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I and authors of this book are just a few of the millions of immigrants and refugees that have come to the United States of America over the course of many decades and who now proudly call America their home. I have read and am in awe of the stories and everything these young people have gone through in their short lives. I am excited for you, the reader, to embark on the journey of discovery. In the following pages you will meet your current neighbors, your future college classmates, your future coworkers. The future leaders of your community. Their children might go to preschool with your children. Get to know them.

We are your neighbors.

My dad has lived in America since 1989, ten years before I was born. At the end of 2011 my family started the process of immigrating to America. First, my dad took my two brothers and two sisters to America while I stayed in Yemen with my mom until she received her visa. In December of 2012, we arrived in Rochester, New York, and after a very long time my family was finally reunited. I was so touched when I read that one of the authors, Ca Arrive, too got reunited with his father. Only in his case he didn't see his dad for 10 years! Did you know family reunification is one of the major reasons why people migrate? My story and the stories you are about to read are full of heartbreak, abandonment, loneliness and they are also stories of sacrifice, difficult decisions, and joyous reunions.

Having to learn English, is also one of the major connecting points with me and the authors of this book. Some of them had to learn more than one additional language! Muna, one of the authors, was born in Somalia and when her family fled to Ethiopia, she had to learn Amharic to continue her education. Upon arrival to the US she had to learn her third language—English. I am so excited and proud of the authors in this book for not only learning English in a short amount of time, but now also becoming published authors.

I spoke no English upon arrival in Rochester, New York. But I soon started attending Rochester International Academy to learn English and other subjects. In two years, I developed the mentality to put all of my effort into learning English. I was determined to become fluent. Everywhere I encountered an English word, I tried to pronounce it. I watched videos and talked to others with my broken English, so that I could speak English sooner. I would spend hours just reading and studying because I knew how important education was. Every time I got a B+, I cried because I knew that I didn't put all of my effort into getting a better grade. After a year and a half of learning, I was able to pass my first two Regents Exams in English. Even though I didn't get good scores on them, I was very impressed with my strength and my study habits. It was the moment that I realized I was able to reach my goals.

I was proud of all my hard work, because to me education is life. It’s my key to open the doors to my future—the future that not many Yemeni girls have. Thankfully, I am from a family that honors education, but I didn't come from a country that believes in education for girls. When I was in my country, I always worked hard just to prove people wrong and show that every girl wants to go to school. Not a lot of people understood my passion for learning because in Yemen nothing comes before rules and traditions—including education. Yet even as a young child, I was fighting for change and women’s rights. Passing the Regents Exams in English made me want to reach more goals. America gave my dreams a new meaning. In 2015, I transfered to the World of Inquiry school as a sophomore. I continued to excel in school and was placed in honors and AP classes.

Education is one of the major reasons why people migrate. Mery and Mireille, Congolese sisters who lived in very difficult circumstances in a refugee camp Muyiga Gasogwe in Burundi, write about the poor education they received in the camp, and how grateful they are to get a good education in America. Anika from Bangladesh writes about school simply being not good at all, especially the public one. And Gunasekera writes about how in Sri Lanka you would get hit by teachers if you didn't do your homework or if you didn't pay attention in class. Their and my stories, which you are about to read, are full of deep commitment to education, hard work and dedication from the students and their parents alike.

After living in America for a while, I realized that despite learning English and being a good student people treated me differently because of my hijab. This made me feel disconnected in my new home, until I learned about World Hijab Day. The first annual World Hijab Day was celebrated two years prior, in 2013, in recognition of millions of Muslim women who choose to wear the hijab and live a life of modesty. A Bangladeshi American woman who lives in New York, Nazma Khan, came up with the idea to foster religious tolerance and understanding by inviting women (non-Hijabi Muslims/non-Muslims) to experience the hijab for one day. This annual event invites all women, from all cultural backgrounds, to participate and wear the hijab in support of their Muslim sisters around the world. It is celebrated annually each February 1st.

Once I found out about this holiday, I thought it was a great way to help my community in Rochester understand that the hijab is the headscarf that women from many backgrounds wear, and it’s worn for multiple purposes. People, and even some Muslims, misunderstand the purpose of why Muslim woman like me wear it. Ever since I moved to America, I realized some people believe that the hijab is a symbol of oppression and segregation, but for me (and many, many others) it is a symbol of modesty. I wanted to dispel the terrorist stereotype and show Americans that the hijab is a proud cultural symbol. World Hijab Day seemed like a perfect way to help educate people, and dispel some of the myths.

Two months after starting to attend the World of Inquiry school, I started the World Hijab Day as a way to connect to my classmates and to be included in the community. It was a great time for me as my introduction to the school, and a way to find similarities with the fellow students in a very human way. I had to write a letter asking my principal for permission to hold the event, and a letter needed to be sent out to all the teachers. I explained to them, “World Hijab Day invites every woman to wear the hijab for a day so they would experience how women who wear the hijab are treated by others. The purpose of this is to educate and feel a part of the school community.” My goal was to encourage people to ask questions and not judge others." I asked for the scarves to be donated, and the PTA also donated money for ribbons and carnations for boys and male teachers to show support for the World Hijab Day—I had to take many steps to get there. In the end, over 300 students and teachers in my school wore the hijab.

As we engaged in conversation, one question was pervasive: “Are you forced to wear the hijab?” I was proud to be able to explain to them and say, “Wearing the hijab is your right. When you feel comfortable, you wear the headscarf as a symbol of modesty and the faith within you.”

I continued to organize the World Hijab Day at school until I was a senior. So many students and staff supported World Hijab Day that we were featured on the news. World Hijab Day eventually spread throughout the Rochester City School District and beyond. Other schools around the county began contacting me and wanted to follow suit. But there was some backlash as a result of the first World Hijab Day, as well. My ESOL teacher, Kelly LaLonde, and I received death threats and had to be escorted by security to and from school.

I encourage all the immigrant authors in this book and elsewhere to find out what are some of the positive changes they want to see in their communities and start organizing. By organizing World Hijab Day I wanted to find my way to feel accepted, and to raise my voice in support of freedom of religion--one of the cornerstone values in this country. I also wanted to show my community we are more alike than we are different. My activism helped me to get recognized for the Martin Luther King Jr. Peace award and the Princeton Prize in Race Relations. I also was recognized by the Rochester City School District as the Outstanding Senior for my school. I hope that many authors in this book have taken or will take advantage of many awards and apply (or be nominated).

All the stories in this book, as well as my own, are why I plan on pursuing teaching as my future career. I want to welcome my students—either Americans or immigrants—with open hands, mind and heart. I will be their guide just as I was guided by my school.

Eman Muthana

Winner of The Princeton Prize in Race Relations (PPRR), an award recognizing 30 high school students across America who, through their volunteer activities, have undertaken significant efforts to advance racial equity and understanding in their schools or communities