| Arab in America Contributor(s): El Rassi, Toufic (Author) |
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ISBN: 0867196734 ISBN-13: 9780867196733 Publisher: Last Gasp OUR PRICE: $12.71 Product Type: Paperback Published: February 2008 * Not available - Not in print at this time *Annotation: A semi-autobiographical graphic novel account chronicling the life of an average Arab-American struggling with his Arab identity in an increasingly hostile nation. From childhood through adolescence, and as an adult, Toufic illustrates the prejudice and discrimination Arabs and Muslims experience in American society. He contends with ignorant teachers, racist neighbors, bullying classmates, and a growing sense of alienation. He examines the roles that media and popular culture play, and using examples from film and the news media, he shows how difficult it is to have an Arab identity in a society saturated with anti-Arab images and messages. Sequences include: the 9/11 attacks the tigheter security and immigration laws the first and second Gulf wars the recent history of Middle Eastern countries U.S. involvement in the region since 9/11 It is rare to hear Arab/Muslim voices over the din of professional pundits, but El Rassi's voice and presentation are unique. |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Comics & Graphic Novels | Literary |
| Dewey: FIC |
| Physical Information: 0.43" H x 6.98" W x 11" (0.88 lbs) 117 pages |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: The eye-opening story of the life of an average Arab-American struggling with his identity in an increasingly hostile nation. Using the graphic novel as his medium, Lebanon-born Toufic El Rassi chronicles his experience growing up Arab in America. Keen observations, clever insights and painful honesty make El Rassi's work shine as a critical 21st century memoir. From childhood through adolescence, and as an adult, El Rassi illustrates the prejudice and discrimination Arabs and Muslims experience in American society. He contends with ignorant teachers, racist neighbors, bullying classmates, and a growing sense of alienation. El Rassi recounts his personal experiences after the 9/11 attacks and during the implementation of new security and immigration laws that followed. El Rassi gives context to current world events, providing readers with an overview of the modern history of the Middle East, including the Gulf wars. He also examines the roles American films and news media play in creating negative stereotypes of Arab-Americans, showing how difficult it is to have an Arab identity in a society saturated with anti-Arab images and messages. |
Contributor Bio(s): El Rassi, Toufic: - Toufic El Rassi was born in Beirut in 1978 to an Egyptian mother and Lebanese father. He immigrated to Chicago a year later as his family escaped the civil war in Lebanon. He is a college lecturer in history and political science, a writer, and a graphic novelist and commentator on Middle Eastern affairs. He lives in Chicago. |