Nada was born in Kuwait City but her family is originally from Yaffa, Palestine. At six years old, the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait left Nada and her family forced to flee and seek refuge in the United States. Nada recounts the struggles of adjusting to life in America while undocumented, navigating her Palestinian identity through…

In loving memory of May Kassicieh. May graciously recalls growing up in a diverse community in Jordan but maintaining a strong connection to Palestine. She also describes her passion for tatreez, traditional Palestinian cross-stitch, and her experiences as an educator. For May, sharing stories through everyday conversations and her craft help to center her Palestinian…

Layan was born and raised in San Francisco, California. Layan’s parents are from Shufat and she most recently visited Palestine at the age of 13. In her narrative, Layan shares the experience of visiting Palestine at a young age, her experiences with Islam in the United States, finding strength in Palestinian-American community, and what home…

Luke was born and raised in Houston, Texas. His grandfather’s family was forced to flee from Ramla in 1948 after the Deir Yassin massacre, while his grandmother’s family fled in 1956. Although neither Luke nor his father has been able to return to Palestine, he discusses how family traditions and stories have allowed him to…

Gina Wanless was born in London and stayed there until she was around six years old. At that point, her family moved back to Jerusalem and she grew up until attending college. Gina recalls always asking questions, noticing varying levels of discrimination experienced by her peers, and adjusting to life in the US during and…

Asma Barakat was born and raised in New Jersey, and visited her family’s village in Ramallah shortly after the Second Intifada. She recounts learning about the occupation of Palestine through news networks, such as Al-Jazeera, and developing her own relationship with her identity, ancestry, and religious background throughout her teenage years. Asma discusses her place…

Zaina Awad was born in Jerusalem and grew up there until traveling to the states for college and graduate school. In her narrative, she describes how her perspectives have changed, and at times conflict, with those of her family. Currently, she lives in Chicago and talks about the different ways she stays connected to her…

Fadl Fakhouri was born and raised in San Francisco, but spent several summers in Khalil. As an artist, they discuss how being Palestinian informs several of his pieces and raises questions of borders and positionality. They also expand on being queer, and their journey stepping into and expressing that identity both in the US and…

Thuraya Zeidan was born in Al-Quds and migrated to the United States when she was one-year-old. However, she spent several years growing up in Palestine and recounts her earliest memories of the occupation. Now, she is an educator and mother, actively working to elevate Palestinian perspectives and other marginalized identities.