Welcome to Ask a Syrian Girl, a Teen Vogue web series that follows a group of young women forced to flee their home country to escape a brutal civil war. Navigating America for the first time, they share their dreams and fears about the future while breaking down stereotypes and misconceptions about what it means to be a Syrian refugee.
In this video, six Syrian women who came to the United States through the refugee resettlement program talk about their plans for the future. They are honest about the things they miss in Syria — their families, their neighbors, their homes. But they also talk about what this new country means for them. They are finding friends, making connections, and forging a community together; they love to go shopping and play in the park. They have a sense of safety for the first time in a long time. This video shows their strength, resilience, and bravery in the face of war and the impossible task of starting over in a brand new country.
In this video, young Syrian women speak out against common misconceptions they have heard about Islam. There's a perception that all Muslims are terrorists — which is not only wrong, but can be deeply hurtful to those who often experience hostility because of their religion. They value education for women. They wear their hijabs as a sign of their devotion God. They do not support terrorism; they value peace. Make a Muslim friend and you will learn—they’re just like anyone else.
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In this video, young Syrian women explain why they left Syria. Stereotypes about refugees are confusing our current political conversations. This misinformation about what it means to be a refugee has led to anti-refugee policies in the U.S. They talk about they went through before leaving: what they experienced in the brutal war in Syria, what life was like when they fled as asylum-seekers to neighboring countries, and what it felt like when they learned their families would be resettled in the United States after an intense, two-year process.
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Related: Meet an 18-Year-Old Syrian Refugee Who Is Championing Girls' Education Rights
