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knod78's review
4.0
This completes Task 12: Read a work of investigative nonfiction by an author of color of Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge.
I was super excited to read this book when I saw it as a recommendation for this task. I was not disappointed. The author did a great job interviewing these young Arabs (men and women) in New York so that he could compile a book about what it is like to grow up Arab, especially post 9/11. I loved that he went with them to places to see how they interacted with other people in the community (Muslim or Non-Muslim). I loved that he told their before and after and some of them had it somewhat rough before 9/11, but for the most part it definitely got worse. I learned a great deal and things I didn't know happen like Muslims were picked up randomly and spent many weeks in detention centers/jails with criminals without knowing their charge. It is very sad to read these things and it made me rethink the things I said right after 9/11. In my 20s, I said things like, "We should just bomb Afghanistan," thinking all that remained were the terrorists as pushed by all media, not just Fox News. I was impressed with how each of the people broke down what they were feeling and how it changed them; some of them became more spiritual. I was also surprised to find out about the beatings and killings of Arabs in American (even in Dallas...never heard that before) post 9/11. Very sad.
Although, I did have some issues. I don't know what it is or why, but here lately, the Prefaces I have read have BEEN SOOOOOO LONNNNGGGG! For gosh sakes, it's a Preface, an Introduction. It's not the same as a chapter. It's an abstract of what the rest of the book will provide or your results from your investigative study. Granted, this Preface was no where near the length of The New Jim Crow Laws book, but it's just getting tired. And I think I'm over it. Also, I did not think Lina's story was relative to the rest of the investigative work, with the exception of how Iraq changed for her and two of her friends jailed for espionage. It was about her rebelliousness as a teen to her family and religion. I'm sorry, but that happens everywhere no matter your religion. Teens do this. I mean we don't have the vernacular, "Preacher's Daughter/Son," shown in a wild light for nothing. For me, she could have been anyone in America and I just didn't feel like it added anything to the rest. Or at least, I would have focused more on her feelings of Iraq.
I think this is a good book for anyone to read who was around in America during 9/11, especially ones who were in their late teens/early 20s. It changes the perspective and narrative of Arab Americans and will make you think about things you never thought you should or needed. I only wished the book had a part 2 of other people and their experiences in America, not just New York.
I was super excited to read this book when I saw it as a recommendation for this task. I was not disappointed. The author did a great job interviewing these young Arabs (men and women) in New York so that he could compile a book about what it is like to grow up Arab, especially post 9/11. I loved that he went with them to places to see how they interacted with other people in the community (Muslim or Non-Muslim). I loved that he told their before and after and some of them had it somewhat rough before 9/11, but for the most part it definitely got worse. I learned a great deal and things I didn't know happen like Muslims were picked up randomly and spent many weeks in detention centers/jails with criminals without knowing their charge. It is very sad to read these things and it made me rethink the things I said right after 9/11. In my 20s, I said things like, "We should just bomb Afghanistan," thinking all that remained were the terrorists as pushed by all media, not just Fox News. I was impressed with how each of the people broke down what they were feeling and how it changed them; some of them became more spiritual. I was also surprised to find out about the beatings and killings of Arabs in American (even in Dallas...never heard that before) post 9/11. Very sad.
Although, I did have some issues. I don't know what it is or why, but here lately, the Prefaces I have read have BEEN SOOOOOO LONNNNGGGG! For gosh sakes, it's a Preface, an Introduction. It's not the same as a chapter. It's an abstract of what the rest of the book will provide or your results from your investigative study. Granted, this Preface was no where near the length of The New Jim Crow Laws book, but it's just getting tired. And I think I'm over it. Also, I did not think Lina's story was relative to the rest of the investigative work, with the exception of how Iraq changed for her and two of her friends jailed for espionage. It was about her rebelliousness as a teen to her family and religion. I'm sorry, but that happens everywhere no matter your religion. Teens do this. I mean we don't have the vernacular, "Preacher's Daughter/Son," shown in a wild light for nothing. For me, she could have been anyone in America and I just didn't feel like it added anything to the rest. Or at least, I would have focused more on her feelings of Iraq.
I think this is a good book for anyone to read who was around in America during 9/11, especially ones who were in their late teens/early 20s. It changes the perspective and narrative of Arab Americans and will make you think about things you never thought you should or needed. I only wished the book had a part 2 of other people and their experiences in America, not just New York.
kristinvdt's review
4.0
Read while working on my thesis. A very well-written book that deserves many readers.
lizaroo71's review
4.0
I read this book in preparation for a class I am taking this summer entitled: Retelling and Rewriting America.
I found this to be an easy and accessible read. Each chapters tells the story of a young Arab American (all of the participants are younger than thirty) and none of the stories are the same.
It is fascinating to read about the transition (for some) to America and how their families assimilated into American culture. It is also heartbreaking to hear how many of these immigrants feel like they no longer have a home to return to any longer.
I don't want to give the impression this is politically charged, because I feel like the author doesn't lay blame anywhere. Bayoumi lays out the facts and the reader is left to glean the reality of each individual's situation.
This book is almost ten years old, so I wonder if the author plans to follow up in any way with the stories presented here.
I found this to be an easy and accessible read. Each chapters tells the story of a young Arab American (all of the participants are younger than thirty) and none of the stories are the same.
It is fascinating to read about the transition (for some) to America and how their families assimilated into American culture. It is also heartbreaking to hear how many of these immigrants feel like they no longer have a home to return to any longer.
I don't want to give the impression this is politically charged, because I feel like the author doesn't lay blame anywhere. Bayoumi lays out the facts and the reader is left to glean the reality of each individual's situation.
This book is almost ten years old, so I wonder if the author plans to follow up in any way with the stories presented here.
murve's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
reflective
fast-paced
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Islamophobia
emanon_'s review against another edition
5.0
I’m happy I picked this book up and I’m happy it turned out better than expected. I’ve had experiences of reading about Arabs and Muslims in a somewhat negative way and I won’t lie, I wasn’t looking forward to yet another book of that sort.
The way Moustafa got to retell each person’ story was beautiful.
Rasha - I honestly wanted to punch someone after reading this
Sami - it opened up a different perspective to how someone can be patriotic and in conflict with their loyalty due to their upbringing
Yasmin - I don’t think I would’ve ever been as resilient to a situation like this one
Akram - this one had a mage that made my blood boil
Lina - it’s a weird one because it somehow felt like it hit close to home while it definitely doesn’t
Omar - this was an unfair one, the dude is obviously good
Rami - he’s so far away from my reality that I almost couldn’t believe that this is someone’s real life story
This makes no sense but I don’t need it to👌🏼
mvanhoeck's review
3.0
I'm glad I read this book and learned much about the ordinariness and extraordinariness of young Arab Americans' lives. The preface and the afterward provided useful and readable historical context, with stronger writing than the profile chapters. The prose of the main chapters was sometimes banal and leaden and would have benefited from more editing, hence the three star rating.
cdbaker's review
5.0
This book took me forever to finish, but not because it wasn't excellent -- because I wanted to read it slowly, chapter by chapter, and savor its stories. It does a great job of conveying the way that 9/11 and the war on terror has changed the lives of Arab and Muslim Americans. I suspect that I will assign chapters to future classes.