Blog Entry 3

After reading poems from Suheir Hammad and watching the film, Salt of This Sea, I now better understand her reason for giving the title, Born Palestinian Born Black, as the title of her collection of poems. Her poems are powerful, inspiring, and its amazing how you can feel so strongly as if you were in Palestine. Her use of diction and imagery make you feel angry. She is direct and explicit in her poems. She does not hold anything back. I believe she gives this title to her collection of poems because she is drawing an analogy to the lives of Africans Americans and oppression. History shows the KKK, lynching, segregation, slavery, and oppression.  Palestinian Arabs have darker skin and are oppressed. For instance, Nakba, in 1948, forced 700,000 Palestinians out of their homes. Israelis occupied Palestinian territory including Jaffa. Moreover, the Sabra and Shatila massacre killed 3,000 Palestinians and Lebanese refugees. Sadly, such events demonstrate the violence, hatred, and oppression towards Palestinians. Her poems portray animosity, violence, dehumanization as well. The film, directed by Annemarie Jacir, was also interesting to watch. I understand now that they were harassed while shooting the film and Jacir is no longer allowed in Palestine. The film was eye-opening for me. I have never been to Israel or Palestine, and I thought it was interesting the interrogation every time Soroya arrived at a checkpoint. I have been questioned at airports, but nothing like this. I can see how that might upset someone or anger them. I liked how when traveling to Israel, they were able to pass through security by the two men wearing a yamaka, changing the radio station, and Soroya speaking English - not Arabic. If I recall correctly from the movie, they had a Star of David hanging down from the rear view mirror. I also learned from class that the Star of David can be seen in negative fashion relating to anti-Sematic attacks. The Israel-Palestine conflict is so comprehensive that I wonder if they will ever have peace between Israel and Palestine. I sure hope so. The Oslo Accords, the Camp David Accords, Two-State Solution all have not been successful. I believe Suheir Hammad is an excellent representation of an Arab-American who is inspiring, and pushing for action. I really enjoyed her poems, and when she reads the poems out loud - she is well spoken.

106. Suheir Hammad - "We Spent the 4th of July in Bed