I found this On the Media story to be quite shocking. It details stories of US citizens being held for 6-12 hours based on race and religion. It is surprising. (See story below).
I bring this up because it ties to some of the conversations we’ve had in our library and that we are going to have.
First, take a look at this video from this past spring: Young and Arab in America (watch online)
Second, we will be hosting a talk by faculty member Souzan Naser entitled, “Preservation: Reclaiming and Maintaining My Identity as an Arab-American Woman.” This will be part of our November 6th (11am) TLC: Teaching and Learning Event.
MY DETAINMENT STORY OR: HOW I LEARNED TO STOP FEELING SAFE IN MY OWN COUNTRY AND HATE BORDER AGENTS*
Description: Earlier this month, OTM producer Sarah Abdurrahman, her family, and her friends were detained for hours by US Customs and Border Protection on their way home from Canada. Everyone being held was a US citizen, and no one received an explanation. Sarah tells the story of their detainment, and her difficulty getting any answers from one of the least transparent agencies in the country.