ChaseOsborn

  Arab Americans, especially young men, have been disproportionately targeted for extra screening at airports, stopped by police without cause, and in some cases, even detained without clear evidence of wrongdoing. Another significant issue is the portrayal of Arabs and Muslims in the media. Negative stereotypes have persisted in television, films, and news reports, often depicting Arab Americans as threats or outsiders rather than as Americans. Being Arab American after 9/11 has meant facing discrimination, and navigating a landscape of heightened Islamophobia. The attacks on September 11, 2001, drastically changed how Arab Americans were perceived in the United States. While many Arab Americans had lived in the country for generations, the tragic events of that day led to widespread stereotyping, racial profiling, and suspicion towards anyone who appeared Middle Eastern, Muslim, or South Asian. Moustafa Bayoumi, his book explores the struggles of young Arab Americans who have fac...

Suheir Hammad is a powerful poet whose work explores themes of identity, displacement, resistance, and survival. Born in Brooklyn to Palestinian refugee parents, her poetry carries the weight of her heritage and the struggles of being a person of color in America. After reading and listening to some of her poetry, as well as watching Salt of the Sea, it becomes clear that her work is deeply personal yet universally resonant. She weaves history, activism, and raw emotion into her verses, making her poetry a form of resistance and a voice for the unheard. One of her most well-done collections is Born Palestinian, Born Black. The title alone carries significant meaning. By pairing "Palestinian" and "Black," Hammad highlights a shared experience of oppression, struggle, and resilience between Palestinians and Black people. The title suggests that her identity is shaped by two histories of colonization, racism, and forced displacement. She chooses this title to emphasize...