Social and Cultural Diversity: Multicultural Interview Paper

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Multicultural Counseling Interview – "Nadia Khan"

Alexandra Arpey

Chadron State College

Multicultural Counseling – COUN 535

Dr. Lauren Coffey

April 20, 2025

Multicultural Interview Paper

Interview Transcript:

Ally: "Hi Nadia! Thanks so much for meeting with me on Zoom today. I really appreciate you taking the time to help with my multicultural counseling assignment."

Nadia: "No problem at all. Happy to help."

Ally: "So just to give you some context, I'm in the first year of my Clinical Mental Health Counseling program, and this interview is to help us understand different cultural experiences. Before we get started, is it okay if I record this for my transcript?"

Nadia: "Yeah, that's completely fine."

Ally: "Great! I'll start with some basic demographic questions and then move into more in-depth stuff. So, could you tell me your age?"

Nadia: "I'm 28. I'll be turning 29 this June, which feels kind of significant since I'm approaching 30."

Ally: "Oh, I can totally relate to that! I'm 27 myself, and I'm already having mini existential moments about entering my late twenties. What is your gender identity?"

Nadia: "I'm transgender. I was assigned male at birth and transitioned to female at 25."

Ally: "Thank you for sharing that. What pronouns do you use?"

Nadia: "She/her."

Ally: "Where were you born?"

Nadia: "In Lahore, Pakistan."

Ally: "That's interesting! I've never been to Pakistan, though I've always been fascinated by different cultures. How would you describe your ethnicity or nationality?"

Nadia: "I'm Pakistani-American. My family moved to the U.S. when I was 10, and I became a citizen a few years ago. The naturalization ceremony was really emotional for me—feeling connected to both my Pakistani heritage and my American journey."

Ally: "That sounds like a powerful experience. I grew up in a pretty homogeneous community in Dallas, so I'm always interested in learning about dual cultural identities. Are you currently in a relationship?"

Nadia: "No, I'm single right now. I date casually when I have time, which honestly isn't often between my freelance work and volunteering with trans youth."

Ally: "The volunteer work sounds really meaningful. I'm hoping to work with youth myself after I get licensed. What kind of volunteering do you do?"

Nadia: "I lead support groups for transgender teens at our local LGBTQ+ center. It's really rewarding to provide the kind of support I wish I'd had growing up."

Ally: "That's amazing. Have you been in serious relationships before?"

Nadia: "Yes, I was in a long-term relationship that ended about two years ago. We were together for four years but grew in different directions—still friends though. He was really supportive during my early transition."

Ally: "It's nice you've maintained a positive relationship. Do you have children?"

Nadia: "No children. I'd love to adopt someday, but I'm not in that place in my life yet. It's expensive, and honestly, I worry about potential policy barriers for transgender people wanting to adopt."

Ally: "Those are valid concerns. It's troubling how financial and legal barriers can impact family formation. What about grandchildren?"

Nadia: "No grandkids! Though I joke that the trans teens I mentor make me feel like a 'community mom' sometimes."

Ally: "Where do you currently live?"

Nadia: "I live in Austin, Texas, in the North Loop neighborhood. It's got this great artistic community."

Ally: "I visited Austin once for a conference during undergrad and loved the vibe there. Do you find it challenging living in Texas given some of the state policies affecting transgender rights?"

Nadia: "It's definitely a mixed experience. Austin is this progressive bubble with a strong LGBTQ+ community, but the broader Texas political climate can be really hostile. I stay involved in local advocacy while also trying to protect my energy."

Ally: "That balance must be difficult. Where else have you lived?"

Nadia: "Besides Austin, I've lived in Houston, and before that, New Jersey—that's where we first moved when we came from Pakistan. And of course, I lived in Lahore until I was ten."

Ally: "That's quite a journey. I'd love to hear more about your early life. Can you tell me about your birth and any significant details surrounding it?"

Nadia: "I was born in Lahore on June 15, 1996. I was assigned male at birth, and my family really celebrated because they wanted a boy after having two daughters. There was this big gathering with sweets given out to the neighborhood, which is customary when a son is born in traditional Pakistani families. That early gender expectation had a deep impact on me—feeling the weight of their specific expectations for their only son."

Ally: "Wow, I never considered how birth celebrations could be so gendered and create expectations from the very beginning. We were just discussing cultural gender roles in class recently. How do you define and describe your concept of family now?"

Nadia: "I believe family is about who shows up, not just blood relations. This perspective developed after coming out and facing estrangement from parts of my biological family. My father and older sister haven't spoken to me in three years, while my mother and younger sister maintain contact but struggle with using my chosen name. I've found a strong bond with my chosen family in the LGBTQ+ community. These relationships have taught me that family means unconditional acceptance."

Ally: "That's really powerful. We talk about family systems in my program, but we don't focus enough on chosen families, which can be so vital, especially when biological family relationships become strained. I love how you've created those meaningful connections. Would you say there are values from your childhood that have remained constant throughout your life?"

Nadia: "Definitely. Respect for others has remained a core mission throughout my life. My grandfather taught me that dignity is a universal human right regardless of status. Compassion and kindness have also remained constant, as has valuing education as a pathway to growth."

Ally: "Your grandfather sounds like he was a wonderful influence. How about values that have changed?"

Nadia: "I used to believe I had to conform to be loved. Growing up in a traditional Pakistani household and then as a Muslim immigrant in post-9/11 America, I felt constant pressure to blend in and suppress my gender identity to meet family and community expectations. Now I prioritize authenticity over approval. My view on religion has transformed significantly too. I was raised in a moderately religious Muslim household and initially viewed faith as rules and obligations. Now I approach spirituality as a personal, evolving relationship with something greater."

Ally: "That evolution from conformity to authenticity seems really significant. I can relate somewhat—though in different circumstances, I also grew up feeling pressure to meet certain expectations. What factors would you say have had the greatest influence on shaping your personality and worldview?"

Nadia: "My experiences as an immigrant fundamentally shaped how I see the world. Moving from Pakistan to the United States at ten taught me adaptability and cultural code-switching. Coming out as trans and finding community has profoundly influenced my worldview, teaching me about the limitations of binary thinking in all aspects of life. Rejection from family and healing through chosen family transformed my understanding of love and connection. Therapy and creative self-expression provided frameworks for processing trauma."

Ally: "That's fascinating about binary thinking—how questioning gender binaries led you to question other binaries in your thinking. That's something we don't really address in our coursework, how gender identity exploration might shape a person's entire philosophical outlook. Were there specific historical or cultural events that significantly impacted your life?"

Nadia: "Post-9/11 discrimination as a Muslim child in the United States profoundly shaped my sense of security and belonging. My mother stopped wearing her hijab after being harassed, and classmates called me a terrorist. The legalization of same-sex marriage in 2015 affected me personally and gave me hope for transgender rights. Trans visibility in media, particularly Laverne Cox on TIME magazine, was revolutionary for me at a critical moment when I was questioning my gender identity. The Pulse nightclub shooting in 2016 occurred shortly after I began hormone therapy, highlighting the intersectionality of violence against marginalized communities."

Ally: "I was in elementary school during 9/11, but I remember how the national mood shifted. Your mother removing her hijab for safety reasons is heartbreaking. These events really show how political and cultural shifts impact individuals in such personal ways. Switching to something more positive, what are the major sources of satisfaction in your life right now?"

Nadia: "Mentoring young trans people brings me profound fulfillment. I volunteer with a local LGBTQ+ youth center, leading a weekly support group. My art and graphic design practice provides both creative satisfaction and financial sustenance—I specialize in creating visual identities for small businesses owned by marginalized people. Community outreach gives me a sense of agency and impact. I coordinate a monthly clothing swap addressing the needs of gender-diverse people who often struggle to find affirming clothing."

Ally: "The clothing swap is such a brilliant idea! I've never thought about how challenging finding affirming clothing might be, especially professional attire for job interviews. That's the kind of practical challenge that might not be obvious to people outside the community. On the flip side, what would you identify as major stressors or challenges you're currently facing?"

Nadia: "Lingering trauma from family rejection continues to affect my relationships and self-perception. Navigating dating as a trans woman presents multifaceted challenges around disclosure timing, safety concerns, and potential rejection. Financial instability as a freelancer creates chronic stress, especially with transition-related medical expenses. Ongoing work on self-worth and mental health remains challenging, with persistent imposter syndrome in professional contexts. Balancing cultural connections to my Pakistani heritage with my transgender identity creates unique tensions. Many South Asian spaces remain traditionally gendered, while some LGBTQ+ spaces lack cultural competence regarding non-Western experiences."

Ally: "That last point really stands out to me. In our program, we talk about intersectionality, but hearing about your actual experience navigating spaces where different parts of your identity aren't fully welcomed or understood makes the concept much more concrete. Looking ahead, what challenges or changes do you foresee in your personal growth over the next 10 years?"

Nadia: "Gaining financial stability is both a challenge and goal. I'm developing a plan to transition from purely freelance work to a combination of teaching and more stable income sources. Building a nonprofit for LGBTQ+ youth from immigrant backgrounds represents a significant ambition. I see the gaps in services for youth navigating multiple identities like I did. Continuing advocacy within both LGBTQ+ and Pakistani-American communities will likely remain central to my personal growth. I see potential to build bridges between communities that are often perceived as incompatible."

Ally: "The nonprofit vision sounds amazing! Having that lived experience would make you especially equipped to help youth navigating similar intersections. I'm curious about your spiritual journey. How does spirituality or religion play a role in your life now?"

Nadia: "I no longer practice Islam in a traditional sense, but I retain spiritual elements that provide meaning and connection. I find resonance with Sufi approaches to Islam that emphasize direct divine connection and metaphorical interpretation. Meditation and journaling form the core of my spiritual practice. I maintain a small altar with family photos, objects from Pakistan, and symbols of my transition journey. During Ramadan, I host iftar dinners that welcome people of all backgrounds, honoring my cultural heritage while creating inclusive space."

Ally: "That's beautiful—creating spiritual practices that honor your heritage while making space for your full identity. We touch on religious trauma in my program, but we rarely discuss how people rebuild spiritual practices after experiencing rejection from religious communities. What thoughts or feelings do you have about the end of your life? I know that's a big question."

Nadia: "I don't fear death itself, though I worry about dying without having realized my potential for positive impact. My gender transition gave me a unique relationship with mortality—choosing to live authentically despite risks felt like choosing life over a kind of living death. The prospect of aging as a transgender woman presents unique concerns about healthcare and elder care facilities that might not be equipped to support transgender residents with dignity and understanding. The concept of legacy has transformed for me—rather than biological lineage, I conceptualize legacy through mentorship, creative work, and community building."

Ally: "That's such a powerful reframing of legacy. And your point about elder care facilities is something I hadn't considered before but makes perfect sense. Our aging care systems often aren't prepared for the needs of LGBTQ+ elders. What do you hope future generations will know or remember about you?"

Nadia: "I hope to be remembered for my authenticity and courage in living truthfully despite personal costs. I want my various identities—transgender, Pakistani-American, artist, community organizer—to be understood as interconnected aspects of a whole person rather than compartmentalized. I wish to be known as someone who helped others heal and find community, particularly across differences that often divide. I hope future generations understand the historical context of my life and the complexity of this moment in transgender history."

Ally: "That's beautiful—especially your hope to be remembered as a bridge-builder between communities that are often seen as incompatible."

Nadia: "Oh, and I also want to emphasize that despite the challenges I've described, my life is filled with joy and ordinary pleasures. I love horror movies, I'm learning the ukulele, and I get unreasonably excited about finding the perfect mango at the Pakistani grocery store. Sometimes narratives about transgender lives, especially those from immigrant backgrounds, focus exclusively on struggle rather than the full human experience."

Ally: "I love that detail about the perfect mango! You're so right that narratives about marginalized identities often focus exclusively on struggle rather than the full spectrum of human experience. Thank you for that reminder. This conversation has taught me so much already—especially about how navigating multiple cultural identities requires integration rather than compartmentalization. Your story really shows how authenticity can lead to meaningful connections despite significant obstacles. Before we wrap up, is there anything else you'd like to share or any questions for me?"

Nadia: "I'm curious—how do you think this interview will inform your approach to counseling?"

Ally: "That's a great question. This conversation has really expanded my understanding in several ways. First, your insights about the chosen family have reinforced for me how important it is to understand family systems broadly rather than focus narrowly on the biological family. Second, hearing about your experiences navigating LGBTQ+ spaces has made intersectionality much more concrete for me. I'll be more aware of how clients might have to fragment different aspects of their identity in different contexts. Finally, your description of how your gender journey influenced your entire worldview—like questioning binary thinking in all areas of life—has expanded my understanding of gender transition as potentially transformative for a person's entire philosophical outlook. That's a dimension I hadn't fully appreciated before in my counseling education."

Nadia: "I'm really glad to hear that. It sounds like you're going to bring a lot of thoughtfulness to your counseling practice. If sharing my experiences helps create more understanding for even one future client, then this has been time well spent."

Ally: "Thank you so much, Nadia. This has been incredibly valuable, and I'm grateful for your openness and generosity in sharing your experiences."

Personal Reflections on Multicultural Diversity: Lessons from Nadia's Story

I was blown away by Nadia's* resilience and the information I gathered throughout this multicultural counseling interview that took place on April 5, 2025. Before starting the assignment, I was nervous about finding the right candidate to interview. Still, I found Nadia through a family friend who knew her through the clothing drive she started, and she also lives in Austin. Before the interview, I was also extremely nervous about saying something wrong or inadvertently offensive. I practiced multiple times the questions that I wanted to ask so that it was more rehearsed whenever the interview took place so that I did not feel caught off guard at any point. I also really wanted Nadia to feel comfortable in interviewing her, even though it was done through Zoom. I talked to her on the phone prior to the interview and shared a little bit about me so that she was more familiar with this project and why I was doing it, as well as my backstory. I also made sure to schedule the interview during the day that she had off work because I didn't want her to feel pressed for time.

There were multiple aspects about this interview that surprised me and made me think deeply, as well as broadened my understanding of cultural diversity. Nadia's story vividly portrayed the complexity of belonging to several cultural groups simultaneously. She is transgender, Pakistani-American, and a former Muslim. This showed how layered identities can create unique challenges. I was struck by how early gender expectations were placed on her that began with birth celebrations simply because she was assigned male. This is extremely similar to how American baby showers often center around the baby's assigned sex before birth. Stopyra states, "gender-reveal parties don't actually reveal gender—they reveal anatomy. Gender is a wholly different thing, inextricably tied to the social constructs around it… The popularity of gender-reveal parties speaks to how powerful and central this binary is to our sense of identity" (2017). Nadia's concern about aging as a transgender woman also made me consider how elder care facilities might fail to affirm gender identities, which connects to our class discussions about ageism and accessibility. Overall, this interview transformed my understanding of cultural diversity from abstract concepts to deeply personal realities that showed me diversity isn't just isolated categories, but intersecting identities that create complex experiences.

Hearing how Nadia navigated between spiritual traditions and LGBTQ+ spaces also helped me understand how cultural identities are negotiated in real time depending on the environment. Lefevor states, "Many transgender individuals retain spiritual beliefs despite rejecting traditional organized religion. A study found that 76% of transgender participants identified as "spiritual" even if not religious, often developing personal rituals or practices outside institutional faiths" (2019). This interview reinforced the importance of creating a counseling space where clients feel comfortable enough to bring all parts of themselves and not just what feels familiar or what they think the counselor will understand.

There were multiple aspects of the interview that challenged my counseling skills and helped me develop a stronger multicultural counseling approach. Throughout the interview, I became aware of my limited knowledge regarding transgender healthcare and the transition processes, which highlighted the need for me to have additional training before working with transgender clients. Nadia's experience with culturally incompetent counselors reminded me that acknowledging when I don't know is a lot better and more beneficial to the client than pretending otherwise. Pretending to know more than you do, especially when working with vulnerable populations, can lead to offense and incompetence. Nadia's story emphasized that counseling must address practical and systemic challenges like employment discrimination and healthcare barriers, not just emotional support. James states, "Nearly 1 in 3 transgender individuals have delayed or avoided medical care due to discrimination, and 23% reported not seeing a doctor when they needed to because of fear of being mistreated" (2016).

It's important that counselors provide the necessary resources so that their clients can have their basic needs met. I noticed strong emotional reactions within myself whenever Nadia shared painful experiences of family rejection and discrimination, though I was relieved because she clearly felt comfortable opening up to me. These moments of the interview highlighted the importance of continuous self-reflection to manage countertransference and remain present with clients. Furthermore, these challenges are helping me develop a multicultural counseling approach grounded in cultural humility, lifelong learning, and an understanding of clients' lived experiences on both emotional and practical levels. In conclusion, the interview encouraged me to move beyond textbook knowledge towards a more inclusive, empathetic, and responsive practice.

This interview greatly informed my understanding of diversity, and this awareness will influence my future counseling methods in ways that were actually outlined in this course. The interview with Nadia demonstrated that diversity involves intersecting identities that shape unique individual experiences and emphasize the importance of viewing clients holistically. I was impressed with Nadia's creative responses to challenges such as organizing clothing swaps and inclusive iftar dinners. It reminded me to actively seek out and build upon client strengths rather than focusing solely on the problems that the client is facing. Nadia's appreciation for therapists who acknowledge personal knowledge gaps while remaining open to learning reinforced that professional competence and cultural humility are important to work together. This also can help create an authentic therapeutic alliance. Her experiences balancing collectivistic family values with personal authenticity highlighted tensions that clients may face when cultural expectations conflict with individual growth. This awareness will influence my counseling methods by encouraging an intersectional perspective that explores how clients' various identities combine and how they impact their lives.

Rather than relying on generalized cultural knowledge, in the future, I will strive to understand how each client personally interprets and navigates their own cultural backgrounds. I plan to prioritize identifying and reinforcing client strengths and resilience, especially for clients connected to their cultural or community resources. I will practice cultural humility by openly acknowledging limitations and demonstrating a willingness to learn, fostering trust and strengthening the therapeutic alliance with my clients. I will remain sensitive to tensions between cultural expectations and personal authenticity, as well as aim to create a safe space for clients to explore and integrate all aspects of themselves and feel comfortable doing so.

I noticed several developmental issues throughout the interview that aligned with the course's lessons on human development. Nadia's gender transition at the age of 25 emphasized that identity formation continues throughout adulthood rather than ending with adolescence, which reinforced our discussions on lifespan development. Nadia's role in mentoring transgender youth also illustrated the concept of generativity, which is a developmental task our course identifies as essential to middle adulthood (Hays & Erford, 2023). Furthermore, her experience navigating multiple cultural identities exemplifies bicultural and multicultural identity development, which shows how individuals are able to integrate diverse cultural contexts over time. Her creation of a chosen family after her biological family rejection reflected the developmental task of building supportive relationships whenever traditional structures are disrupted. These examples collectively underscore the fluid, contextual, and lifelong nature of human development, which reinforces central themes explored throughout our course. These course concepts are ongoing identity formation, generativity, alternative support structures, multicultural identity development, and lifespan perspective.

I gained a lot of new insights about the interviewee's culture and experiences, and how these experiences connected to the cultural theories and practices that were discussed throughout this course. Nadia's description of navigating spaces where her intersecting identities weren't fully welcomed vividly illustrated the concept of cultural homelessness, which highlighted the psychological impact of feeling fragmented or excluded (Hays & Erford, 2023). Wisdom states, "culturally homeless individuals report the following experiences: Pervasive experiences of 'being different.' Repeated subjection to contradictory cultural demands. Acquisition of conflicting frames of reference for their behavior" (2020). Nadia's difficulties accessing culturally competent mental healthcare underscored the systemic barriers that contribute to healthcare disparities and align with our textbook's focus on culturally responsive counseling. The American Psychiatric Association states, "Transgender individuals are nearly nine times more likely to experience serious psychological distress than the general U.S. population" (2023).

Nadia's reflections on post-9/11 discrimination also demonstrated how historical and sociopolitical contexts significantly shape cultural identities and mental health. Sirin states, "Following 9/11, hate crimes against Muslim Americans increased by 1,617% in 2001, and many Muslim youth reported long-term effects on identity formation and self-esteem" (2007). Her experiences with family estrangement after coming out as transgender revealed the complexity of collectivistic cultural values, and how these norms can simultaneously create strong family bonds and furthermore intensify rejection when challenged. These insights highlight the critical need to integrate theoretical knowledge with empathetic and culturally informed practices to effectively engage clients within their unique sociocultural contexts.

The interviewee's cultural background is significantly different than my own and reflecting on these differences improves my cultural competency because it further made me self-reflect on challenges multicultural individuals face. As a white, cisgender American woman raised in a relatively homogeneous community, I've never felt cultural expectations between Pakistani heritage and American society. This helps me appreciate the emotional labor of cultural code-switching. Cooks-Campbell states, "Code switching is the ways in which a member of an underrepresented group (consciously or unconsciously) adjusts their language, syntax, grammatical structure, behavior, and appearance to fit into the dominant culture" (2025). My cisgender identity means that I haven't encountered the gender-related discrimination or healthcare barriers that Nadia described, which revealed privileges that I've often taken for granted.

I've grown up in a family that generally affirmed my identity, which drastically contrasts with Nadia's experience of rejection and deepens my understanding of chosen families' importance. Green states, "Chosen families often provide the primary source of emotional and instrumental support for LGBTQ+ individuals who face familial rejection. In a 2019 study, 39% of LGBTQ+ youth reported being rejected by their biological families" (2021). My spiritual experiences also differ from Nadia's significantly. I've never had to reconcile religious teachings that rejected fundamental aspects of my identity. Unlike Nadia, I've also never experienced racial or ethnic discrimination, as well as the psychological toll of ongoing microaggressions (Hays & Erford, 2023). My educational and professional paths haven't been complicated by immigration status or significant cultural transitions. Furthermore, learning about her practical daily challenges opened my eyes to realities that I've never considered previously because of my cultural and gender privileges.

Reflecting on these differences helped me recognize gaps in my understanding and the importance of not assuming clients' experiences align with mine. This interview also helped enhance my cultural competence by moving beyond abstract concepts towards concrete awareness of diverse lived experiences. This overall experience has greatly enhanced my understanding of multicultural counseling concepts and real-world applications, as well as impacted my ability to work with culturally diverse clients in the future in very significant ways. It transformed abstract theories like intersectionality and acculturative stress into concrete realities through Nadia's lived experiences (Hays & Erford, 2023).

In interviewing Nadia, I was able to inquire further about her lived experiences and how these concepts impacted her. Nadia's reflections on culturally competent versus incompetent counselors provided me valuable insight into how these dynamics directly influence and impact the therapeutic relationship. The interview with Nadia emphasized the importance of focusing on both challenges and strengths within cultural contexts and highlighted resilience and community resources. After learning about practical struggles that Nadia faced, it reinforced that effective multicultural counseling must address concrete needs alongside emotional and psychological support. Nadia's journey from conformity towards authenticity illustrated the ongoing, nonlinear nature of cultural identity development. Nadia's descriptions of navigating spaces where she couldn't fully express her multiple identities reinforced the importance of creating safe counseling environments where a strong therapeutic alliance is emphasized.

The interview underscored how sociopolitical events significantly shape individual mental health, especially the mental health of those who belong to various cultures. Hearing about her spiritual evolution provided insight into how clients transform their cultural and religious identities rather than simply accepting or rejecting them. Reflecting on this interview also challenged me to examine my cultural assumptions and blind spots that I wasn't aware I had. Moving forward, I plan to approach culturally diverse clients with greater humility about my knowledge limitations while committing to continuous learning. I'll aim to create therapeutic spaces where clients feel safe to bring their whole selves, acknowledging the complexity of their intersecting identities. This experience and interview with Nadia have transformed my understanding of multicultural counseling from academic concepts into a deeply personal commitment to respectful, culturally informed, and empathetic counseling practice.

*All identifying information has been modified in accordance with ethical guidelines to ensure participant confidentiality. The participant gave informed consent for their story to be shared in this format.

References

American Psychiatric Association. (2023). Mental Health Disparities: Transgender Persons. https://www.psychiatry.org/File%20Library/Psychiatrists/Cultural-Competency/Fact-Sheets/Transgender-Fact-Sheet.pdf

Cooks-Campbell, A. (2025, January 21). What is Code Switching and How Does it Impact Teams?. BetterUp. https://www.betterup.com/blog/code-switching

Green, A. E., Price-Feeney, M., Dorison, S., & Pick, C. J. (2021). Chosen Family Among LGBTQ Youth. The Trevor Project. https://www.thetrevorproject.org/research-briefs/chosen-family-among-lgbtq-youth/

Hays, D. G., & Erford, B. T. (2023). Developing Multicultural Counseling Competence: A Systems Approach. Pearson Education Inc.

Khan, N., & Arpey, A. (2025, April 5). Multicultural Counseling Interview. Personal. Zoom.

Lefevor, G. T., Boyd-Rogers, C. C., Sprague, B. M., & Janis, R. A. (2019). Health disparities between gender minority and cisgender adolescents: The role of spirituality. Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity, 6(4), 482–493. https://doi.org/10.1037/sgd0000335

Sirin, S. R., & Fine, M. (2007). Hyphenated selves: Muslim American Youth Negotiating Identities on the Fault lines of Global Conflict. Applied Development Science, 11(3), 151–163. https://doi.org/10.1080/10888690701454658

Stopyra, D. (2017, July 5). Dear Parents-To-Be: Stop Celebrating Your Baby's Gender. Marie Claire Magazine. https://www.marieclaire.com/culture/a28016/gender-reveal-parties/

Wisdom, A. J. F. (2021, April 23). Cultural Homelessness. A Journey for Wisdom. https://www.ajourneyforwisdom.com/cultural-homelessness/