Abdishakur Ali, of Brooklyn Park, was born in Hargeisa, the capital of Somaliland. 

He works for Minneapolis Public Schools, helping families with school placement.

On a trip back home to Somalia last year, he said, he looked around and saw a lot of young people just like him, but without a clear future.

"Here I am, enjoying a better life because of Minnesota," he said.

But the good does come with its challenges, he said. 

For a man who loves to travel, that means factoring in extra time for additional security at the airport. It means navigating the complex racial and religious differences within Minnesota culture. It means knowing that a lot of his white counterparts don't need to think about those things.

"You live with the good," he said, "and the good is the opportunities, but the bad is also these challenges and knowing that there's an extra eye on you just because of your religion."

Abdishakur Ali

Abdurahman is from Tunisia, and describes the differences between his home country and American society. A student at Benedictine University, Abdurahman encourages the importance of compromise, respect, and communication.

Abdurahman Abusalim: Working Together

Haythem describes how studying literature, civilization, and history has helped him shape his views on life. A native of Tunisia, he dispels stereotypes associated with his culture. Haythem explains how he developed into a self-aware and critically-minded individual beyond the classroom. He hopes to go back to Tunisia to run for public office in hopes of inspiring change for future generations.

Haythem Dellai: Knowledge is Power

Fatima was born in Venezuela, of Lebanese descent. In her beautiful story, she combines her worlds of Arabic, Latin, and American cultures. In 2006, she visited Lebanon, where she was caught in cross-fire due to war. Fatima has lived in Michigan for over 20 years, and wants to be identified by her range of dynamic heritage and cultures.

This story was recorded in partnership with MALA and StoryCorps. Story production credit given to Sydney Jarol from StoryCorps Chicago.

Fatima Salemassi: A Mixture of Elements

Sadaf Syed shares a compelling view on how her faith has guided her to champion feminism. Born and raised into a middle class Pakistani family in America, she credits her mother for being her source of motivation. Sadaf is also a photo-journalist and the author of iCover, a book that dispels stereotypes by featuring Muslim women and their thoughts, dreams, struggles and fears. 

This story was recorded in partnership with MALA and StoryCorps.

Sadaf Syed: Finding Feminism Through Faith

Asad came to the StoryCorps booth to share how he struggled with his Indian/Pakistani identity, as he lived in Kuwait and came to the US during the Gulf War. He felt disconnected from his cultural roots, and describes his personal journey on how he came to embrace his unique individuality. Being involved in the arts,culture, and social enterprise sector led him to realize that his greatest strength is in bringing people together. Through his work with the Foundation for Muslim Culture, his ultimate goal is to unite people in creating meaningful connections and relationships. 

This story was recorded in partnership with MALA and StoryCorps in Chicago.

Asad Ali Jafri: My Heart Is In A Good Place

Noura is a Syrian immigrant from Damascus. She lived in Saudi Arabia for 6 years, and came to the US in November of 2000. She filed for divorce due to domestic violence, and raised her two children as a single parent in a foreign land. She was empowered through adversity from her own personal struggles, and obtained her Master's Degree from DePaul University. The revolution in Syria drove her to take action and join a collective effort to assist with the refugee crisis. 

This story was recorded in partnership with MALA and StoryCorps.

Noura Al Masri: From Damascus to Chicago- Empathy Has No Boundaries

Colette is of Mexican and Palestinian descent. She studied communications at Northwestern University. In her story, she describes how she took a risk to go to Egypt and work on a film to raise awareness about sexual harassment of women. Her film, 'The People's Girls', was critically acclaimed and received several awards. Colette's initiative created the necessary momentum in uniting both men and women to fight back against sexual harassment both domestically and abroad. 

This story was recorded in partnership with MALA and StoryCorps.

Colette Ghunim: Fighting Sexual Harassment On A Global Scale

Jasmine's background derives from Palestinian, Russian, and Iranian roots, along with Jewish and Muslim faiths. She describes how her various layers of identity have influenced her outlook on life. She struggled with conservative community expectations that challenged individuality. Jasmine shares how reflecting on her diverse roots helped garner confidence to delve in deeper into embracing her unique identity. 

This story was recorded in partnership with MALA and StoryCorps

Jasmine Yassin: Multiple Cultures, Multiple Heritages

Sam Gabriel comes from an Iraqi-Hispanic background, and reflects on a defining turning point in his life during childhood when he and his mother escaped from his father in the middle of the night. He credits his courageous mother as his inspiration in shaping his identity. As a gay man, he hopes his story is helpful to share with people who may feel that they are alone. The stigmatized aspects of what defines him have taught him the importance of love, and to foster hope during tough times. 

This story was recorded in partnership with MALA and StoryCorps.

Sam Gabriel: Learn To Love A Little Better

Aisha moved to the United States at the age of 11 from Nigeria. She shares the challenges she faced, including fitting in and being accepted by her peers. Aisha discusses the issues of leadership in her birth country. She plans to pursue teaching English in Korea as her next endeavor.

This story was recorded in partnership with MALA and StoryCorps. Production credit given to Sydney Jarol.

Aisha Subair: The Path Towards Self Acceptance

The Muslim American Leadership Alliance (MALA) is a 501(c)3 non-profit civil rights organization committed to promoting individual freedom and celebrating Muslim-American heritage. In our flagship partnership with StoryCorps, we collect, conserve, and celebrate stories that value individuality, diversity, and highlight the human story. 

Fatima Salemassi: A Mixture of Elements

MALA: Muslim American Leadership Alliance

Related tracks