What makes you American?

          Each week I start with a simple question I think about (but no simple answer) as I’m reading to title my blog. This week I’m thinking mostly about what it means to be American. What are the races of Americans? Who are Americans? The Native Americans who were here first? The White Europeans? The Black Africans? The people of Asia? The Latin Americans? Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander? Middle Eastern/North Africans? Why are some groups more “favorable” than others? If people of the world decide to come to America it’s in hopes to be welcomed and hopefully find an opportunity that wasn’t available in their homeland. To feel welcomed resonates the most in mind. Why are not all people welcome?

          In “I was born here, but my home is not here”: Educating for democratic citizenship in an Era of Transnational Migration and Global Conflict, author, Thea Renda Abu El-Haj discusses how the Arab-Americans deal with their current residency in the U.S and their connections to their homeland identity play a part in their sense of national belonging and struggles.

          “The school district does not record statistics on Arab students; they are classified, in accordance with the federal guidelines as White.” (El-Haj, 290). On the US census, people of the Middle East and North Africa check the “White” option as their race but many feel that is an inaccurate representation. “White” according to the US census quick facts page, White is a person having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa. Noor Tagouri calls this “White without the privilege”. So often in media and the stories the students El-haj interviewed “tell of everyday encounters with the equation Arab =Terrorist range from the absurd to the frightening” (El-Haj, 286) Looking and even sounding foreign has been viewed in our society as negative. Why can’t we can let that to be a moment to thoughtfully listen and ask questions to be informed? A teacher at the school El-Haj observed: “told a girl wearing a hijab that she looked “like a disgrace in that thing,” While another teacher threatens a girl with a disciplinary sanction if she did not remove hers --- a threat was painful it was not carried out” (El-Haj, 286). Educators cannot be insensitive to the customs and beliefs of our students. We should not make any student feel alienated, like an outcast, or feel what they believe is not respected.

          Arab-Americans struggle to gain a sense of belonging in America, feeling they are “enemies within” because of the “everyday discourses and practices inside their schools and communities” (El-Haj, 287). They live in America, many are American citizens but have a better connection with their homeland. Arab youth, Zayd talked about his current thoughts of what makes someone American “being American, rather than indicating one’s citizenship status, reflects both everyday practices and ways of thinking that assert independence” (El-haj, 293) Meaning one doesn’t need to be a citizen to become Americanized. Acting American and being an American citizen is quite different. Is it ok to act American and not be a citizen vs the other way around?

          The Pledge of the Allegiance is an example of a tradition that American citizens do at sporting events, special ceremonies and in most if not all American classrooms. There have been cases where students either do not say the pledge or do not stand for the pledge. The students in the articles each had different views on the matter. Student Khalida says she refuses because ''there isn't always justice for all" (304) While student Leila argued "Standing as a sign of respect and as a mark of her connection to her US citizenship."(305) We all should respect and try to understand one's choice on whether or not to participate pledge, bringing negative attention could lead to more sense nonbelonging or automatic exclusion.

          Becoming a citizen should be a pleasant thing, being a part of a group, a member, being protected by that group. Many have no choice but to leave their homeland in search of a better life and they see it at as a privileged to gain citizenship. Many wish they can return one day but like many of Palestine, it is impossible because of the current condition. Their “privilege citizenship status in terms of responsibilities entailed to family members in Palestine”.(El-Haj, 296) Arab-Americans, I’m sure like many other families, are working hard to support their families overseas. Another Palestinian youth, Samira tells El-Hay that the main reason her family is in the U.S is to send money home to Palestine so that her family can buy food, clothes and pay bills because there are no jobs for them to maintain a living. The United States was created with the idea to do what one pleases and that includes helping the ones we care for.

          Through each week's reading more stories are being shared and different views are seen, all citizens of our society. We as educators can be a big part of how to educate our students about citizenship in our “human community”, to be understanding and show respect towards each other. “This is a critical time to reinvigorate public school commitment to citizenship education in ways that engage with diversity, conflict, and structural inequalities that know no national boundaries.” (El-Haj, 312).