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Arab America: Gender, Cultural Politics, and Activism PDF

321 Pages·2012·25.9 MB·English
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Arab America NATION OF NEWCOMERS: Immigrant History as American History General Editors Matthew Jacobson and Werner Sollors Beyond the Shadow of Camptown: Immigrant Rights in the Korean Military Brides in America Shadows of Citizenship Ji-Yeon Yuh Edited by Rachel Ida Buff Feeling Italian: The Art of Rough Writing: Ethnic Authorship Ethnicity in America in Theodore Roosevelt’s America Thomas J. Ferraro Aviva F. Taubenfeld Constructing Black Selves: The Third Asiatic Invasion: Empire and Caribbean American Narratives Migration in Filipino America, 1898-1946 and the Second Generation Rick Baldoz Lisa D. McGill Race for Citizenship: Black Orientalism Transnational Adoption: A Cultural and Asian Uplift from Pre-Emancipation Economy of Race, Gender, and Kinship to Neoliberal America Sara K. Dorow Helen Heran Jun Immigration and American Popular Entitled to Nothing: The Struggle Culture: An Introduction for Immigrant Health Care in Jeffrey Melnick and Rachel Rubin the Age of Welfare Reform   Lisa Sun-Hee Park From Arrival to Incorporation: Migrants to the U.S. in a Global Era The Slums of Aspen: The War against Edited by Elliott R. Barkan, Hasia Immigrants in America’s Eden Diner, and Alan M. Kraut Lisa Sun-Hee Park and David Naguib Pellow Migrant Imaginaries: Latino Cultural Arab America: Gender, Cultural Politics in the U.S.-Mexico Borderlands Politics, and Activism Alicia Schmidt Camacho Nadine Naber The Force of Domesticity: Filipina Migrants and Globalization Rhacel Salazar Parreñas Arab America Gender, Cultural Politics, and Activism Nadine Naber a NEW YORK UNIVERSITY PRESS New York and London NEW YORK UNIVERSITY PRESS New York and London www.nyupress.org © 2012 by New York University All rights reserved References to Internet Websites (URLs) were accurate at the time of writing. Neither the author nor New York University Press is responsible for URLs that may have expired or changed since the manuscript was prepared. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Naber, Nadine Christine.  Arab America : gender, cultural politics, and activism / Nadine Naber.       p. cm. —  (Nation of newcomers : immigrant history as American history) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-0-8147-5886-1 (cl : alk. paper) ISBN 978-0-8147-5887-8 (pb : alk. paper) ISBN 978-0-8147-5888-5 (ebook) ISBN 978-0-8147-5920-2 (ebook) 1.  Arab Americans—Social conditions. 2.  Arab American women—Social conditions. 3.  Arab Americans—Ethnic identity. 4.  Arab Americans—Politics and government. 5.  Sex role—United States. 6.  Feminist theory.  I. Title. E184.A65N335 2012 305.892’7073—dc23 2012009401 New York University Press books are printed on acid-free paper, and their binding materials are chosen for strength and durability. We strive to use environmentally responsible suppliers and materials to the greatest extent possible in publishing our books. Manufactured in the United States of America c 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 p 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Contents Acknowledgments vii Introduction: Articulating Arabness 1 1. From Model Minority to Problem Minority 25 2. The Politics of Cultural Authenticity 63 3. Muslim First, Arab Second 111 4. Dirty Laundry 159 5. Diasporic Feminist Anti-Imperialism 203 Conclusion: Toward a Diasporic Feminist Critique 247 Notes 255 Bibliography 273 Index 293 About the Author 310 >> v This page intentionally left blank Acknowledgments This book was born collectively, through ongoing relations with friends, col- leagues, and activists. Yet ultimately, I take full responsibility for the con- tent and any errors on the pages that follow. First and foremost, I acknowl- edge with deep respect and gratitude each person who participated in my research. You shared your stories with me and trusted me to write them. This book began at the University of California–Davis in the 1990s. I was fortunate to work with Suad Joseph. She is a model of the feminist principle “lift while you climb.” She opened up many doors for me. Also at UC–Davis, I had the privilege to learn from Kent Ono, who always saw the best in me and encouraged me to publish my work. At UC–Davis I was met with col- leagues, friends, and mentors with whom I developed the early foundations of an interdisciplinary, ethnic studies–based feminist ethnography: Shagufta Bidiwalla, Adrianna Clay, Rosa Linda Fregoso, Ileana Labergere, Smadar Lavie, Donald Moore, Sarah Projansky, Ella Maria Ray, and Zeina Zaatari. Arab and Arab American scholars, friends, and activists in California pro- vided me with a sense of collective power throughout the process of research >> vii viii << acknowledgments and writing. I am grateful to these community elders who supported my research whether or not we shared the same ideas or political commitments: Darwish Addassi, Kamel Ayoub, Bishara Kubein, Jamal Dajani, Manuel Dudum, Fouad Malouf, Salem Mufarrah, Alice Nashashibi, and Abeer Rafidi. Notably, my mother’s childhood classmate and long-time activist, commu- nity builder, and pathbreaker, Nabila Mango, assisted me all along the way. I am deeply indebted to the many friends living in the San Francisco Bay Area who were consistently available to discuss or assist me with research matters, answer questions, or offer their homes. Among them are Marwan Abderraz- zaq, Maad Abughazalah, Dena Al-Adeeb, Janaan Attia, Hatem Bazian, Lina Baroudi, Lillian Boctor, Youmna Chlala, Eman Desouky, Ron Dudum, Sema Dudum, Manal Elkarra, Noura Erakat, Laura Farha, Nadine Ghammache, Jess Ghannam, Monadel Herzallah, Emily Katz-Kishawi, Senan Khairie, Eyad Kishawi, Huda Jadallah, Manal Jamal, Chis Lymbertos, Ghada Saliba Malouf, Heba Nimr, Mona Odeh, Osama Qasem, Fadwa Rashid, Elias Rashmawi, Michel Shehadeh, Linda Sherif, and Mona Sousou. In the 1990s, I witnessed these scholars who came before me rupture the boundaries of Middle East area studies and open up new possibilities for diasporic Middle East feminist studies: Amal Amireh, Nada Elia, Joe Kadi, Lisa Suhair Majaj, Minoo Moal- lem, Therese Saliba, and Ella Shohat. Their work shapes this book and helped to make it possible. As I expanded this project, these generous colleagues challenged me in the most profound ways, offered me their time and energy, and provided invaluable feedback: Evelyn Alsutany, Maylei Blackwell, Piya Chatterjee, Lara Deeb, Vince Diaz, Dena Goodman, Rebecca Hardin, San- dra Gunning, Sondra Hale, Scott Kurashige, Jayati Lal, David Lloyd, Minoo Moallem, Susan Najita, Julia Paley, Elizabeth Roberts, Sarita See, Ella Shohat, Andrea Smith, Miriam Ticktin, Valerie Traub, and Ruth Tsoffar. I am deeply grateful to these colleagues for their ongoing feedback and for reading indi- vidual book chapters: Dina Alkasim, Paul Amar, Paola Bacchetta, Marc Baer, Yvette Floretz-Ortiz, Sondra Hale, Charles Hirschkind, Amira Jarmakani, Karen Leonard, Saba Mahmood, Damani Patridge, Martina Reiker, Nayan Shah, and Kate Wahl. I am truly fortunate to receive ongoing support, insight, and inspiration from these colleagues and friends: Rabab Abdulhadi, Kali Akuno, Debo- rah Alkamano, Amal Amireh, Anjali Arondeker, Kathryn Babayan, Eliza- beth Betita Martinez, Alisa Bierra, Adrienne Marie Brown, Linda Burn- ham, Lucy Burns, Louise Cainkar, Tina Delisle, Philip Deloria, Gregory Dowd, Derethia Duval, Nada Elia, Holly Fincke, Simmi Gandhi, Reem Gibriel, Gayatri Gopinath, Elaine Hagopian, Sondra Hale, Frances Hasso, Rima Hassouneh, Ilana Invincible, Mervat Hatem, Randa Jarrar, Jodi Kim, acknowledgments >> ix Larry Lafontaine Stolkes, Emily Lawsin, Jeannette Lee, Sunnina Maira, Khaled Mattawa, Tiya Miles, Huli Milanese, Joe Namy, Dahlia Petrus, Eric Quesada, Andrea Ritchie, Dylan Rodriguez, Damon Salesa, Jenny Salesa, Therese Saliba, May Seikaly, Setsu Shigematsu, Andrew Shryock, Bill Sorro, and Cindy Weisner. My involvement in these organizations provided me with a sense of home and powerfully shaped the analyses and methods that frame this book: American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, San Francisco Chapter (ADC SF); Arab Movement of Women Arising for Justice (AMWAJ); Arab Resource and Organizing Center (AROC); Arab Women’s Solidarity Asso- ciation, San Francisco (AWSA SF); Center for Political Education (CPE); Cyber AWSA; INCITE! Women of Color against Violence; Radical Arab Women’s Activist Network (RAWAN); and the Women of Color Resource Center (WCRC). Affiliations with Arab American communities in Ann Arbor and greater Detroit and with these organizations in Michigan sustained me during the writing process: Allied Media Project; American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC, Michigan); Arab American National Museum (AANM); Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services (ACCESS); Detroit Summer; and Palestine Office. More than ever, I owe deep thanks to Andrew McBride, Matthew Stif- fler, and Lee Ann Wang, who extended themselves way beyond the call of duty as research assistants. I also thank Paul Abowd, Rabia Belt, Chris Finley, Angela Parker, and Kiri Sailiata. I am deeply indebted to Eman Desouky and Layla Feghali, who worked as assistants and interlocutors. Graduate student Mejdulene Shomali provided invaluable insight as I worked through the sig- nificance of queer studies to this project. My heartfelt appreciation goes to David Lobenstein for editing my work with exceptional precision and splendor and with deep respect for the stories I wanted to tell and the integrity of my ideas. I also thank these editors: Jane Cavolina, Christopher Hebert, and Heidi Newman. These individuals with NYU Press have made the process of publishing as efficient and enjoyable as it could ever be: Eric Zinner, editorial direc- tor; series editors Matthew Jacobson and Werner Sollers; and editor Ciara McLaughlin. At the University of Michigan, I am grateful to the staff from the Depart- ment of Women’s Studies and the Program in American Culture. Research and writing were aided by these grants: Ford Foundation Post-Doctoral Fellowship, University of Michigan Vice Provost for Research Award, Uni- versity of California Humanities Research Institute Fellowship, University

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