As the nation celebrates its 250th year, immigrants share why they chose America and what its liberties mean
“Beautiful” and “resilient.” That’s how Modupe Adewunmi, an independent nonprofit consultant, who was born in Nigeria described America at its best.
As America celebrates its 250th year, the Recorder asked how people who chose to live in America, viewed the country today.
Hoosier hospitality
When Salma Taman, the development director for Pattern Inc., first imagined living in America, she pictured Chicago or New York, or cities like the movies she had seen.
“And when I came to Indiana, it was very different,” Taman said. “I always joked that it felt like Egypt in the ‘70s. I changed my mind about all of that. I now love Indiana. I love being here; this is exactly where I belong.”
Taman, who joined her husband in America after meeting him in her home country of Egypt, hopes other immigrants have the same experience she did. She felt welcomed and supported, particularly in Indiana.
“Indiana especially blew my mind,” Adewunmi said. She found pockets of immigrant communities in her travels around the state working in refugee resettlement. “There are people who genuinely are kind, loving, and really want to get to know their neighbors.”
Najia Sherzad Hoshmand, born in Afghanistan, is the founder of the Afghan American Community Center, a nonprofit that provides resources, advocacy, referrals, and a welcome to individuals and families arriving from Afghanistan, according to their website. The organization also aims to share their culture with others through community outreach and engagement, Hoshmand said.
“When I had just arrived here in the U.S. and in Indiana, I heard a lot about the Hoosier hospitality,” Hoshmand said. “And then over the years, I have experienced it myself personally, and I’m really amazed by the level of hospitality and kindness that I have seen in Hoosiers and the people that have stepped up to and support they newly arrived Afghan community.”
Hoshmand aims to connect the two cultures through ongoing outreach.
“We do try to participate in a lot of events, (providing) cross-cultural education … building those bridges between communities,” Hoshmand said, such as their annual Afghan Cultural Festival where they share their heritage with the broader community in Indiana. She said Afghan and American cultures have some values in common such as empathy, supporting each other, contributing to a good cause and volunteering.
‘The land of milk and honey’
Before coming to America, Adewunmi and her peers joked that America is the “land of milk and honey,” where everything is set up for your success. She came to the U.S. during Obama’s election, which made her feel like she was in the right place at the right time.
Adewunmi knows firsthand the value of what America offers. She said infrastructure such as running water, electricity, roads and education are things that some U.S.-born citizens may not always recognize as privileges. Her home country of Nigeria was at one point ruled by a military regime and she has also lived in Austria, a country where the Holocaust took place, helping her understand on a deep level the American appeal.
“One of the allures of America is democracy, right?” Taman said, noting the importance of the First Amendment and the Constitution. “Everybody is entitled to be whoever they want to be. As long as they respect the freedoms of the others, you can be who you are, you can say what you want, within the constraints of the law, of course.”
Having guaranteed freedoms that no one will take away from you is the allure for most immigrants, Taman said, and what she loves most about America is the freedom to fully be herself.
“I’m a woman. I’m Arab. I’m Muslim. I’m an immigrant. And in America, I’ve been able to embrace all of those parts of my identity,” Taman said. “I pursued my education. I built a career. I contributed to my community and created a life that reflects who I am. And for this, I’m so grateful.”
To maintain their safety, Hoshmand and her family left Afghanistan when the Taliban regained control of her home country.
“I think it has given my family safety, … access to education and ability to build a new life without the fear,” Hoshmand said, who had daily concerns about her and her family’s safety in Afghanistan. “And as you know, especially that the women have access to freedom and have their rights. They can exercise their civil rights here.”
However, Adewunmi recognized that along with the opportunities the country offers, there are very real challenges for many Americans.
“Until you arrive, you don’t realize it’s a struggle,” Adewunmi said. “A lot of people are struggling, just like when you go anywhere around the world, there is your upper class, middle class; there’s also the working class. And it is not so much different from wherever you see yourself in the world.”
‘Why stop now?’
For people who have grown up in a democracy, Taman said it can sometimes be taken for granted.
“You don’t know what it looks like when you can’t depend on democracy, when you can’t depend on the rule of law, when you can’t depend on your rights in the Constitution,” Taman said, adding that what many immigrants bring to the table is the understanding of what it looks like when a democracy “starts to unravel,” which is part of why she is so outspoken.
A self-described “citizen of the world,” Adewunmi came to America as the daughter of a Nigerian diplomat. She recognizes that her journey was one of privilege, compared to many others who arrived with fewer resources. However, having lived in multiple countries, she still finds something unique about America.
“I think about things where we can work together to make things happen,” Adewunmi said. “And this is what I think America has built itself on and why stop now? It only makes us stronger and better because a lot of other countries are homogeneous. So, this country is really a representation of how it should be in the world.”
Taman said the American promise is something to continuously strive for and “it requires constant work.”
“… Democracies are strongest when citizens remain engaged, when they participate in civic life, and when they stand up for the rights and freedoms of others, and understanding that once freedom is violated, even if it’s not your own, that is a danger for you,” Taman stated.
She said this is the time to speak up and be brave, that our freedoms are “interconnected,” and that defending others’ rights preserves one’s own. Taman hopes to help other newcomers and new generations of Americans live that dream, to fully embrace themselves, and have the freedom to speak freely.
“When we say America has to continue to look after its democracy, its Constitution, its freedoms, its people, this is not out of criticism; this is just upholding the image of America that we love and aspire to,” Taman said.
Contact Editor-in-Chief Camike Jones at camikej@indyrecorder.com or 317-762-7850.
Camike Jones is the Editor-in-Chief of the Indianapolis Recorder. Born and raised in Indianapolis, Jones has a lifelong commitment to advocacy and telling stories that represent the community.
