The School of Public Policy is committed to creating a thriving, inclusive environment at the School, where everyone takes an active role in incorporating diversity, inclusion and belonging into their work, classroom and interactions with students and colleagues. To that end, we’re excited to share our monthly recommendations for books, poetry, documentaries, podcasts, art and more for students to refer to on their personal and professional journeys to cultivating diversity, inclusion and belonging.
In the month of April we observe Arab American Heritage Month. To that end, here are a few recommendations from SPP staff, faculty, and members of the Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging Taskforce for you to engage with this month.
Arab American Stories (American Public Television)
Arab American Stories is an Emmy Award-winning 13-part series presented by Detroit Public Television that explores the diversity of the Arab-American experience.
Arab Indianapolis (Youtube)
This short video introduces the Arab American community in Indianapolis, from early immigration, family reunions, and American success stories to the impact of xenophobia and contemporary dynamics.
An Interview with Professor Curtis (Middle East Policy Council)
A conversation with Professor Curtis, an expert on Arab American and Muslim American History, about his family’s past in the Midwest and current advocacy work to tell the stories of Arab Americans across the Midwest.
The Arab Americans: A History by Gregory Orfalea
Gregory Orfalea’s new and definitive work spans a century and a half of the life of Arab immigrants and their descendants in the United States.
The Beauty of Your Face: A Novel by Sahar Mustafah
A Palestinian American woman wrestles with faith, loss, and identity before coming face-to-face with a school shooter in this searing debut. A uniquely American story told in powerful, evocative prose, The Beauty of Your Face navigates a country growing ever more divided. Afaf Rahman, the daughter of Palestinian immigrants, is the principal of Nurideen School for Girls, a Muslim school in the Chicago suburbs. One morning, a shooter―radicalized by the online alt-right―attacks the school.
How Does It Feel to Be a Problem? Being Young and Arab in America by Moustafa Bayoumi
An eye-opening look at how young Arab- and Muslim-Americans are forging lives for themselves in a country that often mistakes them for the enemy.
This Muslim Girl (Apple Podcasts, Spotify)
This Muslim Girl is an Arab American woman born in Yemen raised in the Central Valley of California sharing stories to empower women.