American Museum Highlights Arab, South Asian, Muslim Experiences

By Laura J. Brown
Washington File Staff Writer

Month of performances, discussions and films draws crowds

New York -- Throughout January, the American Museum of Natural History is highlighting the experiences of Arab, South Asian and Muslim communities in the United States.

After the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon September 11, the museum staff decided to create a program to bring New York City's diverse communities together. The program, entitled "Living in America: Arab, South Asian and Muslim Communities," features films, lectures, panel discussions and workshops for audiences of all ages.

On January 19, the museum showcased three videos on the youth of New York City. Museum staff scurried to bring chairs to the overflowing auditorium, filled with many non-Arab and non-Muslim young people.

Students of the Al Noor School in Brooklyn helped produce the first video, "Living in Two Worlds," about growing up as Muslim-American. Founded in 1995, Al Noor has grown into the largest Islamic school in New York and one of the largest in the country. The students are about 60 percent Arab -- mostly from Palestine, Egypt and Yemen -- and about 40 percent South Asian.

The 20-minute video explores issues of racial stereotypes, Muslim pride and feelings of American identity. One girl describes how the girls-only classes she attends enable her to concentrate on her schoolwork. Another girl explains that she finds her hijab, the Muslim head scarf, a symbol of freedom and respect.

"People look at me for who I am, not because I'm wearing a miniskirt," she said. "When I wear the hijab I get respect."

A second video, "Where My Gurlz At?," was produced by members of South Asian Youth Action (SAYA!). The story is about two young women from Queens, New York, who are torn between their South Asian heritage and their conflicting American values. It addresses complex issues such as arranged marriages, ethnic stereotypes and the treatment of women.

Salina Ali, 19, who co-produced the video, said that although most of the video was filmed before September 11, many of the issues it raises are even more critical now.

"People of South Asia have been looked at as terrorists or something," Ali said. "You can try to change that and let people know who we are or you can do nothing. Well, we wanted to do something."

The third video, "In My Own Skin: The Complexity of Living as an Arab in America," features interviews with five young Arab women living in New York after September 11. It touches on the difficulty Arab American families face as parents try to raise their children the Islamic way while their children sometimes embrace other Western ways.

Murad Awawdeh, 15, one of the hundreds of young people who crowded into the auditorium, said the event helped him come to terms with his feelings of being Arab and American.

"After 9-11, everyone's life changed drastically," he said. "At first it separated us, but now we're becoming stronger and can share the experience."

The museum's program also includes music and dance performances and discussions. On January 26, the museum showed a film, "The Gift of Islam," and held a discussion on the ways American Muslims have influenced the cultural life of New York City.

Located on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, the American Museum is 125 years old and is renowned for its exhibits on earth's evolution, from the birth of the planet to the present day.

The "Living in America" series is presented in conjunction with the Museum of the City of New York's exhibition, "A Community of Many Worlds: Arab Americans in New York City," which will begin March 2 and run through September 1.