Caroline Judd

Sharing his Pakistani culture through the Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange & Study (YES) program, sophomore Muzamil Umar wears a shalwar kameez and a khapol to school. Umar has enjoyed sharing his culture through clothes and presentations to his classes. “When people think of Pakistan, the common thought is terror or terrorists. I don’t want people to think that is what Pakistan is all about. We don’t want people to be afraid of our country,” Umar said. “I am so grateful to change the misconception of American people because many people had wrong thoughts about the people in Pakistan.”

Sixteen-year-old Muzamil Umar traveled 7,556 miles across the globe from Pakistan to attend school as a foreign exchange student his sophomore year.

When Umar was just a kid, he received information about the Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange & Study (YES) program.

“I was preparing myself for this experience since I was seven years old, so when I was eligible to apply, I was so excited,” Umar said.

Umar was one of 17,000 students that applied for 75 spots early in 2017, when he was 15.

“So far, I have been adapting well. I love hanging out with my host brother, Umer Mallick, and his friends on the weekends. I have learned that the best thing to do is be adaptable,” Umar said. “An important thing for an exchange student to know is that if you are not flexible enough, you won’t be able to overcome the struggles that you face.”

There are a lot of differences in the culture between the United States and Pakistan according to Umar, the academics and food being the main two, but he is not fazed.

“On the first day of school, I had one page with my schedule on it and my backpack. I probably looked lost looking for my classes, but everyone was so helpful,” Umar said. “There were not many struggles for me [to find my classes] because everyone was so nice. I have to say I am very thankful to all of the people here for being so helpful in my experience.”

Umar believes school is easier here because he is allowed the choice of which courses he enrolls.

“I am taking Astronomy and Leadership along with other basic classes. In Pakistan, it is compulsory to take eight subjects which are preferred by the State Education Department,” Umar said. “Here, you are not required to take classes like chemistry. You have choice in most of your classes, which is nice because there is a better chance of them being easier, and easier classes leave more time to enjoy.”

Umar has learned to appreciate the freedoms of the American culture as well.

“All cultures have their unique things about them whether it is how you dress up or what you eat, but everything in general is just different in the United States. My first four months have been really great here. I am trying so many new things,” Umar said. “In Pakistan, I never learned how to swim. Since I have been in America, I have gotten over my fear of water, and I plan to learn how to swim soon.”

Umar wore shalwar kameez and a khapol on the first day of second semester to express his culture.

“I was supposed to wear it once already, but I didn’t end up wearing it. I was a bit hesitant because I didn’t know what people would think about it,” Umar said. “Then, my host brother offered to wear it with me, which made me even more confident and excited to wear it.”

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Umar appreciates his food back home because it has a certain taste, a spicy one, that does not change no matter where you are in the world.

“We eat really spicy foods in Pakistan. It is more ‘real’ food there. Like most foreign exchange students though, I prefer my own type of food in the United States because the food of your homeland has its own original taste,” Umar said. “In the United States, people eat more fast foods like burgers and pizza.”

Umar presented a Powerpoint to his math class sharing information about the geography, language, history and the current leaders of Pakistan. He plans to present to his English class second semester along with any other classes, given the opportunity.

“When I presented [in math], people were shocked. They thought my country was a desert, but then I showed them pictures of the landscape, and they said ‘that looks like a cool place to live’,” Umar said. “It was so good to hear. People have wrong information and wrong perceptions about Pakistan and other places in general. I was really proud to present.”

Umar emphasized how the purpose of a foreign exchange program is to reciprocate something.

“You exchange cultures and techniques to remove the misconceptions people have,” Umar said. “I have learned that the students just misunderstand my country and my culture. Once I teach them about it, the misconceptions are erased. Everyone’s reactions have been positive, and I’m happy the majority of the people know about my country now.”

By coming to the United States, Umar hopes to change American perceptions of his country.

“When people think of Pakistan, the common thought is terror or terrorists. I don’t want people to think that is what Pakistan is all about. We don’t want people to be afraid of our country,” Umar said. “I am so grateful to change the misconception of American people because many people had wrong thoughts about the people in Pakistan. Then they saw me, and they were like ‘yes, Pakistan is not too bad.’ People should study deeply before considering things that could be wrong.”