How Does It Feel to Be a Problem Being Young and Arab in America by Bayoumi - Book Report/Review Example

How does it feel to be a problem? Being young and Arab in America Not more than a century gone, W.E.B Du Bois posed a sensitive question in his series the Souls of Black Folk: How does it feel to be a problem?, Later Moustafa Bayoumi revisit the question of the new Arab in America concerning their emerging problems in the American society. His work depends on seven young Arab Americans in sustaining his answers. In the book How does it feel to be a problem? Being young and Arab in America, Bayoumi paints a new American populace to be described “problematic” and uses evidential analysis from Brooklyn to support his theories. He asserts that these groups of men and women face persistent security surveillance and police detentions, discrimination in the workplace, progressive threats from unorganized groups, and disappearance of close family and friends occasionally. Bayoumi looks into the real meaning of what it requires being an Arab American and a Muslim-American in today’s American society ten years after the September 9/11 attacks. In quite diverse ways, I find Bayoumi’s writing as affectionate and true representation of the current American societal problem in the 21st century. His summaries on the tribulations of these young Arab men and women being taken from their homes, being harassed by strangers and being dropped from the work environment just by having a Muslim name bears great discriminatory implications that the public rarely gets to know. It can be suggested that with light academic infusion, he acts as a voice of the less heard people, with the result of tentative resistance from this generation and a new hope to face the American challenges and the state to revert these confronting prejudices against its population. (Bayoumi) From the cover, Bayoumi argues out his long journey in being an Arab-American and how that is a “new problems” (2) in the United States. His long journey finally landed him in Brooklyn, New York where the setting and plot of the book is based. While in Brooklyn, Bayoumi met his 7 subjects which comprised Arabs of different backgrounds. On their personal experiences, Bayoumi records that while these people agree that being identified with the Arab culture has negatively affected their daily life in Brooklyn, they still hold on to that Arab culture. He provides a classic example of Omar who he claims can hide his Arab background because he is half Chilean but instead relates to the Arab side more often than the American side. While reading this piece, it becomes imperative that Bayoumi goes beyond the borders in not just presenting his audience with information on what he perceives are met on Arab-Americans, but goes further into offering a real insight into recounts of these victims in the hands of authorities and colleagues. The author provides a detailing accounts of Rasha, who is a Palestinian-American teenager detained with the other family members just after the 9/11 attacks. In victim’s own words, one can get a feeling of the frustration she went through while under detention under unclear circumstances at a time when she was only 19. Further, the author introduces the audience to Sami is a half kin from Arab and Christian background. Sami overcomes the societal limitations placed upon him by his the public as an Arab with regards to whom to associate with our accomplishments. He also defies his Muslim society's expectations who would otherwise expect him to behave in a particular cultural life different from the American life. With these examples, Bayoumi does not only let the readers understand the societal limits and mistreatments met upon the young Arab populations in a contemporary American society, but it also exposes the kind of perseverance, courage and determination of these young people in achieving their dreams while balancing the unique demands of one’s social-cultural orientations against persistent alienation and discrimination in a another country. With determination, and drama of unexpected magnitude happening within their vicinity and on them, these groups of young persons go out of the ordinary way to fulfill the desires and dreams of a modern young adult: marriage, life opportunities, contentment and going chasing their dreams. On the contrary of meeting these life desires, these people are consistently exposed to life situations that are incomprehensible, ranging from peer discrimination at work, persistent fighting in their mother country, government watch, and other problems that hinder their social growth. To bold the problem, the author talks about Yasmin who was forced not to pursue his life dreams in dance classes just because he was a Muslim at the tender age of 15. The author concludes that eventually Yasmin enrolled in law school to pursue legal studies. To most people, the subject of Muslims seems a new problem in the American society, with their social dynamics less known of as opposed to Africans of other foreign ethnicities within the American social set up. Historically, the author argues that the American society has been less sensitive to foreign citizens, especially from the Middle East or those who proclaim Muslim religion. There tends to be a large societal segregation from the American population with regard to policies and even programs that look into the social welfare of this societal segment. In quite diverse ways, this book represents the true contemporary American society in the 21st century, clearly and eloquently elucidating all the societal issues that interfere with Arabs welfare. However, it can be restated that these happenings are usually not clearly detected by an average American citizen unless one listens to the testimonies and life recounts from these victims, ranging from neighborhood harassments, threats by strangers and government abductions and arrests. (Bayoumi) Due to societal misunderstandings and misinterpretations, the American communities and governmental authorities have taken it upon themselves to define, set limits and even social standards for the characters described by Bayoumi in his book representing the larger societal problems that surround similar populations in America. Bayoumi himself is an Arab and Brooklynese. He was inspired by Barbara Ehrenreich, Joan Didon and Buis on their examination into the subject centering on the untold stories of Arab discrimination in America. The book represents a true Arab life in America as Bayoumi commenced writing on the Brooklyn situation for the Arabs because Brooklyn is a home to largest Muslims in America with New York having the highest population of Arab Americans. Moreover, this subject of writing was influenced by Brooklyn recorded the highest number of hate crimes meted against the Arab immigrants around the 1880s. He therefore draws from a personal affluent history and up to date education and professional experience. Up to this point, it can be concluded that, using this unique and rich mix of writing, Bayoumi in “How does it feel to be a problem?” documents the unrefined story of the unending struggle of promise and hope of the Arab American in the contemporary “democratic” American society. He makes it possible for the audience to get into this life as witnessed by the Arabs Americans, divulging characters and personal experiences that most apparent changes one’s conception of the 21st American society against a unique background for democracy and respect for social welfare. Work cited Bayoumi, Moustafa. How Does It Feel to Be a Problem?: Being Young and Arab in America. UK: Penguin Books, 2009.Print Read More