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Show AA4 TheSalt Lake Tribune OPINION Sunday, February 16, 2003 Living at the Crossroads of Cultures — East and West UTAH VOICES accompanied my mother to see himforthe first time since his arrest, | remember so vividly looking at himandnot recog nizing him. He had been tortured to the point where even my mother could notrecognize him The transfor- , mation from the innocence childhood to that of understanding I suppose because of my dress and head the political real. ity and learning to cover, they somehow expect that I, with broken En glish, would namea foreign home. land as o 2 I still get the strangest looks frompolite and curious Utahns who ask where I am from, and then hear me reply that | am from Utah. Since 9-11, | also get angry looks from a few culture-poor, arrogant people when they shout, “go home!” “But Lam home,” I say deal with the loss of any sense of safety and secu rity occurred in- ABTIHAL RAJI- I am very stantly. JI-KUBBA proud of my heritage, but I have chosen to comeandtolive in Utah longer than any other place, so it is home to me. I dress differently. | am not from the dominant faith group. lam proud of my heritage, andI am not apologetic about being different. Being in Utah does Everyone had to learn to adapt to a new reality of terror. Forseveral years I watched my dearest family and friends suffer, but at the sametime I ex. perienced the resilience of their spirits and the power of their determination. That in a while being physically “terrorists.” present and amongst people but What makes people assume thatone is a foreigner? Whatis mentally absent. | always go back to my roots and upbring- ing. I remember that I am a product of so many cultures, and manylife experiences. I have traveled several roads. My identity is complex. Mybelonging is not to oneplaceor eth: nicity, but toa set of values that 1 believe are common to humanity. I find myselflabeled as “too by some traditional. 00 traditional” by some . “not Americanized” by some Americans, and “too American” for some non-Americans. Is therereally one right way of being? It is the one question that consistently comes to my mind it that makes us look at someone as an “outsider”and assign ourselves the right to discriminate against them or question their belonging? Who and what do we “Americans” label and accept as “American.”Is it a certain look, philosophy, faith group, interest or value system? More important, what makes one a minority?Is it a look, ethnicity, gender,dress style or lifestyle? Mostofus then should be classified as minorities. AndI will certainly make up a newdefi- nition for myself of multidimensional minority. And I am determined to make mine a success story. I am encouraged by the taught me to hope and believe t, adapt to change, embrace slebrate people, learn after 9-11, perhaps more than Utahns who celebrate diversi- not change who andwhatI am. ty. [have found someof my best But lam aUtahn. In fact, | get even stranger iversity and appreciate everbecause I am watching my two U.S.-born sons shape their ry day NeverdidI think that one day| would be living in Utah. Even now, I catch myself once y hearing news broadcasters irresponsibly interchanging the words “Muslims” and looks frommyfriends from the East and Westcoasts and from family members who live in identities. I also am continu and dearest friends among Utahns. They showrespect, kindness, and polite interest and curiosity. I am enlightened by the courageous people EuropeandCanada. They won: der what in the first place brought meto Utah, and what sociallife there is for any pro: fessional woman in Utah, let alone one who is so visibly different. They, of course, don't know for starters how addictively beautiful the Utah mountains and deserts are. They agree nyonsis agift that They admire the placeas tourists, but genuinely question how someoneso different can function here. My experience living in and adapting to different cultures and circumstances, social and political, has taught me that onecan learn tolive and find commonalities with all people. Also, that onecan find hopein the chaosof hopelessness. 1 was born andraised in a comfortablelifestyle and had a very happy family life in Bagh: dad, Iraq. Contrary to common, stereotypical perceptions, the women in my social and family life were treated with respect, were outspoken, opinionated to a frustrating degree, educated, professional and full oflife. Many,ifnot most, of the women did not choose to cover their hair. While theruling party in the late ‘70s sameas thecurrent ruling party under Saddam Hussein was pushing Soviet socialist ideologies, 1, as a youngteenager, became aware of the question of identity and made a choice to practice my religion. ssing modestly is a religious recommendation with a social agenda.It is intended to shift the focus in valuing women from physical appearance to intellectual contribu: tion. It also, at that timein Iraq, made a_ social-political statement against the socialist ideology the government was pushingonpeople Whenpolitical persecution became a reality in my life at the age of 9, | grew up overnight. My father was among the first groups of influential pro: fessionals that the government of Saddam identified as a threat. Onenight he simply did not come home. He had been blindfolded and taken at gun point from his office. A few months later, when I Come and learn, That's what I tell other nurses, no matter howJong they've been on Rai aly WSN a ts aod the job, Consider a position at the University of Utah Hospital. 'The depth ofexperience gain here is limitless, | really like the fact that I get to work with great nurses andphysicians. We'learn from cach other everyday~ it a mutually beneficial relationship.University Hospitalearning is encouraged, they even offer a great tuition reimbursement plan, Best ofall, because ofthe level of expertise here, we see andparticipateproviding advanced medical care that other facilities may not be able tohandle, rare opportunities to learn — opportunities | wouldn't get at hospitals. other but feelingvery accomplished and rewarded. University Hospital provides specialized care, from the level Gane tain lor the opportunity to have a foattending interfaith group cused eye on this country that meetings and acquiring knowledge instead of passing is still trying to be a true meitjudgment ing pot. , On the other _ ee Belonging is hand, I am disan experience. It creel cay Myfather wes personal experiences with prejamongthe first udice and even * ial violation in the 87OUpS ofinflue nameofcultural, professionals that the ethnic and reli- P fe gious superiorigovernment of ty. This igno: . rance is not lim- Saddam identified as ited to ay ~ a threat. One night group of people. It even includes he simply did not ingwhoyou n are to fit ex one-size-an' colorsce ss Vitonment. have had to find “u A = ‘ion jonging. Belonging is =ae n live ro ae com: munit peo- familyjude come home. He had pie,regardlessot whotold methat lindfolded and »ow got here or my “traditional been ifo a how I am clothing” of my taken at gunpoint ie mae from his office. “pri Americanized” a than he would like to have seen. He was implying, of course, that my head scarf and modest but Italiantailored business suit somehow were indications of my not accepting “the Americanlife.” Being an insider, but feeling like an outsider, has given me . | pace e, as icans Amer- and Utahns, mustal- ways remember that we belong to a bigger and richer world of people who all are different from one another. AbtihalRaji-Kubba is an en- gineer working for a medicaldevices company. She has lived in Utah for 16 years. |
