Exploring Arab American Literature

  Nidali’s struggles with her multiple identities    While reading A Map of Home by Randa Jarrar, I felt that Nidali’s search for identity mirrored my own. Growing up as a refugee, I faced significant discrimination in Pakistan, even from members of my own community who were a few steps ahead of me in life. I was often labeled as uncivilized and illiterate. Because of this, Iived many years of my life, denying my identity and distancing myself from who I truly was. Yet, at the same time, I didn’t belong to that community either. Eventually, I found my place and reclaimed my origins, but my search for who I am is far from over. I constantly ask myself: Who am I?   Even though I have an identity now, I still do not have a home. As an Indigenous person, I am treated as an outsider in my country of origin, Afghanistan, and in Pakistan, I was considered a homeless Afghan refugee, leaving me stranded between two places. Nidali’s father said, “Our people carry the homeland...

  Crescent - Diana Abu-Jaber  Diana Abu-Jaber’s book,  Crescent is captivating, taking readers on an emotional rollercoaster. It explores themes of politics, exile, love, and food as a love language. Beginning in Baghdad, Iraq, Abu-Jaber illustrates what it means to live in a politically unstable country, showing how people suffer under domestic government policies coupled with foreign invasion.   Han’s life, both in Iraq and in exile, mirrors the experiences of the Iraqi people under Saddam Hussein’s dictatorship, where speaking out against the government led to silence and torture. Additionally, the novel addresses themes of racism, particularly through Han and Janet’s relationship. Abu-Jaber not only connects Iraqis’ struggles to their government but also highlights the devastating impact of the U.S. invasion and the economic embargo, which harmed the people more than the regime. The suffering of Iraq’s citizens is vividly portrayed through Leila and Arif’s exper...

  This week’s reading and film was yet another interesting aspect of Arab and Muslim American experiences to explore.    Both the reading and the film explore themes of cultural intersectionality and the experiences of Arab Muslim Americans as they navigate life within American culture while holding onto ingrained Arab values. This is particularly evident in the relationship between Najlah and Sami. Najlah is more reserved in her approach to their relationship, whereas Sami is more open. In one scene, Sami asks Najlah, If she loves him, then why won’t she kiss him? We see similar themes in the reading, where the author describes the struggles of young Muslim Arab Americans, who, in the aftermath of 9/11, face ongoing oppression while also dealing with their parents’ expectations to build better lives, not just for themselves but also for their families and society at large.   I liked how the film authentically portrayed Faadi’s character. It highlights a sad reality ...

  Suheir Hammad  Suheir Hammad stood out to me as a bold, strong, and independent woman, qualities that have always been central to my values. I hope that one day, I can embody the same courage and strength as her in pursuing my dreams and advocating for my people and my identity. Her poetry and work are deeply inspiring, offering insightful lessons.   Based on my interpretation of her poetry and class conversations, I believe she chose the title Born Black Born Palestinian to highlight the shared struggles of Palestinians and Black people, both of whom have faced persecution. Additionally, she raises issues of colorism and discrimination against people of color, particularly women of color.     The more I learn about the experiences of Palestinians, the more I find myself reflecting on my personal experiences. Hammad’s poetry conveys a powerful message about the suffering and resilience of Palestinian people, the struggles of Palestinian refugees and the diasp...

  Khalil Gibran’s work not only conveys a powerful message about the contributions of Arab Americans to American literature but also sheds light on the struggles of poets and educators during the Ottoman Empire, particularly the censorship of self-expression and freedom of speech. Gibran’s masterpiece, The Prophet , remains profoundly relevant to the world today. While I have only read two chapters from the book, the animation deeply resonated with my personal experiences.     Growing up as a refugee in Pakistan, I faced numerous challenges because of my identity. This inspired me to learn about the history of my people and the reasons my family left Afghanistan in the first place. My parents immigrated to escape persecution, hoping for a better and more peaceful life. However, things worsened when the genocide of the Hazara people began in Pakistan. In animation, Mustafa’s struggle against unjust rulers mirrored my own fight for survival among people who refused to ackno...

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 ...