Is there a difference in growing up culturally different in the United States?

Recently, Teen Vogue published a new series called, #AskAMuslimGirl. The campaign is a set of videos and articles explaining the daily struggles of growing up as a young Muslim-American in the United States. One statement that remarkably stuck out to me in one of these videos was a young Muslim girl explaining the comments she received from individuals in her predominantly-white neighborhood. She explained that she had “just happened to go to the whitest community in Maryland, and so
as a result of that, (she) got a lot of: “Why is your skin like that? Why do you not speak English properly? What is that stuff you have on your hands?”” (1). The most mind-boggling part of this was that these white individuals did not mean to be so harsh, but do not realize the insecurity that must have developed within this young Muslim girl, after hearing years and years of these types of questions. As a Muslim-American myself, it broke my heart to see these young Muslim girls break down on camera, just trying to explain that they are good people who want to love and care for others but feel alienated by society.

It starts to become their identity for these young girls that people constantly ask them questions about themselves, and that is who they begin to become known for. I can personally attest to this – whenever people ask me where I am from or why I may look different than them, I become very uncomfortable yet used-to the questions being asked.

“You can’t paint all the Muslims with a single brush” – Unkknown Muslim girl pictured above

Vogue even published a video made by young Muslim women titled “#AskAMuslimGirl: 20 Things Muslim Women are Tired of Hearing from Men.” This video shows that being a Muslim not only affects their identity and sense of self but later affects their relationships as well.

Vox news also recently published a segment on the discomfort mixed-race individuals face while growing up in the United States. Vox explains that multicultural people feel as though they are “targets of fear and confusion, from suspicions of mixed people “passing” as while under the Jim Crow system to accusations of not embracing one’s “race” enough” (2). When a multicultural individual is placed under such pressures of society, they tend to feel pressured by their surroundings. They, therefore, act in extreme ways, such as concealing their religion and race from the public.

So the real question is – do other non-minority individuals experience this pain and discomfort as much as minorities – such as the Muslim women featured on Teen Vogue? Or, do minorities only experience these uncomfortable realities because of their race and religion?

To truly understand the origins of discomfort when growing up multiculturally different, we must understand the source. All adolescents, regardless of race or religion, are bombarded with a multitude of issues that affect their mental and physical well-being (3). Whether that has to do with cultural identity or home life, every young teen goes through life-changing moments that defy their character for years to come. Nevertheless, when a multicultural individual is constantly asked why they look a certain way, they may feel used-to – or rather inclined – to hide their identity and push off the question.

Other developmental changes adolescents may experience include finding their independence, learning to adapt in intimidating situations, balancing strenuous social relationships and interactions, and feeling the pressures and expectations placed on adolescents from family, peers, and themselves (3). These are all developmental changes that all young individuals are met with and must face. When it comes to young individuals who are minorities, they may feel an extra added pressure of not fitting into society the way they expected and building an unauthentic persona for themselves to “fit” into society’s norms.

In the novel “White Kids: Growing Up with Privilege in a Racially Divided America,” author Margaret Hagerman highlights children’s developmental stages within the white, middle to the upper-class majority. These children experience a phenomenon called “racial socialization” – the developmental processes by which adolescents acquire the behaviors, perceptions, and attitudes of an ethnic group, including their own (4).

At the core of the issue, there are similarities between majority and minority groups growing up in the United States. The teenage years, also referred to as adolescence, are at a time for growth spurts, both mentally and physically. Several changes occur internally, such as maturity, and most importantly, one’s sense of self. There is a large amount of variation when it deals with when these changes occur in each adolescent, but they do happen sooner or later.

These changes do occur at different ranges amongst individuals, but minorities may experience similar challenges, such as self-defense in a conversation, much faster than the majority of individuals. On the other hand, white adolescents may feel more comfortable in their environment, such as walking in a predominantly white neighborhood at night, than multicultural individuals who feel as though they are being threatened.

Whether what race or religion you are, can you think of a life-defining moment you experienced during your adolescence? Did this change you into the person you are today? Please share your experiences in the comments below.

Ultimately, our adolescent years are an extraordinary time, filled with uncomfortable and priceless moments. Some of us may or may have felt threatened by our religion or race, while others have not. Yet, this is what makes us who were are today. It is truly up in the air whether being culturally different affects one’s well-being in the long run, or makes them stronger after all.

Sources:

(1)Nast, Condé. “Ask A Syrian Girl: What Do People Get Wrong About Islam?” Teen Vogue, www.teenvogue.com/video/watch/ask-a-syrian-girl-what-do-people-get-wrong-about-islam.

Nast, Condé. “AskAMuslimGirl: What It’s Like to Be An American Muslim Girl.” Teen Vogue, www.teenvogue.com/video/watch/what-it-is-like-to-be-an-american-muslim-girl

https://www.teenvogue.com/video/watch/things-muslim-women-are-tired-of-hearing-from-men

(2)Person, Vox First. “The Loneliness of Being Mixed Race in America.” Vox, Vox, 18 Jan. 2021, www.vox.com/first-person/21734156/kamala-harris-mixed-race-biracial-multiracial.

(3)https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0094306120902418rhttps://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/the-growing-child-adolescent-13-to-18-years

(4)Sreenivasan, Shoba. “Growing Up Is Hard to Do.” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, 23 Mar. 2020, www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/emotional-nourishment/202003/growing-is-hard-do.

 

IMAGES:

(1 & 2) cited above

(3) https://www.psychologicalscience.org/news/releases/close-friendships-in-adolescence-predict-health-in-adulthood.html