Introduction

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     I chose ARB 2213 for this semester because this class was recommended to me by my Arabic professor. There were other classes that I had other options of taking for this semester to fulfill my Arabic minor, but I decided to pursue this course because I wanted to know more about the literature aspect of Arab Americans and their experiences through their writing.

    In this course, I aim to gain a deeper understanding of the Arab American community and explore texts addressing ongoing issues in American society, including gender oppression, racism, equality, and identity. Engaging with the assigned readings will prepare me for class discussions and allow me to learn from my classmates' perspectives and opinions.

    In regards to the Arab American community, I don't know much except there is a large community living in Dearborn, Michigan that comes from previous generations from Northern African and Middle Eastern Arabic-speaking countries to the U.S. and formed a community to keep the Arab culture alive. 

    I have read 2 books by an Afghan-American novelist Khalif Hosseini. Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns were pieces of literature that I have that impacted me with every page I turned due to sensitive topics and some of the characters' actions in his books. Kite Runner is centered around 2 friends Amir and Hassan in Kabul, Afghanistan before the Soviet Army invaded and turned into a war zone. The themes of this novel were ethnic identity, betrayal, redemption, deception of male friendship, moral gray, and sexual violence. A Thousand Splendid Suns was one of those pieces of literature that left me stunned the more I read and often times I had to pause reading just to soak up the plot. The novel follows a teenage girl whose changes are not for the better as her father arranges for her to marry a man 3x her age after her mother's death. The novel follows Miriam's life as a young wife and mother through an unstable marriage, new friendships, and identity. I highly recommend reading these books!

Word Count - 318

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