‘I’m being more of an American by being different’ [video]

After nearly two decades in the United States, Sudanese American Mihyar Osman has learned a lot about his country — and himself.

“To be American means to have the freedom to read, to work, to start a family and to settle in America in a way you can design by yourself,” Mihyar says. “This is the advantage here. Everyone has opportunities.”

“There’s no one picture of what an American is,” he adds. “It’s almost like I’m being more of an American by being different.”

A 2011 Pew survey estimates that there are 2.75 million American Muslims. And over 2,000 mosques dot the American landscape, from major urban centers to countryside locations, to serve them.

“I’ve learned a lot about myself and also in my interactions, and that’s because I learned that there are so many people who grew up just like me, Muslim in America,” Mihyar says.