Tamara Issak

Tamara Issak, a May 2008 graduate of William Paterson with a bachelor’s degree in English, summa cum laude, has been awarded a 2008-09 study and research grant from the Fulbright U.S. Student Program, which is administered by the Institute of International Education. Issak is the first University student to receive a Fulbright award.

Her research project will take her to Syria, where she plans to explore Circassian culture—and her ethnic identity. “My mother is from Jordan and my father is from Syria, but they are Circassian, and we are originally from the Caucasus Mountains in Russia,” Issak explains. Because of politics and war, many Circassians fled to Turkey and the Middle East, including the Golan Heights, which was similar to the mountainous climate of their Caucasus homeland. After the Israeli occupation of the Golan Heights in 1967, many Circassians moved to Damascus in Syria, where they continue to live in communities to preserve their culture.

“I am interested in how Circassian culture has fared after so much movement,” says Issak, who plans to focus on the changing role of Circassian women. She will conduct research at the National Library and the Circassian Cultural Center Library, both in Damascus. Issak will be based at the University of Damascus, where she will take courses in Arabic.

Issak’s project is an extension of research she conducted for her Humanities Honors program thesis, which examined Circassian etiquette, an ancient cultural code of rules still practiced today. A resident of Wayne, she has been an active member of the nearby Circassian Benevolent Association; she also served as president of the Muslim Students Association on campus, and as news editor of the Beacon.

Recently awarded the Ralph Bunche Fellowship to pursue a master’s degree in English at Rutgers University, Issak will defer her fellowship in order to accept the Fulbright award. While she is excited at the opportunity to conduct original research, her year of study will also mark a personal journey.

“As a young Muslim woman wearing a hijab in America, I am often asked, ‘Where are you from?' I usually pause for a moment, then I respond, ‘I am Circassian,’” she says. “This project is very much about figuring out who I am, and what distinguishes my culture from others. I feel it is a privilege and an honor to be part of such a community, and I do not ever want our traditions and history to be forgotten.”