August 20, 2007

What I Wish I’d Known - A Moroccan Perspective

Filed under: Culture, Immigration — taamarbuuta @ 3:48 pm

Wafin: Moroccan Connections in America is a site that allows Moroccan Americans (and friends of Morocco) to connect virtually.  The site also assists with various other aspects of life such as jobs, real estate and networking.

Today I came across an article entitled Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Came to the U.S.  My immediate reaction was “what a great idea.”  Too often in Morocco did I hear America being glorified as “the best country in the world” with little regard to the problems that plague the United States.  Sure, Moroccans are certainly aware of possible discrimination in this post-9/11 environment, and most realize that they’ll have to start at the bottom, but the lure of opportunity is strong.

Although the article is short, reading through the comments demonstrates what Moroccans really feel after residing in the U.S. for some time.  Whether it’s the unspoken rules (don’t pick up and kiss random children) or the seemingly obvious (hot dogs almost always have pork), this article and its comments are a great resource for Moroccans living in or considering immigration to the United States.

5 Responses to “What I Wish I’d Known - A Moroccan Perspective”

  1. SimplyMoroccan Says:

    I loved that article too!
    The fact that you don’t have to get out of the car if stopped by a policeman isn’t by respect for him, but for safety reasons.

  2. Hanson Says:

    I liked the article and I disagree about the mentality. You need to research a country and its tradition before you embark on such a journey.
    Don’t base all your information on what you see on TV, read few books about the culture instead og I wish this and I wish that..this is why Morocco is a third world country..
    Don’t wait to be spoon fed, got get the information you need before marching in on Main St USA.

  3. Barbara Says:

    This is great!

    I wish I had read an article “Things I wish somebody had told me before I made my husband come to Germany” in 2000.

  4. taamarbuuta Says:

    Hey, if you want to write one, I’ll post it for you! I’m considering writing my own version as well - or perhaps a “Things I Wish I’d Known Before I Moved to Morocco” which would include sad things about cats and kleenex on dashboards.

  5. xoussef Says:

    something suggests to me that it will be a long and fun article…

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