The women of Islam are often seen as symbols of tradition and cultural identity. As one scholar noted, "It is as if the whole burden of the Islamic tradition rests on their shoulders." In America the role of Muslim women becomes even more significant and complex as they are not only the bearers and representatives of their culture but they are expected to be the ambassadors by forging new pathways into the western culture with  language, education and employment. Asthey carve these pathways their own values often put them in conflict with the surrounding culture. A family's reputation is often judged by the actions of their daughter as she is not only their mirror, but also their future.

 

These photographs look at the lives of Muslim, Somali teenage girls living in Portland, Maine, straddling the line between Islam and western culture, how they integrate—and how they don’t—what parts of their culture they carry forward, and what they leave behind – living on both sides of the veil.