Twin Sisters Support Each Other Through Tough Times
By Jen Mistrot and Elizabeth Cook
BRENTWOOD (CBS SF) -- Sisters can be the best of friends, and Afshan and Uzma Rehman are no exception. So when both found themselves living in a new country, they leaned on each other for support.
But like most all sisters, Afshan and Uzma have also experienced their fair share of sibling rivalry.
"We fight a lot," said Afshan with a smile. "We argue a lot. Like, we literally had an argument this morning."
But the two admit they have never stayed mad for long.
"We were always there to give each other that positivity," explained Uzma. "To tell each other 'Okay, you can do this!'."
Encouragement of each other has seen Afshan and Uzma through some very tough times. The 29-year-old identical twins were born in the United States. They travelled between California and their parents' native Pakistan before moving to the Middle East in grade school.
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But by the time Afshan and Uzma were teenagers, their father's violent behavior made home unsafe for the twins and their siblings. So their mom made the difficult decision to bring her family back to the U.S., where she would raise her children as a single parent.
"For her it was a very tough decision," recalled Uzma. "It was a very tough decision because it was the four of us being very young."
"Not having a dad there your whole life," said Afshan. "Even though he was there in the picture but he never gave us that support."
Missing their father hurt, but the move was their first hurdle. School came next.
"The way you grow up in Pakistan is very different than here," explained Afshan. "When you come here as a teenager in your teen years, you don't know that teenage life. You don't know how they are going to treat you."
"You get looked down upon," said Uzma.
"You're not able to do anything. Oh there was racism. There was like, 'Go back to your country.'"
But the twins' country is the United States and California is their home. Both excelled during high school in Brentwood, then graduated from college before launching careers in high tech.
And there have been other big accomplishments and life changes for both women.
During the pandemic, Afshan had a baby and tackled a master's degree.
"Hectic but I made it out," said Afshan of the experience.
Uzma kept busy with volunteer tutoring while raising her four year old son.
"I teach him where we come from," said Uzma of her son. " I teach him where I grew up, how I grew up."
Both stayed close to each other, offering love, support and friendship.
"We were always there," said Uzma. "To give each other that positivity."
The twin sisters want their children to be good friends too. So the pair also stay close to their mom, even when they don't see eye to eye.
"If me and [Uzma] are fighting my mom does not intervene," said Afshan with a laugh.
"She is like, it's like going to work it out."