Arab Americans after 9/11

The last several years have taken their toll. I ask him about life after September 11 for Arab Americans. “We're the new blacks,” he says. “You know that, right?”

The book title alone shows the extent of injustices Arab Americans had to endure after the 9/11 incident. "How Does it Feel To Be a Problem?", a problem, generalizing all Arab Americans and putting them in one category. After 9/11, they felt as if they should apologize for something that they did not even do, something far beyond their faults. The government forcefully arrested them, and profiling became a common theme. In the preface of the novel, Said founds out a close friend was a detective all along. I tried to imagine what it would feel like, to realize that people suspect you of wrongdoings based on your ethnicity and background alone, to have your trusts broken when even people you thought were like family become one of the suspecting eyes. Even if I put myself in their shoes, I could never truly understand the hardship and turmoil that came after 9/11.

Bayoumi shares Rasha's story of getting taken to a facility forcefully, without being told of why they're going there. This is an experience that many Arab Americans had to go through after 9/11. The justice system showed no mercy to anyone, not even young children like Rasha and her siblings. One of her sisters had a painful rash but was completely ignored by the officers guarding the room, and it is only a small example of awful events that took place in the facility.

I've always heard around how often people with Arab backgrounds go through extra security checks, but never really understood the severity of the issues until now. Like Rasha's family who was captured on what it seemed to be a normal day, many people faced the same fate, however; a lot of them were deported. It is disheartening to realize that Rasha's family was one of the "lucky" ones because what they had to endure was unfair and wrong.

Suheir Hammad

Suheir Hammad's poems are raw to the core, there is no sugarcoating anything. The words are strong, because it reflects her feelings and thoughts, as if she's slapping all the rage onto paper. While reading "Born Palestinian, born black" there were many passages I found uncomfortable to read out loud in front of people. But we feel that way because these excerpts are things that people do not often talk of, things that are suppose to be too controversial or shouldn't be brought up. Poems such as exotic, 99 cent lipstick, and others reveals her rage towards men objectifying her, and how she feels like a walking menu. These are experiences that woman of color do face, and Hammad is voicing her rage towards being treated as a prize rather than a human. The strong use of language in a sense is extremely liberating, you can feel her anger, but also freedom in a way that she is breaking free from being gawk at by men who sees her as just an exotic woman with color.

In the preface, she states that she writes because "women are still abused as naturally as breath. People are still without land. Slavery exist, hunger persists, and mothers cry". Hammad writes because she has to, she has to write to give the voiceless a voice so that they can be heard. Her writing tackles many problems that exist in society, and the struggles that she faces as a Palestinian woman. As she says, "Language is power", her poems are a form of weapon, they serve countless of purpose, raising awareness, and tackling one problem sentence by sentence.

Hammad chose the title "Born Palestinian, born black" because she is creating correlation between the treatment of Palestinians by Israel, and the treatment that African Americans in America receives.  Black people in America are discriminated against, and she is using it as a metaphor; Palestinians go through discriminations and poor treatment. In the preface, Hammad writes a list of interoperation of what black means. The word black holds many meaning, and often time, people say it in a negative undertone. She warns readers to recognize the energy behind words, black means other things, it is not to be used in a degrading manner. She voice that labels should not be chosen for you. She decides her own definition of what it means to be her, and suggests readers to do the same.

The Prophet- Kahlil Gibran

After reading "The Prophet" by Kahlil Gibran, I felt as if it was a book that serves a teaching for various events in one's life. When I first read the books, it was quite difficult to understand, however; I feel as if it is the kind of book that has to be read more than once. The more I read the passages, the the more I understood the words. 
The book has some sort of a magical component, and each and every line serve a purpose. They are words that everyone regardless of gender, sexuality, or religion can take and apply to their lives. When I read the passage on LOVE, it changed my perspective on my views of love.
         "When Love beckons you, follow him
        Though his ways are hard and steep
         And when his wings enfold you yield to him,
         Though the sword hidden among his pinions may wound you.
        And when he speaks to you believe in him,
        Though his voice may shatter your dreams as the north wind lays waste the garden. 
This passage evokes the realization that I am afraid to love, and that I have to put myself out there. I've always had a childish view on love, believing that its all rainbows and unicorns, when true love isn't perfect. Vulnerability is scary, but it is needed, one can't simply seek only the pleasure and fun of love. Love isn't something that I can choose, but rather finds me and direct the course. Instead of being afraid to love, we should be thankful that we are able to love. I have to approach love bravely, and not shy away from it even though it may hurt, it is a gift to be able to love and be loved. 

Another passage that spoke to me was on CHILDREN. Gibran said "your children are not your children' and it may sound insane to people, but it is more than true. Often times, parents tends to choose what their children and can not do, and yes; it is because parents only want the best for us. However, your children belong to life itself. 

You may give them your love but not your thoughts, 

For they have their own thoughts.

You may house their bodies but not their souls,

For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, 

This passage reminds of a lot of people. I am thankful that my parents allow me to choose my own career path, however, I am aware that it isn't the case for many others. When I was younger, my parents wouldn't let me dye my hair fun colors or approve of my alternative liking for fashion. As time passed, they soon let me choose things for myself, while still looking out for me so that I wouldn't do irrational behaviors. Parenting can be tricky, there is a line In which you have to offer them freedom, but not too much so that they are still obedient. This passage shows the importance of recognizing that your children have a life of their own, and you cannot choose tomorrow for them, it isn't a place you can reach, not even in your dreams. It is a parent's job to care for them, while letting them discover what life has to be offer. 

This book overall has opened my eyes on how I view many stages in life. Although I am still young, my thought on children, love, marriage has shifted. Joy and sorrow, and how I view friendships and even death and life seems to become more meaningful and deeper than I originally thought. 

Entry 1

I chose this class because I was intrigued by how it focuses on a minority group in America, which set it apart from other literature courses. I wanted to learn more about the Arab American community, and their experience thus far. I realize that I know very little about this community, and saw this as an opportunity to educate myself, and expand my knowledge. I was also interested in knowing great writers from different cultures. As a young kid, I've always loved to read, and would get lost in my imagination while reading. This course offers both my love for books, as well as interest in different cultures.

I hope to learn more about Arab American culture in this course. I also want to understand the journey that many of these writers embark on. I also hope to find out more about different authors, as well as books. I am interested in better understanding how life changed for this community after the 9/11 incident. As a minority myself, I can sympathize with the importance of keeping one's ethic identity while living in a completely different country, and I want to be able to see their perspectives. While reading the article, many authors talk of keeping their identity, and it was something that I could relate to.  Sam Hamod said "There is something lost in the blood" when talking about how Arabs were forced to americanize their names, and it left quite an impact on me due to a similar experience. I had my name changed to Hannah when I first arrived to the US, and I only recently started going by Hana again. I believe that this course will help me learn about how other minority groups in the US operate, and I want to hear more stories about people I am able to relate to.

I have very little knowledge on the Arab American community, which is a huge reason why I took this course. My knowledge goes as far as being aware of the discriminations that they had to face due to stereotypes derived from September 11. I hope to learn the beautiful aspects of this culture, and the rich stories that authors from Arab American backgrounds compose of.