My friend and I are planning our first overseas trip together and we're trying to decide on where to go. We're from Malaysia and my friend is a Muslim who wears a hijab. We're considering going to the US because one of our other friends is going to university there. So we would probably like to s...
I've lived in the Washington, DC area for over 20 years and I've never seen anyone accosted for being Muslim or wearing Hijab. People are still openly wearing Hijab on the street. 99.9+% of Americans have no interest in persecuting anyone over religion. It's just not something we do here.
I second @RobertColumbia... despite what you may have read or some might believe, it's not how we behave, nor how many of us think. Mostly, Americans are open and welcoming, and tolerant, and the US is one of the most multicultural countries in the world (as is Malaysia).
Like I'm sure America is still a civilised country What made you think otherwise ? Dimwits exist in every part of the world and they are in minority. And the minority shouldn't affect your decision in how the majority will behave.
@DumbCoder "What makes you think otherwise?" Maybe it has something to do with the asker being Muslim and nearly half the people in the US voting for a presidential candidate who wants to ban Muslims from entering the country, require registration of Muslims, and so on?
Nobody can guarantee that she won't get stared at, abused or have trouble going through customs, they can only guess as to how likely or unlikely it is. The truth of the matter is that these things do happen, so there is always a chance that she will run into someone wanting to harass her. (That's not just true about America, the same could be said of many European countries.) It's likely that it won't happen, but nobody can say that it categorically won't.
I feel I should point out, that California and Texas are basically at opposite ends of the spectrum of american politics and culture. I'm a Californian living in Texas. Living in California, I saw hijabs all the time, I have not seen many out here in Dallas. OTOH, Texas prides themselves on "southern hospitality", and are very welcoming in their own way. Like @Pharap said, it's highly likely that nobody will care, especially in cities, where there is a much more diverse population than in some very rural areas.
@DumbCoder I think OP was saying "obviously America's been in the news a lot lately because of your government, but I'm sure the majority of people still act civilized." So you are agreeing with them, but a minority can certainly still cause someone a lot of problems. But personally, as an American, I kinda laughed at that and had to wonder if OP was giving us too much credit.
The risk is nonzero now, but I'm pretty sure it's way safer than visiting most Muslim countries for someone looking westerner ;) I want to visit Tunisia, but the recent several terrorist attacks on touristic locations are giving me pause. However, well, one has to face the world at a certain point.
The British press has been reporting a mail British, Muslin teacher (no dual nationality or other complications) who with colleagues was escorting a group of children on a school trip. They had stopped off at Iceland and were then on the plane to the US when he was removed by American officials without explanation. Our Government has demanded an explanation but have apparently not received any response yet. Your friend may have all her papers in order and no suspicious activities in her past but can still be rejected at the last minute for no apparent reason.
On the other side, when a man made racist and terrorist accusations to some Pakistani passengers on a domestic United flight, he was reported by several people sitting nearby, and he was removed from the plane. 22 Feb 2017
@DavidRicherby - please go elsewhere to voice your political opinions, as this site is about travel. Also, it would be nice if you keep in mind that Americans had a very difficult choice between two equally bad candidates. Someone voting for Trump does not indicate lack of intelligence OR culture, and we certainly don't need to spread that idea to people asking questions about travel restrictions or expectations.
we would probably like to see California, Las Vegas and Texas. How long is your trip? If you're just going to be in the U.S. for a week, you won't be able to see all three. Also, I should point out that Las Vegas is a city, while California and Texas are 2 of the largest states in the U.S, and they are bigger than some countries.
Discussion on question by Muou: Is it…
Discussion on question by Muou: Is it…