’s aims to help her clients pass their C.F.I. and hearing, so they can be free of the persecution or According to the Migration Policy Institute, Texas accepted the largest number of refugees in 2015.
Pathways | 25
violence in their home country for good. Refugees are a slightly different story. Susan Stasney, Resettlement Program Supervisor for the Refugee Services of Texas, explains her organization is in charge of new arrivals of refugees, the first 90 days they are in the country. They perform a variety of services, from picking up at the airport to securing housing beforehand to putting bedding and toiletries in their apartment to providing groceries. They also take the newly arrived refugees to apply for Social Security, Medicaid, and enroll them in English language classes. After being referred to the refugee health clinic, refugees are referred to employment and enrolled in school. “It’s a lot of case management services that we provide when they need it, especially when they first come here in transitioning to the U.S.,” states Stasney. Texas is one of the top states for refugee resettlement in the U.S. Stasney describes the impact of having actual experiences with refugees. “It’s just an invaluable experience when you have interactions with refugees. “[It] makes you not think of it so much in a broader generalization, because we have a personal connection, a personal experience.” Resettlement agencies like the Refugee Services of Texas make a world of difference for foreign refugees, but their help can only go so far. “[W]hat we try to do is pick up where the resettlement agencies leave off and help the refugees through the next steps,” says Sarah Stranahan, co-founder of the Multicultural Refugee Coalition. The Multicultural Refugee Coalition, or M.R.C., is an organization devoted to empowering refugees towards self-sufficiency by providing opportunities for educational, professional and personal
growth. OpenArms, M.R.C.’s social enterprise, trains refugee women to sew. Their high-quality work then sells to provide the women with a living wage. OpenArms, just one part of M.R.C., contributes to the mission of the community center. “[O]ne of the underlying things about our center is the community building, giving them a safe place for them to come, where they are comfortable with everybody and they’re meeting other people from their own culture and from other cultures,” says Stranahan. Here, refugees gain confidence in their new life and home. Even with the wide acceptance of refugees in the U.S., the media continues to grow as a factor in the public’s opinion on immigration. According to Lincoln-Goldfinch, the last big changes in immigration law occurred in 1996. “Right before 9-11, President Bush was set to make some positive changes in the field of immigration,” says Lincoln-Goldfinch. “Then 9-11 happened, and a sort of xenophobia took over,” she explains. Politicians are beholden to their voters, so “the politicians who are catering to that section of people just flat-out refused to do any immigration reform.” The Syrian refugee crisis has heightened the circumstances of the situation. Politicians, especially candidates of the 2016 presidential election, have maintained focus on the allowance of refugees into the U.S. “[Now] the rhetoric in the media is, “Everybody who’s coming across the border are criminals or terrorists and they’re here to hurt us,”” says Lincoln-Goldfinch on the effect of the media’s “fear mongering”. This sentiment of hostility has crept into the subconscious of many. “It’s really easy to dehumanize these people and not realize that they’re our neighbors and they’re just like us,” says LincolnGoldfinch. “They are a very, very strong people. They’ve lived through huge challenges,” says Stranahan. Many refugees have already faced enough trouble without the addition of hostility from Americans. “It was a long road to get here,” reiterates Stranahan. But with help, refugees and asylees can make fresh, new starts in the U.S.
“It’s really easy to dehumanize these people and not realize that they’re our neighbors and they’re just like us.” -Lincoln-Goldfinch
“It was a long road to get here.” -Stasney
“[We give them] a safe place for them to come, where they are comfortable with everybody and they’re meeting other people from their own culture and from other cultures.” -Stranahan 26 | Pathways
Refugees come from all corners of the globe. Countries allow a certain number of foreign refugees in each year. Turkey currently shelters the most refugees, with about 2 million. The United States currently shelters the 14th highest amount of refugees in the world.
Pathways | 27
Where each state’s largest number of refugees arrived from in 2014 Top 3 countries of origin in 2015:
Where are the refugees in your state from? Find out below.
Burma (Myanmar), Iraq, & Somalia Other top 10 countries of origin: Democratic Republic of Congo (D.R.C.), Iran, Syria, Eritrea, Sudan, & Cuba Iraq *No data Iraq Iraq
Bhutan *No data
Cuba Iraq
Burma Iraq
Burma Burma
Iraq
Iraq
Bhutan Iraq
Bhutan `Somalia
Burma
Iraq
Bhutan Iraq Burma Iraq Iraq Iraq Burma Bhutan Cuba Bhutan Iraq *No data Burma Eritrea Burma Iraq `Somalia Burma Eritrea/DRC Burma Iraq Burma
Iraq
Burma
Eritrea Iraq Burma Iraq Cuba
Somalia Burma
52% of people granted asylum in the U.S.
in 2013 were from China, Egypt, and Ethiopia 28 | Pathways
Refugees by the Numbers In 2015... # of U.S. resettled refugees: 69,933 In 2013... # of U.S. asylees: 25,199
By the end of 2014... # of refugees world-wide: 59.5 million By mid-2015... # of asylum-seekers world-wide: >1.2 million
The People of Syria >4.1 million seek refuge in other countries
Syrian refugees in the U.S.: In 2012: 31 In 2015: 1,682
>7.6 million internally displaced within Syria
Plans for # of refugees to be accepted into the U.S.:
2015: 70,000 2016: 85,000 2017: 100,000
Time taken to vet a proposed refugee:18-24 months Since September 1, 2001 # of U.S. refugees arrested for terrorism:
3 At least 10,000 Syrian refugees per year
Pathways | 29
American Mipster By Mallory Conely
31 | Pathways 30
“Growing up in Pakistan, we would wear hijabs that would loosely cover our heads. We never wore the tightly wrapped hijabs like Arab women. We had a different style.”
says Abda, “I don’t even really like the word ‘Hijabi’ because it’s just another thing that labels and sexualizes Muslim women and girls.” Being a Muslim in America can feel difficult, many girls who are identifiable as Muslim because of their hijab are subject to judgment and stereotypes, “I’ve heard so much. Maybe that I converted to Islam for my husband. I actually converted while in my previous marriage to a United States Marine. It wasn’t until my converting and my divorce that we got into a relationship.” Huma Munir, a high school teacher in Austin, Texas, is also subject to people using stereotypes to define her, “People like to think I am quiet and submissive. They are wrong. I am actually quite social and outgoing.” says Munir, “I love hiking! I hike in my hijab all the time. People are always surprised about that.” Being judged and stereotyped is hard for anyone, but growing up and having a different fashion style can be hard, especially when in America there isn’t really a style catered to Hijabi’s, “In the community I grew up in the girls I would say they weren’t really, I don’t know how to say it, there wasn’t really a fashion style associated with the girls who wore hijab everybody did what was popular and incorporated hijab into it” says Abda, ”I didn’t get my sense of fashion until high school, it was tough.” In Pakistan, where Munir grew up, it was a different experience,
says Munir, “We also had more colorful hijabs than most of the other Islamic countries because our culture is very influenced by India,” when
Traditional Pakistani South Asian shoes pictured above, traditional wedding dress, “Lehenga”, pictured below. Many traditional clothes are red, as red is considered a lucky color in South Asia cultures.
Malak enjoys modeling for “Fashion for a Passion” and various culture events
Malak Abda
W
hen you think of Muslims today, what do you think of? You probably wouldn’t imagine fashion-savvy, trendy millennials dancing to a Jay-Z songs, but that’s just what Mipsterz are. Mipsterz (a combination of the words Muslims and Hipsterz), are changing the idea of who Muslims are through music videos, social media and most notably fashion. In a majority of Islamic cultures, most Muslims believe women should cover everything except for their hands, face, and feet, while not exposing the shape of their body and without attracting unnecessary attention to themselves. Muslims around the world cover themselves in different ways, usually in accordance to how strictly they follow Islam, what their cultural background is, and what that individual thinks is appropriate; some Muslims don’t cover at all. In America, it is often hard to follow the latest trends while staying modest, because American trends aren’t usually modest in the eyes of most Muslims. Mipsterz are a group of young Muslims who identify themselves as Hipsters with changing views/opinions on culture, religion and society. In the Mipsterz video, which helped popularize the term “Mipsterz”, it features trendy hipster fashion incorporated with hijab and modesty. So with all these factors coming into play, the question comes, what do American Muslims do when they find themselves conflicting fashion and faith? Chelsey Love, a convert to Islam who runs a very popular YouTube account where she talks about modest fashion, raising children in an Islamic household and other Islamic topics, first heard about Mipsterz when reading a Marie Claire magazine, “I saw the owner from Vela Scarves in an article in Marie Claire magazine and it was called ‘Mipsterz’ I was like ‘what the heck is that?’” Malak Abda, a fashion student, model and popular Tumblr blogger, first heard about the video when a friend was involved in making it, “I’ve only seen the video once and that was only because supposedly one of my friends was in it”, but considers Mipsterz just another label to give to Muslims and women, “I think [Mipsterz] is just another label for women, like in the music video it was only girls, no guys.”
Pathways | 31
32 | Pathways
Huma Munir
“I’m not really influenced by any person in particular although I love certain girls style. I tend to get my inspiration more from eras, trend, or culture. I just kinda like what I like and hope it works when I put it together.”
says Love, “My style is so diverse that no one style can really define me. One day I will be super girly, the next bohemian and another urban. I think [looking like a Mipster] only comes into play because it plays off of my modern day hippy style which is influenced by the 1960’s. I can also get sucked into the whole ‘trendy’ thing so at times I may unintentionally look ‘hipster-ish’” Abda, a fashion student and model, talks about how art inspires her fashion, “I mean, I’ve always been into fashion, I never really had the means to get into it,” says Abda, “until I got into an art class with variety and was able to explore what I was interested in”. Munir’s response again addresses the problem with it being hard to find modest clothes in America, “I am not very influenced by too many people in terms of fashion” says Munir, “In fact, my fashion choices are very limited as I cannot wear skirts, shorts and sleeveless dresses. Every time I buy a dress, I must pair it with a cardigan and tights or something like that to cover up.” The Muslim community has their own opinions on Mipsterz, each community’s opinion differs based on which sect of Islam they follow, how conservative they are what their cultural background is, among other factors. Chelsey, a convert to
Huma Munir
Chelsey Love
Munir moved to America, it was a different story, “It’s not always easy shopping as a Muslim woman,” says Munir, “because the clothes they make in the United States are geared more towards other American people.” In America, there’s plenty of fashion inspiration for the typical American woman, but very little for Muslim women and/or women who dress modestly. Many Muslim women draw their fashion inspiration from other cultures,
Huma Munir enjoys teaching journalism at the Liberal Arts and Science Academy in Austin, Texas
Islam, talks about her opinion on Mipsterz,
“ To me it’s a style, so more power to them. Being expressive with who we are through our clothing is a beautiful form of creativity. Now as a ‘Mipster’ with the word Muslim’ being involved, I think as long as they are following the code of modesty as closely as possible then it’s perfectly okay. ”
Malak Abda
says Love, “Our religion comes before fashion. As Muslims who also want to be trendy we must work our trend around our faith and not vice versa.” Malak, who models at fashion and culture events, talks about her community’s opinion on modeling, “ I always did [modeling] within brown culture and within the Muslim community” says Abda, “I enjoyed and really did like modeling I mean [ me modeling] was always within my community and my family always supported me in it.” Huma, who grew up in Pakistan and moved to America, talks about her opinion on Mipsterz, “ I think Mipsterz have the chance to dispel some stereotypes about the Islamic world, but at the same time, I don’t always agree with their fashion style.” says Munir, “ In Islam, you are supposed to dress as to not attract attention to yourself. Sometimes, Mipsterz and their fashion style can attract a lot of attention because they are so unique and different.” At the end of the day, balancing fashion and faith isn’t easy for any Muslim. One thing everyone agrees on is keeping true to their faith and putting it before fashion. The idea of Mipsterz has certainly provided inspiration to Muslims, but different communities have different opinions on Mipster fashion and whether it’s permissible to follow or not. Mipsterz and Mipster fashion has dispelled some stereotypes about Muslims, and given non-Muslims a better idea of modern Muslims.
Pathways | 33
Hijab Styles Across the Globe By: Mallory Conely Every country has a unique fashion aspect to them. In Japan it’s the Kimono, in India it’s the Saree, but across the Muslim world it’s Hijab. Hijab is the headscarf most Muslim women wear for modesty. Many girl’s style their hijab according to their culture and what’s popular. Look at the different styles of hijab accross the globe! 7 Syria
8 United Arab Emirates
4
Morocco
1
10
4 Azerbaijan
1
12
7
5
11
15
13
2 2
Sudan
5 Egypt
3 Somalia
34 | Pathways
6 Ethiopia
6
33
9
10
Afghanistan
Turkey
11 Iraq
Lebanon
9
12
15
Iran
16
Pakistan
16 8 14
17
13 Saudi Arabia
17 Bangladesh
18
14 Oman
18 Indonesia
Pathways | 35