Ayesha is a 15 year old Afghan refugee who migrated to the United States in 2021.

Ayesha, a 15-year-old Afghan refugee who migrated to the United States in 2021, emphasized the social and cultural challenges of adapting to a new country. Although Ayesha herself didn’t experience mental health issues, she has observed that anxiety and depression are common among newly arrived Afghan refugees. In reference to the migration experience, Ayesha said, “With most people I know, they went through very bad and challenging years.” Regarding her personal challenges, Ayesha experienced difficulties forming friendships, as she lacked English proficiency for the first few months in the U.S. The language barrier barred her from approaching students at her public school and left her feeling isolated from her peers. Beyond language, Ayesha also experienced stereotyping relating to her religion and hijab. While Ayesha was eventually provided a place to pray at school, she noticed that most of the other Afghan students in her class were too afraid to pray in public. She believes that schools could better support Afghan refugee students by increasing cultural awareness and creating welcoming environments for them to practice religion.