Mariamme Latif Estafan, an Undergraduate Research Assistant at the Institute for Immigration Research (IIR) at George Mason University, was interviewed by IIR Assistant Director, Dr. Marissa Kiss in December 2025 about her journey coming to Mason, finding her passion, and working at the IIR.
As a second-generation Arab-American immigrant, Mariamme reflected on growing up in a highly competitive academic environment in New Jersey that lacked diversity. Being only one of five people who were not white from elementary school to high school, Mariamme felt that she never found her space, herself, or her passions. However, from an early age, she was inspired by politics, immigration, and advocating for marginalized communities. This passion was rooted in her personal experiences with discrimination, as well as in observing how other immigrants were negatively treated or portrayed in the media. Mariamme said that she knew she “needed to do something.” That determination inspired her to apply to Mason not only because of its proximity to Washington, D.C., but also the connections and opportunities Mason offered. Mariamme’s hard work paid off as she accepted a full-ride academic scholarship to study at Mason in the Fall of 2022, where she is double majoring in Government and International Politics and Conflict Resolution.
Mariamme emphasized her positive experience as a student at Mason, highlighting supportive professors, internship opportunities, the chance to publish, and working with the government. Mariamme stressed the importance of taking advantage of every resource and internship opportunity as well as the need to continue to pursue one’s passion. It was at Mason where Mariamme’s passions were finally heard and where she found her place. One of those places was at the IIR.
Time at the IIR
Mariamme has worked as an Undergraduate Research Assistant at the IIR since June 2025. As someone who is trilingual (English, Arabic, and Spanish), Mariamme is a key staff member on the research project, Understanding the Contributions and Challenges among Fairfax County Residents. Mariamme has served as a translator, recruiter, interviewer, focus group facilitator, transcriber, and writer. Mariamme noted how working on the Fairfax County project enabled her to apply her “translation skills in real time, with real people”, build her capacity to serve as a legal translator, and allowed her to pursue her passion for working with immigrants and refugees in the local community. When conducting one of her first interviews, Mariamme recalled how it reminded her of her father’s immigration journey coming to the United States. The experience reinforced the importance of collecting and disseminating the stories of immigrants, particularly related to the challenges immigrants in the United States face. As Mariamme shared, “working on this project really made me feel like I am actually making some sort of change, even if it is on an individual level”. Mariamme is hopeful that the stories collected from community residents will have an impact and lead to policy changes at the local and perhaps state level to better support all residents living in Fairfax County and the Commonwealth of Virginia.
As a second-generation immigrant and someone who worked with immigrants while at the IIR, Mariamme wishes more people understood that “immigrants, migrants, refugees, anyone that's fleeing and coming to the United States…doesn't have it easy and there's actual pressing concerns as to why they can't stay in their country.” Mariamme alluded to the misconception and negative rhetoric that is often spread about immigrants in the United States. Mariamme stressed that immigrants have an “ambition, whether it means a new life for themselves or their kids.” More importantly, Mariamme highlighted that individuals need to know that immigrants are not bad people: “immigrants are the same as us, [they are people] who just have it harder…they've had worse circumstances and survived.”
Looking To the Future
Mariamme is set to graduate with her Bachelor's of Arts degree in May 2026. Mariamme wants to pursue a career in immigration law and will start law school this fall. In the next five years, Mariamme sees herself as a law school graduate who is working as a full-time immigration attorney in international politics, foreign service, diplomacy, or human rights advocacy. More importantly, Mariamme sees herself “hopefully changing the world a little bit or at least in the DMV”.
February 02, 2026