As a policy school dedicated to the public good and producing civically engaged and socially responsible leaders, the School is committed to creating an environment of diversity, inclusion and belonging for its faculty, staff, students and surrounding communities. To that end, here are recommendations to observe Southwest Asian and North Africa (SWANA) Heritage Month & Asian, Pacific Islander, Desi American (APIDA) Heritage Month.
Watch
An Act of Worship explores the past 30 years of American history through the perspective of Muslims across the U.S. who have lived it. Observational footage of activists who came of age after 9/11 along with intimate testimonials offer a window into the community's perspective on pivotal moments and policies that continue to impact Muslim Americans today. A co-presentation with the Center for Asian American Media.
Southwest Asian / North African (SWANA) Racial/Ethnic Categorization in the United States
Sarah Abboud, Ph.D., RN, Assistant Professor of Human Development Nursing Science University of Illinois Chicago, College of Nursing. Dr. Abboud will address the health implications of the ethnic/racial categorization of SWANA communities in the US as "white" through their invisibility and hypervisibility and how this categorization masks the health disparities (e.g., HIV/STIs) of the community, in particular the LGBTQ+ community. Dr. Abboud will provide recommendations for better representation of SWANA people.
A Celebration of the AA and NHPI Community
A Celebration of the AA and NHPI Community: Highlighting Our Diverse Tapestry brings Asian Americans and Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders together to celebrate across their communities, uplift their voices, and look toward a future of healing and strength. Hosted by Amna Nawaz of the PBS NewsHour, the celebration features remarks from President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.
Listen
At Close Up, we are always exploring more ways to highlight, celebrate, and discuss the meaningful work of Southwest Asian and North African documentary filmmakers… and so we decided to do so through podcasting, bringing the words of SWANA filmmakers straight from their minds to your ears. In Southwest Asia and North Africa, “official” narratives often stifle complex cultural legacies. The Close Up podcast dives deep with filmmakers to explore cultural and historical identity and what it means to be an independent artist today, with all its complexities — its vivacity and spirit, diversity and paradoxes. What unfolds is an imaginary space in which we challenge our realities while regaining our rich inclusive society.
Check out Episode 1, featuring a conversation between filmmakers Jude Chehab from Lebanon and Ruzgar Buski from Turkey who participated in the Close Up program between 2020-2021. They discuss various aspects of documentary filmmaking, defining oneself in one’s given circumstances, and navigating the international industry while challenging its status quos.
Kunafa and Shay: Art, Activism, and Connecting to the Past
Kunafa and Shay is a free and open platform for theater makers worldwide. "Kunafa and Shay" discusses and analyzes contemporary and historical Middle Eastern and North Africa, or MENA, theater from across the region.
South Asian Trailblazers is an award-winning media platform, community, and talent agency that elevates and convenes leading South Asians. Through our eponymous podcast and publication, we dive deep into the journeys of trailblazing South Asians, from ClassPass Founder Payal Kadakia to Actor Kal Penn.
Read
Only this Beautiful Moment by Nazemian, Abdi
Moud is an out gay teen living in Los Angeles with his distant father, Saeed. When Moud gets the news that his grandfather in Iran is dying, he accompanies his dad to Tehran, where the revelation of family secrets will force Moud into a new understanding of his history, his culture, and himself.
Conditional Citizens by Lalami, Laila
Pulitzer Prize Finalist Laila Lalami recounts her unlikely journey from Moroccan immigrant to U.S. citizen, using it as a starting point for her exploration of the rights, liberties, and protections that are traditionally associated with American citizenship. Tapping into history, politics, and literature, she elucidates how accidents of birth--such as national origin, race, or gender--that once determined the boundaries of Americanness still cast their shadows today.
We Are Not Here to Be Bystanders by Sarsour, Linda
As a young Muslim American woman unapologetic in her faith and her activism, Sarsour would discover her innate sense of justice in the aftermath of 9/11. Her experiences as a daughter of Palestinian immigrants provide a moving portrayal of what it means to find one's voice and use it for the good of others. Through decades of fighting for racial, economic, gender, and social justice she became one of the most recognized activists in the nation. Throughout, Sarsour inspires readers to take action as she reaffirms that we are not here to be bystanders. -- adapted from jacket
Hawaii's Story by Hawaii's Queen, Liliuokalani, Queen of Hawaii, 1838-1917
In 1893, Liliuokalani, the Queen of Hawaii, was deposed and five years later her nation became an incorporated territory of the United States. Published shortly after these momentous events, her book Hawaii’s Story by Hawaii’s Queen is an incredibly personal history of the islands that she was born to rule. Liliuokalani covers from her birth in 1838 through the reigns of her forebears to her own turbulent time as Queen of the Hawaiian Islands.
Oh My Mother!: A Memoir in Nine Adventures, Connie Wang
In Chinese, the closest expression to oh my god is wo de ma ya. It’s an interjection, a polite expletive, something to say when you’re out of words. Translated literally, it means oh my mother—the instinctual first person you think of when you’re on the cusp of losing it, or putting it all together.
In each essay of this hilarious, heartfelt, and pitch-perfectly honest memoir, journalist Connie Wang explores her complicated relationship to her stubborn and charismatic mother, Qing Li, through the ‘oh my god’ moments in their travels together