ISSN:
2311-8962
Journal Name:
An-Najah University Journal for Research - B (Humanities)
Volume:
36
Issue:
1
Pages From:
215
To:
246
Date:
Saturday, January 1, 2022
Keywords:
Identity, Diaspora, Palestinian Americans, SecondGeneration.
Project:
peer reviewed research paper.
Abstract:
This research aims at studying the complicated nature of the identity
crisis suffered by the second generation of Palestinian Americans. This
goal has been further explored by referring to different theoretical
perspectives and conceptual paradigms to understand and analyze this
topic under investigation. Many models and approaches have been used
to reflect on the experiences of the Palestinians living in the US as
Diasporic communities, facing the hardships of refugeedom and the pain
of Return dream to the homeland. Both researchers attempted to
rationalize the usage of these western related theories to fit the
Palestinian context by matching them with a set of other literary studies,
resources and oral interviews with the second generation of the US-born
Palestinian Americans. Methodologically, the current research is
qualitative, descriptive and of analytical nature, benefiting from primary
and secondary data available in various research areas. The two
researchers conducted field interviews with the second generation of
Palestinian – Americans that revealed that all these factors including
occupation, seeking refuge, American democracy, the American press
and stereotyping created an identity crisis to those Palestinians. However,
that crisis can be solved in the long run if a real political transformation