The lives of Arab Americans drastically changed after the events of 9/11. They had lived relatively under the radar of  American masses up to this point. Most people did not have an opinion of them, neither good nor bad. Suddenly, they were thrust into the spotlight for something they had no connection to at all. Fear became prevalent and this fear brought out paranoia and prejudice. Overnight, ethnic and religious profiling of Arab Americans became the norm. It was something that was expected. That’s not to say that it had not existed before this point in time but it reached its boiling point after the events of 9/11. People’s lives were torn apart. There were those who were wrongfully imprisoned with little evidence or explanation for something they were not associated with. They are detained at airports and questioned beyond belief and padded and prodded for some sort of weapon. And they must endure all this outright disrespect and profiling because if they were to speak up it would just make things worse. It could be perceived that they are hindering/obstructing the law. Arab Americans were lied to, cheated, and manipulated. Immigration offices would tell them there was an “issue” with their paperwork and then they would detain them for months. In some cases they were deported out of America. Mustafa Bayoumi wrote his book How Does it Feel to be the Problem? to share the stories of the Arab American youths in Brooklyn after 2001. Bayoumi reflects,“I know what it is like to be Arab and Muslim today, but what is it like, I wondered, to be young, Arab, and Muslim in the age of terror? Today's young Arab Americans often live uncomfortably between expectations.” No matter our religion or ethnicity we all have blood pumping through our veins and we all deserve a chance instead of being proclaimed and treated guilty for others actions.

(Word Count 320)

Suheir Hammad

 Suheir Hammad’s poetry is precise and cutting and filled with emotion. Her writing has a slam poetry style that I feel really reflects her childhood in Brooklyn. This rawness also translates into her acting in the movie Salt of the Sea. She might have had a character name but she was/is a real person/people. The rhythm with which she writes is pulsing and vibrant. In her poetry book title, “Born Palestinian Born Black” I believe she is using black to mean not white, other, the minority among the majority. Like she says in one of the prefaces in the book, like African people in America or Indians in England or, as this book heavily addresses, Palestinians in Israel. I think she gave the book this title for a couple reasons. The title really catches the eye, if it were simply Born Palestinian it would probably be less likely to be picked up. It makes others feel included in the story, the feelings and events she is talking about are ones that many different groups of people can relate to, whether it be segregation here in America or apartheid in South Africa. Others know what it feels like to be othered. The title also pulls inspiration from the poem she mentioned and said heavily influenced her, Moving Towards Home by June Jordan. Hammad fights to have her voice and the voices of people like her be heard through her poetry, acting, and other endeavors. Because of the genocide that is currently happening in Palestine, the Palestinian people do not have as many resources to speak out which is why Hammad’s work is so important. Poetry is so much more invigorating and impactful than a simple news story to me. Hammad’s poems capture pure unfiltered emotions that can not be found in some news article by someone that has nothing to do with what’s going on. 

(Word Count 316)

The Prophet

 Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet feels like a guide to live your life by. He councils the people on matters that are still applicable today. His writing doesn’t make the reader feel bad about themselves but instead inspires them to do better. I felt the poetry was uplifting in a way that was refreshing and kind. The chapter on giving really stood out to me. I thought it was highly impactful from a modern standpoint. We are living in an age of great wealth disparity where the 1% hold the majority of the world's wealth and they give nothing. They are like the overprudent dog in the poem, hoarding their wealth simply to have it and to keep it from others.“There are those who give little of the much which they have—and they give it for recognition and their hidden desire makes their gifts unwholesome.” The second half of the poem also resonated with me. Gibran describes the type of person that gives because that is what is natural to them, there is no other way for them to live. “They give as in yonder valley the myrtle breathes its fragrance into space.” I often see people who give because they want the appearance of giving and not because it’s their instinct. I agree with Gibran when he says that God speaks through those that give freely. The entire poem flows in a way that ought to be admired. It speaks as it breathes. I would definitely share this poem with other people. It feels like such an appropriate poem for times we are living in. There is so much need in the world, now more than ever, and this poem urges the people to give not just their money to causes they believe in but also their time. I’ve spent most of my life either studying or memorizing various poems and I was shocked that I hadn’t heard of Kahlil Gibran. I look forward to reading more of his work on my own time.

(Word Count: 335)