Making of Muna Muday transcript
Transcript
“The Making of Muna Muday”
Muna Muday: I came to Nashville in 2004 as a teenager. I was just twelve years old. I started in fourth grade and I spoke no English at all. So, I struggled my first time in school, just being a new refugee arrival, and in Nashville in general.
Muna Muday: But as time went on, although growing up I used to always be around the refugee peers and not really mingling with other students from different backgrounds, I think that was something that I wish I had never done. Because when I realized that I need to go outside my comfort zone, I feel like my world expanded and I began to see things differently and what I wanted to do with my future. Everything started making sense to me.
Muna Muday: The Somali community normally has a big household, so we are a total of ten. So, I have six brothers and three sisters, including me, so we have ten total. Although it could have been twelve, but I lost two of my siblings in the civil war in Somalia.
Muna Muday: When I was in the camps, my parents and my dad and his friends always used to listen to Somali music.
(traditional Somali song snippet)
Muna Muday: It wouldn’t be like young-style music, it would be like old-school music.
Muna Muday: There are a lot of Somali singers now today, and they are modernized Somali singers.
(contemporary Somali song snippet)
Muna Muday: Some of my friends that go to a lot of Somali parties, that’s all they listen to. But when I was younger and new to Nashville, I used to listen to a lot of country music, like Carrie Underwood was one of my favorites.
(Carrie Underwood song snippet)
Muna Muday: I like all kinds of music, but mostly I find myself listening to Bollywood music.
(Bollywood music snippet)
Muna Muday: And also, I like Beyonce.
(Beyonce song snippet)
Muna Muday: And I listen to a little bit of everything.
Muna Muday: So currently, we’re at a Somali coffee shop called The Horn. Today it’s kind of empty because it’s Ramadan, and a lot of people don’t eat throughout the day until sundown.
Mohamed Shukri: Funny thing is, Americans, when you tell them I’m fasting today, they’re like, “You guys don’t eat? Even water?!” Yeah, even water. So, we usually don’t eat or drink anything from sunrise to sunset. It’s also kind of a re-set, because you live in the world or community where some people have so much plenty and then some people have so little. So, you kind of re-set the community, and also it’s a month of charity, so it’s a really good thing for us.
Muna Muday: This is the month of peace, the month of forgiveness, the month of friendship, the month of being kind to your neighbors regardless of what faith they came from, so it really defines what our religion and faith really stands for.
Mohamed Shukri: Muna’s an amazing person in our community and she has really emerged as a leader, kind of a go-getter. I met her when she was a junior in high school, but I’ve seen her growing. And also, stories like this are very important in this space where our community in America is right now. So, I’m glad that you guys are doing this project with her.
Muna Muday: C’mon down! So, this is where I normally pick out my meat, normally this counter would be full of meat. Because of Ramadan, it’s kind of empty now. Specifically, halal meats. Somali traditional foods like spices, dates, oils. Yeah this is actually my favorite, I always pick this coffee. I can drink it anytime of the day, compared to American coffee or Columbian coffee. This is my favorite.
Muna Muday: Typically, in a Somali family, we eat a lot of fried foods. But as I got older, I started to look at online recipes, and looking at YouTube to incorporate also other types of cooking styles, not just the typical Somali food. Everybody in our household is just eating the fatty food or food with a lot of oil. It’s very hard to be the odd one who’s going for healthy options, it’s hard to do that.
Muna Muday: Right now, we are at one of the Somali shops where people normally buy clothes, women’s dresses, Somali typical wedding outfits, jewelry, lotions, everything that can bring us closer to home, you’ll find it here.
Muna Muday: Like any woman, we want to be up to date with the newest styles and trends. So, getting something from here and then matching it. Like as an example, I would buy a skirt from here and get my shirt from H&M. While also staying fairly modest, I try to just bring everything together. I see fashion as art, something you can be creative about.
Muna Muday: As I grow older and older, I just fall more in love with fashion and style. And I see women that were very successful dressing very classy, wearing high heels. And I’m like, I want to be like them, I think success and fashion go together.
Muna Muday: I didn’t feel like I had to stick with my Somali culture type of dressing, where they feel like you have to be covered from top to toe, because men will not be attracted to you. But I wanted to kind of change that stereotype. I wanted to feel how I wanted to feel. And that’s what I did.
Muna Muday: Also, when I’m going to a community of faith, I think about my clothes, when I’m going to meet a family member, or going to the Somali community. They consider wearing pants as a bad thing, that is you’re trying to dress like an American. So, I have to look a certain way for my community as well.
Muna Muday: So, when I was in the refugee camp, in order to use eyeliner, you never really had cosmetics. We used to use….you know those pots that you cook with? It will get really dark under. So many women in our culture used to get with their finger to get the black off the back of the pot top put it on as an eyeliner.
Muna Muday: So, when I came to the US and I saw people wearing lipstick, I was really in love with lip gloss. And there was a song called, “My Lip Gloss is Popping!” Something like that!
(“My Lip Gloss is Poppin’” song snippet)
Muna Muday: I started buying expensive make-up like Marc and I would go to Sephora. The people there will tell you about some the best-selling brands – Huda Beauty, Kylie Jenner, Anastasia. With or without make-up I would always feel confident and empowered. But the thing about make-up is that when people look at you, you’re like stress-free, you don’t have anything to worry about, you’re glowing. Somali people, the ones that know me, will be like, “You always wear make-up, you don’t have any stress, you’re living your best life, where are you going all the time glowing? Just a little touch to the woman I am.
Muna Muday: When I traveled to Dubai in 2017 to celebrate um undergraduate graduation, I started a business for my mom. So, she does home-based business, where she sells products to women in our community. But our target customers are older Somali women, not people in my age. I would never by something from my mom! I wanted her to be independent as well. My dreams are also her dreams, because whatever I achieve in my life, I’m also achieving it for her. It’s that women empowerment between a mother and a daughter.
Muna Muday: I always thought my Daddy did not like me. But especially that day when one of the guys from the community came to our house to ask for my hand in marriage. I was in high school, eleventh grade at the time. I wasn’t around at the time, but my Mom told me about it: “Your Daddy told that family that they should come bac after you get your Bachelor’s or Master’s degree,” because you’re still in high school and he wants you to get your education. They left and never came back ever again!
Muna Muday: Whenever I remember that day, I don’t have any words to describe my father. He saved my life. Because all my friends were getting married, and I just wanted to be like them and get married and have kids. So, no matter where I go, how far I go in life, I will always give my Daddy credit. My whole success, I give him all the credit.
(Ramadan prayer in Arabic)
Muna Muday: Ramadan means a lot to me, as spiritual nourishment. After eleven months of going after life and going about our typical life, having this one particular month is like you can feel the blessings. It feels so spiritual and holy.
Muna Muday: For me, I come from a society, a culture, a community, where women are known for particular roles. But a lot of women, especially women in my generation, are going into a different world. And it’s not the same world as my mom or my grandmother. So, every single day, I’m still trying to fight the particular label of how you should be a woman in our community.
Muna Muday: I would advise that, go out of your comfort zone and see what the world has to offer. Find yourself. You never know what life can bring back.
