In this groundbreaking volume, 102 Palestinians in North America and the United Kingdom reflect in their own words on what it means to be Palestinian in the diaspora.
What does it means to be Palestinian in the diaspora? This collection of 100 personal reflections on being Palestinian is the first book of its kind. Reflecting on Palestinian identity as it is experienced at the individual level, issues of identity, exile, refugee status, nostalgia, belonging and alienation are at the heart of the book. The contributors speak in many voices, exploring the richness and diversity of identity construction among Palestinians in the diaspora. Included are contributions from Palestinians living in the Anglo-Saxon diaspora, mainly the UK and North America. They come from a variety of professional backgrounds: business people, lawyers, judges, fiction writers, poets, journalists (press, TV and radio), film-makers, diplomats and academics. Men and women, young and old, Christians and Muslims offer essays, as do Palestinians from different generations (first, second and third generations). This mix of professional, gender, faith and generational categories ensures that a variety of voices are heard. The editor sets the scene with an Introduction, and his Epilogue deals with issues of identity, exile and diaspora as concepts that give sense to the personal reflections.
Key Features
The first book to gather personal reflections on what it means to be Palestinian
Contributes to the debate on what it means to be Palestinian
Asks what the diaspora is for Palestinians
Looks at how being Palestinian varies across gender, generation, religious affiliation and professional interest.
Bibliographic Information
Title: Being Palestinian: Personal Reflections on Palestinian Identity in the Diaspora
Editor(s): Yasir Suleiman
Publisher: Edinburgh University Press
Language: English
Length: 384 pages
ISBN: 978-1474405393
Pub. Date: January 21, 2016
Being Palestinian Personal Reflections on Palestinian Identity in the Diaspora