Why I chose Arab American Literature


I decided to take the Arab American literature class for several reasons. First and foremost, I am pursuing a triple major with few overlaps across my majors. This class fulfills a double requirement for my Arabic and Middle Eastern Studies and Global Fellows program; it will help me get the necessary classes to graduate on time. Besides academic requirements, this class stood out to me due to its cultural significance. 


I was born in Afghanistan but grew up as a refugee in Pakistan, where I faced significant discrimination from members of my own community. As a newly arrived refugee, I was often perceived as uncivilized. By this, I mean that those in my community who had already settled in Pakistan were more established and saw newly arrived refugees as illiterate and backward. Because of this, I distanced myself from my Indigenous culture and assimilated into Pakistani society, until I realized that the only way to move forward was to stay true to my values and build my place in society based on who I truly am and where I come from.

 

When choosing this class, I was particularly interested in the experiences of Arab Americans as brown-skinned individuals in a white American society. Unsurprisingly, in the first two sessions, I learned that Arab Americans have also faced discrimination, not only because of their skin color but also because of the region they come from, and religious affiliation. Arab Americans too let go of their identity and values to fit into the American society. As I look ahead to the rest of the semester, I am eager to learn from the experiences and resilience of Arab Americans in confronting discrimination. I hope these insights will help me navigate life in the United States, a completely different environment and culture from the ones I grew up in.

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