Exploring Arab American Literature

The Notion of Home   The notion of home for Amani is deeply tied to her sense of identity and heritage. Although she was born and raised in America, Amani feels an emotional attachment toward Jordan, the land of her ancestors. Her journey is not just geographical; it is also internal and generational. Through the discovery of her grandmother Natalia’s mysterious blue letter, Amani seeks answers about her family’s past and the silences that shaped her identity. Her desire to connect with her roots reveals that “home” for Amani is more than a physical space; it is a story, a lineage, and a sense of belonging that she wants to reclaim. After returning to Jordan, Amani is not only retracing her family’s steps but also rewriting her own understanding of where she comes from and what home means to her personally.   Gabe, Amani’s father, has a more conflicted relationship with the idea of home, according to my understanding. Having immigrated to the United States years ago and rarely...

A Woman is no Man   The title of the book is symbolic of the situation of women in the Arab world and other traditional societies, where patriarchy shapes gender roles. It captures the essence of the restrictions women face in these settings, where they are often told that they are not capable of doing what men can and that they lack the same choices or freedoms as men.   Growing up in an environment similar to Rum’s, I often heard the phrase, “You are not a man; you cannot do the things men can,” usually from other women, which made it even more painful. Over time, I came to realize that women had been made to believe they were incapable of doing what men could. I encountered this belief frequently, especially when I defended my right to pursue an education and earn my own income. But the response was always the same: I should focus on what society had defined as my role, being in the kitchen and bearing children, while men were free to do as they pleased. Many would say that...

  Cracks in the foundation – how to face the value crisis in the European Union?   Attending the Global Fellows Colloquium on the European Union’s value crisis helped me understand the frameworks that hold Europe together. Since I had little prior knowledge of the rules and regulations that bind the EU, I found the content of the talk somewhat complex. This challenged me to consider exploring European political systems more deeply on my to-do list. Nonetheless, I was able to gain a basic understanding of what unites European nations, the tension between legal frameworks and democratic values, and analyze the implications of EU value deterioration for minority communities.   I was particularly interested to learn that the EU was not originally founded on a commitment to human rights and democracy, but rather on economic cooperation intended to secure peace. This also highlighted my gaps in knowledge about international politics. As a political science major, I now feel eve...