Words are powerful. The right words can provide shades of meaning, nuance, and clarity of expression. The words we use to tell our stories, describe our identities, and disrupt oppression are particularly powerful. In a world that doesn’t always appreciate the rich diversity within the Muslim American community, we need space to develop our language and skill to better describe ourselves and understand others. Literary Societies are part of our history and provide opportunities for creativite expression and collaboration.
We’ve transformed our Heart to Heart Book Club into a Literary Society! Join us for our third regular discussion! This month we'll explore the experiences of Americans coming from unique and often contested backgrounds: Arab-American and Asian-American Muslims. While both terms are frequently used and even receive their own heritage celebration months (April is Arab-American Heritage Month and May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month) both terms are ambiguous and create groups that often lack cohesion. The term “Arab-American” refers to anyone with ancestral ties to a country that speaks Arabic, rather than people from a specific ethnic or cultural background; the 22 “Arab” nations are Algeria, Bahrain, the Comoro Islands, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Mauritania, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. In contrast, the term Asian-American is a somewhat geographically based term; “Asian-American” typically refers to people with ancestral ties to countries in East Asia (China, Hong Kong, Japan, Macau, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, Taiwan), Southeast Asia (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam), and South Asia (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka). This term excludes those with ties to some countries in South Asia (Afghanistan and Iran), West Asia (Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Cyprus, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Jordan, Iraq, Oman, Yemen, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia), Central Asia (Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan), and North Asia (Russia). Access the Reading List Here. Our discussions will focus in particular on the following questions:
What is it like to identify with a group that is ambiguous and culturally/ ethnically/ linguistically diverse?
Do terms like “Arab-American” and “Asian-American” help in building a sense of solidarity and raising awareness about the shared experiences that particular American communities have faced in the U.S. (specifically related to harmful stereotypes, xenophobia and exclusion)? Or do these classifications suggest homogeneity where it doesn’t exist?
Anti-Muslim discrimination has been racialized in a way that affects people from Arab (North African & West Asian) and South Asian backgrounds, who are often targeted based on physical appearance, rather than religious identification; what is it like to be part of a racialized Muslim group in the U.S.?
In what ways can Arab- and Asian-Americans be “othered” in various settings?
Within the American Muslim community, are there times that being Arab- or Asian-American creates privilege?
As Arab- and Asian-American Muslims, how do you respond to cultural friction? Is there fear around cultural assimilation?
How can we honor and support Arab- and Asian-American Muslim women?
Learning from one another’s histories, identities, literacies & language practices
Histories include members' family, local, national, and global histories.Avoid practices that are ahistorical or lack examples of literary practices from culturally and linguistically diverse populations.
Identities are multilayered and related to racial, ethnic, cultural, gender, academic, individual, and community ties. Members need spaces where they can make sense of their lives, self-identify, and learn about the identities of those who are different from them.
Multiliteracies acknowledge that literacies are layered, nuanced, and complex. Practices should be diverse, addressing the ways members read, write, speak, and know the world.
guided by a Four layered equity framework
Identity Development
The ability to read and write your own life. To understand the self and make meaning of our various identities.
"How will our readings help members learn something about themselves and/or others?"
Skill Development
Learning and practicing the acts of reading, writing, and speaking. Finding meaning in language.
"How will our readings build members' skills for leadership development?"
Intellectual Development
The practice of reading, writing, and speaking to gain academic knowledge across subject areas.
"How will our readings build members' knowledge and mental powers?"
Criticality
Reading, writing, and speaking for the purpose of countering injustice and misrepresentation.
"How will our readings engage members' thinking about power, equity and the disruption of oppression?"