Uptown Notes

thanks for posting this. the article hits on so much, especially the misconceptions about Arabs perpetuated by popular media. good thing we have venues like the Kennedy Center to use performance art to open people's minds. not to mention the thanks needed for the K'Naans and Suheir Hammads out there.

the Arab identity/diaspora is in flux as so many other cultures, but the difference here is that it is not recognized as a reality for Arabs. for example, there are layers of African and European culture mixed into the politics, social norms, food, language, art, with each country so unique in its history.

the example that comes to mind is how North Africans and Habasha struggle to delineate what part of their identity is Arab, what part is African or Berber, and just how much of each part of their identity will weigh more as each people wants to stay true to their roots – and not deny any part of them as a result of colonialism and self-hate. thanks for getting me thinking about this again!

Thanks for shedding light, Professor. The irony is that Arabs remain amongst the most proud and knowledgeable of their history as they have spread through the diaspora.

I see the problem as that, in the first place, Western cultures see it their 'job' to classify and re-classify subject matter which they only gained knowledge through publication, and not real experience. Arabs don't have to re-claim anything; we need to re-visit our miseducation.

As an American, who by the age of 24, had stood up in more Arab Chaldean weddings than American ones*, my earnest humble opinion is that Americans tend to be too caught up in country alliances and forget that present-day Iran, Iraq, and obviously Israel were not even around until the 'omniscient' UN drew hard borders, and told Persians and Syrians and Kurds were they were allowed to nest. Before that, they were somewhat peacefully co-existing, irregardless of religion, with centuries-old tribes occupying their little pockets, regardless of the name we insisted on classifying each area. I'm sure 'people' meant well initially to go in and protect , but obviously it's not going well.

Tribes and true nationality (not to be confused with country borders) supercede all in that region of the world. Once Americans can get their grips around that, they can further understand that it's really not confusing. It's like, we make these fake borders, call it Iraq and then get confused when they don't refer to themself as Iraqi. These tribes survived time, war and famine and of course they're going to claim their tribe before anything else.

I'm sure it sounds like I'm off topic but this really is all interrelated. Once this is understood, then the rest is cake. Arabs know who they are. We as a collective are still in the dark ages.

*My second childhood homes played Arabic TV full-time, engaged in non-Anti-Arab discussion, which immersed me in what people are trying so hard to understand now. Obviously I get really worked up about this because I truly get sick of people trying so hard to class Arabs in America. It misses the WHOLE ENTIRE POINT: It's not for us to control, just understand. Good discussion piece: Oman says “…embrace our similarities and our differences.” word.

Thanks for shedding light, Professor. The irony is that Arabs remain amongst the most proud and knowledgeable of their history as they have spread through the diaspora.

I see the problem as that, in the first place, Western cultures see it their ‘job’ to classify and re-classify subject matter which they only gained knowledge through publication, and not real experience. Arabs don’t have to re-claim anything; we need to re-visit our miseducation.

As an American, who by the age of 24, had stood up in more Arab Chaldean weddings than American ones*, my earnest humble opinion is that Americans tend to be too caught up in country alliances and forget that present-day Iran, Iraq, and obviously Israel were not even around until the ‘omniscient’ UN drew hard borders, and told Persians and Syrians and Kurds were they were allowed to nest. Before that, they were somewhat peacefully co-existing, irregardless of religion, with centuries-old tribes occupying their little pockets, regardless of the name we insisted on classifying each area. I’m sure ‘people’ meant well initially to go in and protect , but obviously it’s not going well.

Tribes and true nationality (not to be confused with country borders) supercede all in that region of the world. Once Americans can get their grips around that, they can further understand that it’s really not confusing. It’s like, we make these fake borders, call it Iraq and then get confused when they don’t refer to themself as Iraqi. These tribes survived time, war and famine and of course they’re going to claim their tribe before anything else.

I’m sure it sounds like I’m off topic but this really is all interrelated. Once this is understood, then the rest is cake. Arabs know who they are. We as a collective are still in the dark ages.

*My second childhood homes played Arabic TV full-time, engaged in non-Anti-Arab discussion, which immersed me in what people are trying so hard to understand now. Obviously I get really worked up about this because I truly get sick of people trying so hard to class Arabs in America. It misses the WHOLE ENTIRE POINT: It’s not for us to control, just understand. Good discussion piece: Oman says “…embrace our similarities and our differences.” word.

Thanks for shedding light, Professor. The irony is that Arabs remain amongst the most proud and knowledgeable of their history as they have spread through the diaspora.

I see the problem as that, in the first place, Western cultures see it their 'job' to classify and re-classify subject matter which they only gained knowledge through publication, and not real experience. Arabs don't have to re-claim anything; we need to re-visit our miseducation.

As an American, who by the age of 24, had stood up in more Arab Chaldean weddings than American ones*, my earnest humble opinion is that Americans tend to be too caught up in country alliances and forget that present-day Iran, Iraq, and obviously Israel were not even around until the 'omniscient' UN drew hard borders, and told Persians and Syrians and Kurds were they were allowed to nest. Before that, they were somewhat peacefully co-existing, irregardless of religion, with centuries-old tribes occupying their little pockets, regardless of the name we insisted on classifying each area. I'm sure 'people' meant well initially to go in and protect , but obviously it's not going well.

Tribes and true nationality (not to be confused with country borders) supercede all in that region of the world. Once Americans can get their grips around that, they can further understand that it's really not confusing. It's like, we make these fake borders, call it Iraq and then get confused when they don't refer to themself as Iraqi. These tribes survived time, war and famine and of course they're going to claim their tribe before anything else.

I'm sure it sounds like I'm off topic but this really is all interrelated. Once this is understood, then the rest is cake. Arabs know who they are. We as a collective are still in the dark ages.

*My second childhood homes played Arabic TV full-time, engaged in non-Anti-Arab discussion, which immersed me in what people are trying so hard to understand now. Obviously I get really worked up about this because I truly get sick of people trying so hard to class Arabs in America. It misses the WHOLE ENTIRE POINT: It's not for us to control, just understand. Good discussion piece: Oman says “…embrace our similarities and our differences.” word.