I’m a 21st century Pakistani-American girl who was born and raised in Michigan. So where’s the representation for the kind of Muslim I am? There are probably desi Muslim girls who do face these issues or who are in these situations it’s just not how I’ve grown up.
I’ve never felt this pressure about maintaining both aspects of my identity. In other cases, the characters face a great, dramatic internal conflict, where they agonize over whether or not they can be both a desi Muslim and an American student - something along those lines. Seeing the trope of “Muslim girls gone wild,” taking their hijabs off and straying from the religious morals, troubles me. I’ve seen attempts at Muslim representation in art in the past and have almost always been wholeheartedly disappointed. I try to become the characters instead of finding a natural connection, instead of finding something real.Īnd then I read Uzma Jalaluddin’s “ Hana Khan Carries On.”
From Hermione Granger to Lizzy Bennet, I crave a connection to beloved characters, so much so that I force similarities. I want so badly to find bits of myself in characters that I love.
I’m the kind of person who looks for herself when she reads.
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