An Interview with Meera Satiani
Meera is in her junior year of undergraduate studies here at Duke. She is from Karachi, Pakistan, and is majoring in Economics and Mathematics. Her parents and one older brother live back home in Pakistan.
What did your family think about you studying here?
Well my family was really excited, because it was sort of like a boom of the family name – I was one of the first girls in the family to go abroad, although guys had gone before me. They weren’t very hesitant, like other families in Pakistan are; other families are usually a little more conservative for girls. But my family wasn’t because they felt that my grades were pretty good and I got into a really good place. Plus I had worked really hard throughout my high school career, so they felt that I really deserved to go abroad, and they sent me.
Were they concerned at all about the US being particularly different from the other countries you applied to, or was it more "abroad is abroad"?
For them, mostly the latter. But my father, in a way, preferred that I go to the UK, because that takes less time – three years as opposed to four, so that would save him a lot of money. But otherwise all three countries are foreign and pretty far from Pakistan.
Do most kids from private schools in Pakistan normally stay in the country for college or do they go abroad?
Most people stay in the country, because education abroad is very expensive, and unless you get into a very good school that gives you lots of financial aid, most people can’t afford to go abroad. With my school, actually, it was one of the oldest schools in the country – older than Pakistan itself. It was 100 years older than the country because it was started by the British. So it was always this school for the elite kids. First for the British, and then once the British left, for the rich, elite, Pakistani kids. My family isn’t that rich, but I worked hard and I got in.
When you first arrived here, what were some of the cultural changes you had to get used to?
Culturally…I was fairly exposed to American culture. We see American movies and shows all the time back home. But it’s obviously different when you’re in the middle of the culture. So I had a hard time relating to people, to be honest. At first, I would be much more comfortable talking to international students, because they’re in the same position as you. They’re as clueless about everything in the US as you are. With Americans, I felt that…well, in my dorm for instance, all the American students would be a lot more easy with each other than maybe I could, because I didn’t understand them all that well. So it took a while to get to relate to people and get to know people better. Otherwise, I don’t think it was very difficult, but, I mean, yeah, whenever you got to a new place, there are adjustments you have to make.
Did you encounter any difficulties here in the States as a Muslim or a Pakistani?
Well, at Duke it’s obviously very different from how it might be generally in the US, right? At Duke I feel that people are very tolerant. There have been one or two particular instances when I felt a little offended. For instance, during the Terrorism Awareness Week, there was a huge advertisement in The Chronicle by the David Horowitz Foundation and the Duke Conservative Union about how jihad is all about killing Christians and Jews. I actually had an argument with the president of the Duke Conservative Union about it. But, I mean, that was one example, and there haven’t been many – just one or two. By and large, I feel that people are Duke are really tolerant. Being a Pakistani has always been an advantage, because organizations and student groups are always looking for more diversity. Seeing a Pakistani, they often think that I can bring more diversity. It’s definitely been an advantage. And even as a Muslim, I don’t think there are that many stereotypes I have to deal with. People here are smart, they understand that things are complex. They usually are careful when it comes to stereotypes.
So earlier you mentioned that "Duke" doesn't necessarily represent "America". Have you been able to leave Duke enough and see the "real" America people often talk about?
I think for international students it’s even more difficult to get out of the Duke bubble, because first of all you need to make an adjustment here at Duke to get to know the place and acclimate well. I never had a car – it was always difficult for me even to go out and buy the basic necessities like clothing. So I definitely have not been able to leave the Duke bubble. Sometimes for Thanksgiving break or fall break, I go visit friends in other cities like Philadelphia or Boston; I have some family in Boston that I visit every now and then. So those have been my only chances of going outside Duke.
In the past two and a half years, do you feel you've changed any?
I think I have learned a lot; being in the middle of these great, smart people who are so brilliant, it definitely has an effect on you. It makes you work harder, to be just as good as them. I’ve started learning more and have become a little more ambitious than I was before. As I person, I think it’s helped me grow, because now I understand different cultures a little bit better. When I first came from Pakistan, at that time I could only relate to Pakistani people. But now I feel like I’m more comfortable being around American people and people from other countries. So, in that sense, it’s shown me the world, if you will.
What do you miss most about being back home?
Well, Karachi is a huge city. We obviously had cars at home, so I used to go out everyday and visit my friends. The thing that I miss most is the hustle and bustle of the city – there’s so much happening all the time, and it’s so easy to get outside and do other stuff. Whereas here at Duke, you’re in the bubble. You can’t really get out, even if you want to. You don’t have the time or the means. I just miss the culture of Karachi, the fast-paced life. There are other intangibles that you can’t really put into words. It’s just the feeling of being at home that I really miss at times.
Growing up in Pakistan, what were some of the things you did that maybe American kids didn't do or did differently?
I feel like, actually, the part of Pakistani society I grew up in was so Westernized, and its values, way of thinking, language, the kinds of things people did, were very similar to what Americans, and Westerners in general, did. I can’t really think of anything specific I would do back home that Americans wouldn’t do here.
What do you think are the biggest issues facing Pakistan today?
Well, Pakistan has so many problems right now – it may be one of the most problematic countries in the world. I think, of course, terrorism is a huge issue. We really need to deal with that. The economy is free-falling. Pakistan’s economy is doing much worse than other economies in the region, and than the global economy as well. The stock market has been closed for the past month or so, because everyone’s so scared that if they open it, it will fall even lower.
Okay so, taking terrorism as an example, how do you see that issue being resolved in Pakistan?
I think the government definitely needs to step up more. If there is more education, then things can improve. In my perspective, education is the most important thing, so I think the government needs to make sure the public schools are better. If there are fundamentalist groups being supported, it needs to go after them and curtail that supports to make sure that they don’t do any damage to our country or to other countries in the region. And just have more schools and good teachers that we can send our kids to so that they don’t become involved in fundamentalist politics and religion. I feel like education is definitely the first step that the government needs to take.
What do you think is the biggest misconception Americans may have about Pakistanis?
I actually don’t think that Americans know too much about Pakistan in the first place to have any misconceptions. But the basic idea is probably Middle Eastern/South Asian brown person, probably Muslim, maybe speaks Arabic. A lot of people assumed that I spoke Arabic when I first came here, so I had to clarify that. But, yeah, people don’t really know so much. Even though it’s in the news almost every day now, I think people are still quite unaware.
So what are some of the organizations you're involved with on campus?
I’ve been involved with International Council since freshman year, but now with International Association because last year they merged. I’m the chair of the Policy Committee, and, basically, we do advocacy for international students. For instance, financial aid for international students is not need-blind. Every year, only 20 or so get financial aid out of the 140 that choose to come. One of our goals is to make sure that that is made a priority in the administration. I’m also a part of Campus Council as an at-large representative in the general body. That’s also been a great experience. I’m on the Policy Committee of that organization as well, and it’s helped me grow a lot. I’ve learned lots of things about how organizations work and have been able to apply that to International Association. Finally I am a TA for an intermediate Economics class, and hope to be involved in Pakistanis at Duke as it forms next semester.
Finally, what are your plans after graduation?
I’m not too sure as of now. I’m going to apply for jobs in the US, because I feel like here, they really help you develop more than at a job in Pakistan. I intend to get my Masters degree from here as well, and then hopefully go back home.