New Country,New School: Recognizing and Supporting Afghan Families’ Cultural and Religious Practices in U.S. Schools

Case Narrative

Although he initially resists, Nazim decides to let his mother hold his hand on the way into his new elementary school in the United States. His mother’s other hand grasps the hand of his younger sister, Fatima; this is Fatima’s first-ever day of formal schooling. Nazim’s anxiety begins to rise as the trio approaches the double doors of Mountain View Elementary School. He recalls the explanations of Miss Olivia, the kind K–12 school liaison working with Haven of Hope, a refugee-serving organization that helped his family find housing in their new community and learn where to buy groceries. They invited Miss Olivia to their apartment, where they offered her green tea, simple cakes, and a variety of dried fruits. While in their home, Miss Olivia explained as best she could what to expect at the new school. But, Nazim continues to worry that everything will be different from his other school in Afghanistan; plus, he is not confident yet in using English. He gets exhausted trying to understand what people are saying when his family is out. He and Fatima feel safest and most comfortable at their apartment. More critically, he deeply misses his friends and running around playing soccer with them. He even misses his teacher, Mr. Malik, who could be strict but who also laughed often with his young charges. He wonders if Mr. Malik is still teaching back home. He thinks, too, about his cousin’s teacher, Miss Akhtar. Is she still teaching? He hopes she can since Miss Akhtar is a primary school teacher. Will the Taliban ban this too? Since the Taliban took control of his country and city, females have been banned from various kinds of employment. Females cannot attend middle school, high school, or university anymore. Here in the United States, Nazim’s family is glad his sister and female cousins can continue their education, but he worries about the long-term prospects of the girls and women he knew back home.

Mountain View is in a school district that has about 18,000 students. Like districts across the country, they struggle to accurately count the number of newcomer and refugee students in their district. The district’s tally is 271 newcomer students out of their total population, but they know this count is likely low. They have 1,502 students identified as English Learners (ELs), and the district estimates that 73 languages are spoken. At least 300 elementary students had scores on a screener test, WIDA ACCESS, consistent with newcomer status. The district has newcomer programs for middle and high school students, but not at the elementary level, which makes it hard for the district to know who is considered a “true” newcomer.

Before their first visit to Mountain View, Miss Olivia had explained the school enrollment process to Nazim’s mother during a visit to Haven of Hope. Together, they filled out paperwork about his and Fatima’s educational and language history. They had assistance from a Dari-speaking Afghan refugee who had been in their city for at least a year and could communicate fairly well in English. Nazim and Fatima were not in the room during this conversation; they were busy looking at picture books in another room. They even found a few books with pictures of children who looked and dressed like them; the buildings in the stories also reminded them of back home. When the conversation with Miss Olivia finished, their mom, Benesh, told them the name of their school and the start date; she would still have to submit their enrollment documents through something called a school “online portal” that had a special name but was different from other “portal” names the school used. She said Miss Olivia showed her Mountain View’s website on her computer. Everything was in English. They could tell it made her very nervous as she had begun taking English classes at Haven of Hope just a few months ago. She mentioned there was much new information to translate and understand. Furthermore, while their mom has a mobile phone to make calls, she has little exposure to using computers. She also has difficulty reading and writing in Dari, so back home, a family member sometimes would read documents aloud to help her accomplish tasks.

Nazim’s mother, Benesh, must read the concern and longing on his face, because she briefly leans down to remind him in Dari that two of his cousins will also attend Mountain View. This assurance eases the uncomfortable feeling in Nazim’s stomach. Nazim is happiest when playing with his cousins and sister. They played together on fun playgrounds in their Midwestern community for a couple of months over the summer. His father and uncle joined them sometimes on the weekends, a nice break from their jobs as mechanics, a profession they held back in Afghanistan. Nazim is determined to practice being brave, so he puts on a strong face for Fatima—although she mostly looks curious and eager.

Soon thereafter, one school door opens for them right before they reach it, and they see Dr. Williamson, Mountain View’s principal. She says, “Good morning, Nazim and Fatima!” in English. Dr. Williamson stumbles in pronouncing Nazim’s name but has a friendly smile. He relaxes a little more but feels anxious about navigating his whole school day—every day—in English. However, he is glad to recognize Dr. Williamson already. Miss Olivia from Haven of Hope had arranged for them to meet a couple of weeks ago to tour the school. Miss Olivia met them at Mountain View and introduced them to Dr. Williamson, who gave them a tour of the school. She walked them down hallways, pointed out a large cafeteria, had them duck their heads into a classroom, and—Nazim and Fatima’s favorite part—showed them a large playground and green field boasting soccer goalposts. Neither Fatima nor Nazim met their teachers during the visit, so today is the first time they will be introduced.

Dr. Williamson walks the trio down to Fatima’s classroom, where Fatima’s new teacher is ready to meet them. Fatima walks through the door eagerly and confidently. She waves goodbye to Nazim and offers her mother, Benesh, a quick hug. Benesh looks serious and a little sad but does not say anything more. They walk a few more minutes down another hall with Dr. Williamson and soon arrive at Nazim’s fifth-grade classroom. Dr. Williamson, Nazim, and his mother pause by the door. To some surprise, Nazim immediately notices boys and girls freely mixing and conversing with each other. They were separated at his home school in Afghanistan after the third grade. He is not sure how to feel about this switch. The classroom looks busy with many children engaged in various activities and chattering to each other. They soon spot the teacher leaning down and speaking rapidly to a couple of students sitting at a table. The teacher then raises her head and points her fingers to students across the room. Dr. Williamson calls out, “Good morning, Ms. Rhoades. I’m here to help welcome Nazim into your class for his first day of school.” Ms. Rhoades hurries to the door and politely says, “Hi, Nazim! Welcome to our class. We are happy to have you join us. Come on in!” A moment later, Dr. Williamson says, “Have a great first day, Nazim. Ms. Rhoades and the class are excited to meet you,” and she begins to turn away from him. His mother understands that Dr. Williamson is signaling that it is time for Nazim to transition into the classroom. Before she also turns away, she tells him, “I love you, Nazim, and I am proud of you. I know that you will make many friends here. Be a good boy, and listen to your teacher.” Nazim starts to step forward, when his mother quickly tells him in Dari, “also, don’t forget to ask your teacher for a quiet place to pray before lunch.”

Praying multiple times from dawn into the evening is a practice Nazim has engaged in for several years now, and it is an important part of his and his family’s Muslim faith. His mother then tells Dr. Williamson and Ms. Rhoades, “My Nazim must pray at school at noon.” After hearing this, Nazim looks at the busy class again and feels worried; he cannot see any space in the class not occupied by his new classmates or furniture. Tables that seat four students at a time are grouped together, and a desk for his teacher sits near the front of the room. He notices an assortment of colorful, different-sized bookcases and longer tables fully lining two classroom walls. He thinks about his two cousins, who also pray at midday, and whether it will also be difficult for them to find a quiet place in their respective classrooms. As Nazim wonders about his cousins, he sees a confused look cross Ms. Rhoades’ face, and he sees her make eye contact with Dr. Williamson. Ms. Rhoades hesitates, and Dr. Williamson says, “Many of our Christian students pray silently at their desks.” Ms. Rhoades quickly echoes Dr. Williamson’s comment, saying, “Yes, I have many students who take a moment to pray at their desks before lunch.” Nazim looks at his mother and sees from Benesh’s expression that she does not fully understand what Dr. Williamson and Ms. Rhoades said, so he briefly translates for her as best he can. His mother immediately looks concerned and like she wants to say more, but she does not press the issue. Nazim can tell that his mother is uncertain of how to explain the importance of this practice to the school principal in English. He also imagines that she does not feel comfortable pressing the issue with the principal as this school, its customs, and the administrator are new to her. She says nothing further, dropping the subject, and gives Nazim one last look that is harder to interpret. A moment later, Benesh walks away with Dr. Williamson back down the hall. Ms. Rhoades puts her hand gently but firmly on Nazim’s shoulder, turns him toward the classroom, and says, “Welcome to fifth grade, Nazim. Let’s go find your seat.”

Nazim walks into the class with Ms. Rhoades when he suddenly remembers with trepidation that he must also navigate lunch. How will he communicate in English to Ms. Rhoades that the food he eats needs to be halal or food that is permissible based on Islamic tradition? Does she know that there are certain foods he cannot eat? The Haven of Hope K–12 school liaison, Miss Olivia, told him, Fatima, and his family about the school day and how lunches are handled, but he cannot remember her helpful suggestions on how to explain this to his new teacher. He does not see anyone in the class who looks like him and is confident that no one else in the class speaks Dari. As Nazim and Ms. Rhoades approach what he assumes will be his seat, he does not say anything more as a knot of anxiety forms in the pit of his stomach.

Teaching Notes

The world is in a deep humanitarian crisis (Arar et al., 2019). An unprecedented number of people are being displaced from their homes due to political conflict in fragile states, war, violence, and natural disasters across every region of the globe. The United Nations estimated that more than 100 million people were displaced in 2022 alone (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees [UNHCR], 2022). Many will be unable to return to their home countries, communities, and ways of life due to fears of violence or persecution based on their gender, race, and/or political beliefs. International law stipulates that they deserve protection from persecution. They may initially seek asylum in a camp in a secondary country. While there, they will start a lengthy process of applying for asylum to a third country through the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR, n.d.). Although refugee camps are designed to be temporary shelters for displaced persons, many people spend years waiting in these camps where education is inconsistent, disjointed, or non-existent (Arar, Örücü et al., 2022). As they wait, government agencies at the international and national levels coordinate complex legal and vetting processes to verify asylum seekers’ claims to a “credible” fear of persecution or threat to their lives (United Nations, 2023). Of the 27 million refugees globally, approximately 1% have the opportunity to resettle in a third country (International Rescue Committee [IRC], 2023).

The United States is one of 29 countries that receive people seeking refuge. U.S. Customs and Immigration Services (USCIS) determines who can permanently reside in the country and gain authorization to work, and the refugee resettlement vetting process takes approximately 2 years (USA for UNHCR, 2023). Historically, the United States has averaged 95,000 refugee admissions annually; however, this number fell to an all-time low from 2019 to 2021. Only 15,000 refugee admissions were allowed in 2021. The Biden Administration is attempting to reverse course. For F.Y. 2023, the admissions ceiling was raised to 125,000 (IRC, 2023). In 2021, the top three origin countries of refugees to the United States included the Democratic Republic of Congo, Syria, and Sudan (USA for UNHCR, 2023). However, by 2023, approximately 7 in 10 refugees came from Syria, Venezuela, Ukraine, Afghanistan, and South Sudan (UNHCR, 2023a).

The Taliban takeover of Kabul and the rapid departure of U.S. troops in August 2021 from Afghanistan resulted in the hasty evacuation of hundreds of thousands of Afghans. More than 1 million Afghans had left their country by February 2022, with hundreds more departing daily to neighboring Iran, Pakistan, and elsewhere. Under Taliban rule, Afghanistan has experienced economic collapse, jobs and livelihoods drying up, and devastating levels of food insecurity (Goldbaum & Akbary, 2022). The Taliban has also imposed specific, gendered policies and practices toward females where “Women have seen their rights obliterated” (Council on Foreign Relations, 2023). One critical right taken away is their right to education. Females are now banned from secondary and higher education, reversing over two decades of progress to expand girls’ and women’s educational access. The stark reality is that 80% of Afghan girls and young women should be in school are not (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization [UNESCO], 2023).

Beyond Afghanistan’s context, there are significant educational barriers for those who must leave their countries of origin. The percentage of refugee-background individuals who access tertiary education is dire: Only 7% of refugees across the globe attend higher education (UNHCR, 2023b). At the primary level, only 61% of refugee children attend primary school compared with 91% of children not from refugee backgrounds (Arar et al., 2022). More educational opportunities arise once families and young newcomers are in politically stable states and communities with established educational systems and policies. In the United States, access to public PK–12 school is a legal right for every child regardless of immigration status (Plyler v. Doe, 1982). The 1974 Supreme Court case Lau v. Nichols requires schools to strive to provide services to English Learners (ELs) equal to those provided to non-EL students. Schools are also obligated to engage meaningfully with parents and use sound instructional approaches (Castañeda v. Pickard, 1978; Sugarman, 2021). However, other academic and socioemotional considerations should be considered when working with refugee students. Children from refugee backgrounds may come to school with trauma, uncertainty, and feeling isolated; they may arrive with either interrupted or no formal education. Furthermore, once in the United States, they can face discrimination based on their cultural, religious, and linguistic backgrounds or how their race is socially constructed (Arar, 2021; Brion, 2021; Dryden-Peterson, 2015; López et al., 2019). Students may also need help learning English (Arar & Örücü, 2022).

School leaders and educators must ensure refugee students and families are welcomed and integrated into their new schooling environment (Arar & Örücü, 2022; Crawford, 2023). U.S. schools have different cultural norms than the schools where newcomer students would have attended in their home countries. Therefore, establishing trusting relationships with refugee newcomers is a critical first step. To cultivate trust, Afghan-American scholar Zuhra Faizi (2022) suggests that K–12 educators prioritize (a) creating safe classrooms, (b) community connections, and (c) quality learning. She emphasizes that educators must engage authentically with new students and intentionally foster an “openness to discussion of hard questions and become comfortable learning about culture, religion, and conflict.” Faizi cautions that this process is not a short-term endeavor: educators need curiosity, self-reflection on their own discomforts, and awareness that things take time. She notes that most Afghan newcomers’ first experiences with education are in mosques; thus, Islamic concepts are central for them. These formative experiences are frequently a precursor to their formal education. Therefore, Faizi takes care in her work to use Islamic and recognizable culturally related concepts that reflect Afghan children’s sociocultural realities.

More specific to school leaders, leaders can engage in various actions to promote an inclusive school environment for refugee-background students. Leaders can (a) create a shared vision and mission for this work; (b) design open, inclusive, and transparent processes to gather and engage the involvement and perspectives of all educational and community stakeholders; (c) ensure that programming and activities connect to school priorities; (d) empower students by finding ways to recognize and celebrate refugee students’ resilience, knowledge, and leadership capabilities; (e) engage with immigrant parents, families, and local community members; and, (f) provide professional development for both leaders and teachers (Guo-Brennan & Guo-Brennan, 2019). In addition, accommodating religiously based practices can foster inclusion in a new space (Arar & Örücü, 2022; Frid & Alexander, 2022).

Finally, leaders must prepare to counter xenophobic and anti-immigrant discourses (Akay & Jaffe-Walter, 2021; Crawford, 2017). The case narrative above presents only one of many situations that can arise during the integration of newcomer students in U.S. classrooms. Situations will vary. They may include several related events, including bullying from other students, traumatic triggers in classroom discussions, and a host of differences related to cultural practices in U.S. classrooms that differ from around the world. All newcomer students have a right to an equal education to their peers, so school leaders must reflect on their practices because the number of displaced peoples continues to increase.