Layla
Legacy Name: Layla

Layla is just like any other 20-something American woman; deep in student debt, questioning her life choices, and full of both ambition and uncertainty. While she is American-born, her parents are not; instead, they immigrated to Georgia in the late 1980's after her father struck it lucky with a marketing firm hoping to ride the updraft he created in his hometown. While her father was more or less guaranteed a job, Layla's mother struggled. After a string of discriminatory layoffs, derogatory comments, and "I'm sorry, the position has already been filled", her mother finally settled down to become a homemaker. Layla enjoyed an upbringing strong in the Islamic faith, and although she were a minority here, her parents assured her that this was not the norm in the Iraqi homeland of her ancestors. She had the option to move back to Iraq with her grandmother and grandfather just before her freshman year of high school - but that was a lost cause. Layla loves her home and enjoys her friends..even if their influence is looked down upon by her parents. The clash of culture brought on by public schooling lead to many taboo questions in her household: "Is it wrong to want to dress like my friends?" "Do I want to be Islamic?" "Should I wear the hijab?" It became apparent that her only fellow Muslim friends were met and socialized with at Mosque, and the influence of her classmates caused some turmoil that most people try not to think about or admit to.

Rude commentary didn't always come from strangers (or racists), as it turned out. Sometimes it came from slumber party friends (are you bald under that thing?) or even the internet (5 signs you are definately oppressed because I know better for you, you poor pitiful thing). Layla lamented the tired old dialogue with penpals and internet buddies, but the words had left their mark; she began questioning herself and her own world views. Teenagers are set up for questioning their own identities, of course.

A deep passion for music began surfacing around this time, music that made her mother's cheeks ruddy and her father's face scowl. Of course they were concerned that she listened to a bunch of men screaming into their microphones - but the real breaking point came with painted black fingernails and shiny silver studs punched into leather jackets that they hadn't approved of. Her mother was sure it were just a phase; her father was more angry than confused. However, it didn't take long before the two of them agreed it were "just a phase" and there was no reason to intervene so long as she wasn't hurting anyone else or herself.

As the years went on and her style only continued to grow more outlandish, Layla's father put pressure on her to dress more conservatively. Throughout her teenage years, Layla developed a unique take on the requirements of hijab; she takes care to respect herself and her views while also embracing her right to dress and look the way she wants to. This entire argument could be summed up to a more traditional older generation not understanding a newer, more relaxed opinion on style of dress. Otherwise, in the words of Layla's father, the new generation of American-Born Confused Muslims "don't know how to act." So it goes.

To Layla's relief, the relentless questioning of her decisions stopped after she began expressing herself more through fashion. A long road of self-discovery will continue in the future, but for now, she's very content with herself.

Layla's family isn't large, but she does have a younger sister who absolutely idolizes her. Every day she comes in from school, Nadia is jumping up and down to see her big sister again. Most days, Layla will come home to see the contents of her entire closet strewn across the floor as Nadia tries on literally every stitch of clothing she has ever made. For a long time, the unwanted attention from her little sister stresses her out (especially with her father breathing down her neck about being a "good influence"), but as Layla prepares to go to college, she realizes just how important it is to be there for her. Just like Layla, Nadia is now in high school with friends and bullies who question her on the daily - the two of them bond over the complicated issue of living in a more conservative state.

Layla's intense passion for all things design has lead her way to an interesting choice for college: fashion design. In her spare time, she would sew custom clothing (or alter too-tight clothing), and before she knew it, she opened up an etsy shop alongside her mother. Layla not only hems custom-pattern hijab and creates modest but current styles, but she encourages young Islamic women to find their voice through fashion. Her main goal in life is to become a big-time fashion designer who represents the progressive Muslim woman on the runway, and nothing short of a major design label and full representation with the other haute designers will do.

She has had some interesting conflicts of beliefs throughout her life, including her sexuality. While she has never had a girlfriend or a boyfriend, the idea of dating either female or male sits equally with her. It was only until she joined her university did she realize what "bisexual" was, and it was only then that she began meeting others like her with a duality to their interests. When she "came out" to her closest friend, the girl admitted that she just assumed Layla was a lesbian. Close, but not quite on target, I guess.

Layla is not a quiet character. She's loud when she wants to be, and when she feels she has a point to make. She refuses to be silent for anyone, much to the dismay of her father when he tells her to go upstairs and change. She's an active member of the LGBTQA+ club offered at school, and puts hundreds of man hours a year into raising awareness about her religion and the choices a modern Muslim might face today. She's unapologetic, and most people would call her a troublemaker...but that's just fine with her.