First Advisor

Janice Lee

Date of Award

Spring 6-2022

Document Type

Closed Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Arts and Letters and University Honors

Department

Arts & Letters

Language

English

Subjects

Syrians -- Biography, Syrians -- United States -- Social conditions, Early memories, Syrians -- Social life and customs, Arab Americans -- Social conditions

DOI

10.15760/honors.1252

Abstract

This creative thesis is an exploration of and reflection on my childhood experiences as a Syrian American growing up in the United States. I explore themes of cultural connection, double consciousness, ethnicity in America, and the preservation and loss of Syrian cultural practices including language, family relationships, and social norms.

Growing up in a predominantly white community, as the daughter of a Syrian immigrant raised in a Syrian community, I was acutely aware that I didn’t fit in with the larger culture around me. I engaged in code switching, absorbed micro-aggressions, and experienced othering without any real understanding of what was happening. Studying race and social justice concepts at Portland State University helped me clarify and contextualize my childhood experiences.

I wrote this collection of stories to amuse, educate, and enlighten people about Syrian culture and to highlight the inner life of our immigrant community. In doing so, I learned about myself and how I have processed my place within my Syrian community and within my country of birth, the United States.

Rights

In Copyright. URI: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).

Persistent Identifier

https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/37758

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