I loved reading this article today in the Times. I love immigrant stories, they've got a soft spot in my heart. Feel bad for the girl at school she has no friends.
When I was in school me and my jewish and asian friend would always sit with the people who were made fun of etc. We knew what it was like and we had fun. I always had the most eclectic lunch group of friends. We were the 'outcasts' and we loved it. lol, when the school wanted to tout its 'diversity' it always took pictures of my group, ignoring the rest of the room which was split down racial lines. Me and the white kids just never got along too well. At first I tried to be like them and be 'prep' like. It just wasn't me. People always thought that I was odd that most of my friends were city kids (to de-segregate the schools we bus 'city kids' (black students) from the city to the suburbs) and religion didn't play apart in who I was friends with. I had a budhist, muslim, jewish, hindu friend. Along with a Philopino kid who I grew up with, a rich chinese kid who was a jokster and a mormon. lol good times.
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[h1] A Cleric's Journey Leads to a Suburban Frontier[/h1]
Sheik Reda Shata and his wife, Omyma, find life in Middletown, N.J., full of unexpected pleasures, like shopping at the nearby Costco.
NY Times
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