Hi guys
so anyone on here who has seen a pic of me knows that I wear a headscarf. I understand that this is unusual in the US, and that people are curious and ask questions, but at some point, the questions get ridiculous. for example:
Do you shower with that on?
If you're never allowed to take it off, then how do you wear a different one every day?
when you get married, will you have to wear it around your husband?
now, when little kids ask me, I understand. I answer them nicely. but most of these people are in high school and above! it is sort of common sense that yes, I do have to take it off in order to change it, and seeing as muslim countries tend to have a high birth rate, obviously those women do not cover up around their husbands, or else there is clearly a whole bunch of immaculate conception going on.
am I wrong to be a bit irritated by these questions? or am I expecting people to know more than is reasonable?
and then there is the whole other issue of people assuming that if I am dressed differently, then I am definitely not from here. a few things I would like these people to know:
1) I do speak english. I promise! and sign language won't help me understand you, cuz I don't speak that.
2) I was born here, I am a citizen. I am well aware of american customs.
3) no one forced me to wear a headscarf, and if I were to go out tomorrow without it, I would not become the victim of an honor killing. (If I were to fail my classes, on the other hand, it might be another story)
4) I think that september 11 was a horrible day, and I am saddened by the deaths of american soldiers in iraq and afghanistan, and it is even harder that I have to see fellow countrymen die, and know that some people who see me, and don't even know me, assume that I am happy about their deaths, that I support terrorists, and that I don't support our troops.
5) I have trouble talking to strangers, and therefore I have trouble making friends, because I always wonder if someone is judging me, thinking that I am a bad person because of my faith. and this is because of all the times that, in the months after september 11, my family (especially my mother) got yelled at, spit at, cursed at, and threatened, and because shortly after I overheard a phonecall my parents got from friends from another state saying that if they felt that me and my siblings were in danger, they would take us in and protect us.
basically, I want people to stop assuming that I am not a good american. I want them to stop judging me based on my appearance, and I want everyone who is using the name of my religion to justify committing atrocities to go and actually read about it, and maybe they'll eventually get it through their heads that islam is a religion of peace and that terrorism isn't advancing their cause at all.
sorry it was so long guys, I just wanted to vent.
so anyone on here who has seen a pic of me knows that I wear a headscarf. I understand that this is unusual in the US, and that people are curious and ask questions, but at some point, the questions get ridiculous. for example:
Do you shower with that on?
If you're never allowed to take it off, then how do you wear a different one every day?
when you get married, will you have to wear it around your husband?
now, when little kids ask me, I understand. I answer them nicely. but most of these people are in high school and above! it is sort of common sense that yes, I do have to take it off in order to change it, and seeing as muslim countries tend to have a high birth rate, obviously those women do not cover up around their husbands, or else there is clearly a whole bunch of immaculate conception going on.
am I wrong to be a bit irritated by these questions? or am I expecting people to know more than is reasonable?
and then there is the whole other issue of people assuming that if I am dressed differently, then I am definitely not from here. a few things I would like these people to know:
1) I do speak english. I promise! and sign language won't help me understand you, cuz I don't speak that.
2) I was born here, I am a citizen. I am well aware of american customs.
3) no one forced me to wear a headscarf, and if I were to go out tomorrow without it, I would not become the victim of an honor killing. (If I were to fail my classes, on the other hand, it might be another story)
4) I think that september 11 was a horrible day, and I am saddened by the deaths of american soldiers in iraq and afghanistan, and it is even harder that I have to see fellow countrymen die, and know that some people who see me, and don't even know me, assume that I am happy about their deaths, that I support terrorists, and that I don't support our troops.
5) I have trouble talking to strangers, and therefore I have trouble making friends, because I always wonder if someone is judging me, thinking that I am a bad person because of my faith. and this is because of all the times that, in the months after september 11, my family (especially my mother) got yelled at, spit at, cursed at, and threatened, and because shortly after I overheard a phonecall my parents got from friends from another state saying that if they felt that me and my siblings were in danger, they would take us in and protect us.
basically, I want people to stop assuming that I am not a good american. I want them to stop judging me based on my appearance, and I want everyone who is using the name of my religion to justify committing atrocities to go and actually read about it, and maybe they'll eventually get it through their heads that islam is a religion of peace and that terrorism isn't advancing their cause at all.
sorry it was so long guys, I just wanted to vent.