Jersey City’s Egypt
When the Statue of Liberty comes to mind, one tends to envision the hustle and bustle of New York City. Another place that rings a bell? France. After all, the mainstream narrative unravels a tale where the French bestowed the iconic figure upon America as a gift — becoming the absolute symbol of immigration and diversity that graciously greeted thousands who passed through Ellis Island. However, the Statue of Liberty is linked to two other locations most wouldn’t think of: Jersey City and Egypt. Nestled in the Hudson River between Jersey City and Manhattan, both the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island lay within New Jersey’s state lines. Designed for the entrance to the Suez Canal in Port Said, Egypt, Lady Liberty’s initial concept was “Egypt Carrying the Light to Asia (source: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/). A surprising fact to many, she was also reported to resemble a covered, Egyptian, Muslim woman.
Fast forward to 2017, and Jersey City is known as one of the most diverse cities in the world, let alone the East Coast. Just over 21 square miles, this Hudson County hub is a major intersection for residents of New Jersey. The PATH trains stop at Journal Square, Grove Street and Exchange Place, as thousands utilize the transportation system to commute within the New York City metropolitan area. The second largest city in the state is home to 271,566 people as of July 1, 2017 (source: newjersey.hometownlocator.com). Nicknamed the “6th Borough of New York City,” Jersey City is home to one of the largest Egyptian communities in the country.
Al Tawheed Islamic Center and St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Church are two houses of worship that Egyptian-Americans, both Muslim and Christian, visit daily. In fact, St. Mark’s is the first Coptic Orthodox Church in the country. The diaspora of Indians, Filipinos, and Puerto Ricans beautify Jersey City — and Egyptians also have a significant presence. Today, the youth of the Egyptian community in Jersey City have been flourishing, creating a future for themselves. They aim to leave a legacy, displaying just how the roots of their hometown and identity have shaped them.
Samar El-Sharkawy, a first-generation Egyptian-American was born and raised in Jersey City for the first 14 years of her life, until 2008. Now, she’s earning her Master’s degree of Medical Sciences in Physician Assistant Studies at MCPHS University in Massachusetts. “[In Jersey City] there are store signs in Arabic, access to Egyptian food and Coptic churches and mosques all around,” she says proudly. “You hear people speaking Arabic all over, they celebrate their culture in all ways which has normalized the culture to non-Egyptians in the city. Egyptians have bought a whole new sense of community to Jersey City and I feel like they paved the way for other Arabs and minorities to thrive,” voices El-Sharkawy.
A Jersey City native by the alias “Tamer” now living in Florida, recollects some of his best years, and worst years. “Even though I feel like Jersey City is one of the most diverse cities in the country, there are lot of prejudice and racist people.” His observations on a larger division within the large city’s community stuck out to him. “I feel like the people in the city should be a lot more accepting. Being an Egyptian, I saw a lot of hate towards us.” To Tamer, the myopic, misinformed view of fellow Americans reduced both Coptic and Muslim Egyptians in the area to a security issue.
One man who has made it his mission to give back to the city that gave him so much is Yousef Saleh. A Jersey City Public School graduate, Saleh is very familiar with the ins and outs of receiving an education as an Egyptian-American and Muslim-American. “I was born and raised in Jersey City and it has had an indelible impact on my understanding of the world. There is no place like it in the world as you are exposed to a kaleidoscope of different races, religions, origins, walks of life, that is seldom found in other areas and even other cities,” says Saleh. A Rutgers Law alum, Mr. Saleh ran an impressive campaign for the Jersey City Board of Education. More than just knowing what students need in the large city, Saleh insists he is the ideal candidate in regards to proper representation within the system. “The Egyptian community is very large within Jersey City. In fact, with regards to second languages go, Arabic is the second most spoken language by students in Jersey City. Egyptians represent a large majority of that population.”
A post-9/11 Jersey City has seen many trials and tribulations. A narrow Hudson River separating the city from lower Manhattan, the attacks on the World Trade Center that rocked the nation almost 17 years ago still has an impact on the residents of the Jersey metropolis. “Egyptians in Jersey City have been the targets of President Trump’s erroneous lie that Muslims were celebrating when 9/11 happened despite no record of it ever happening,” states Saleh. Trump’s empty claims has saddened and frustrated the Egyptian community in the city, as there is no proof of the fear-mongering he has spewed. Saleh continues, “There are elected officials that have only paid lip service to the Egyptian community or have been downright dismissive of our community’s concerns.”
“I remember seeing the smoke from the top floor of my elementary school and having to evacuate. I remember my mom picked me up and when we got home, she couldn’t stop crying while watching the news because it was such a tragedy,” recalls El-Sharkawy in response to Trump’s comments. “Personally, my family was on edge waiting to hear from my aunt who worked a block from the World Trade Center who we couldn’t get in contact with. What Trump said was another attempt to make Muslim-Americans seem “un-American” when in all reality, we are just as American and just as affected by all the good and bad that happens in this country.”
Still, these three Egyptian-Americans see a lot of potential for the city they love. They give credit to their hometown for shaping them into who they are today, while addressing growth that is crucial to maintaining its livelihood. Tamer’s recollections of being bullied in Kindergarten won’t leave his memory, however, he remains hopeful. “The diversity of the city is unreal and growing up in that definitely made me more accepting of everyone.” El-Sharkawy’s recent visit left her pondering the future of the city and its inhabitants. “I have noticed the gentrification of my birth place. It is heartbreaking to see Jersey City natives being forced out of their home, a home they worked so hard to create. The standards of living are still difficult, if not worse than when I lived there. A city full of culture and life deserves more, and its youth deserve more,” she mentions.
The Egyptian-American youth in Jersey City aim to build upon the foundation in which their parents left Egypt to give them a better life. El-Sharkawy watched as her both of her parents worked in order to give herself and her two siblings a chance at success. “I learned early on that I had to work hard and focus on my education if I wanted a life better than the one I had. Seeing the struggles of my parents shaped my path but seeing the struggles of those around me gave me perspective that I feel most people lack,” Samar says. Saleh too, reflects, “Initially, our parents who emigrated to the United States focused on survival and making ends meet.” His goal to serve the Jersey City community is linked back to his identity. “I look forward to making the Egyptian community proud and making sure their voices, their concerns, whether it is bullying, curriculum, or halal food, are addressed.”
It is without question this demographic enriches the fabric of its city on a daily basis, whether it be the enticing smells of a food cart, a Jersey City doctor who lovingly speaks to patients in Egyptian slang, or an aspiring artist. As the Statue of Liberty overlooks this historic, immigrant-loving community, it is inevitable to reflect on this icon’s original background. A focus on moving forward, a focus on what lies in between the hyphen between Egyptian and American, and what it means to be from Jersey City, without having a post-9/11 cloud lingering above almost two decades later, is desired more than ever.
