Acknowledgments From Yvonne The courage of Jack Shaheen and Barbara Nimri Aziz inspired me to write this book and their guidance and encouragement helped me finish it Thank you Dr Jack for taking the time to be our professional reader I am indebted to you Barbara for directing me to activities and places I needed to be Kathleen Brown McNalley and Dawi Winston you ground me wado Thanks to my son Jiman and friends Angela Irma Sharon Khadija Arlene and Luca and especially my very patient husband who took over my tasks Thanks for your attention to detail Michelle Schoob Cynthia Sherry wado for doing the right thing with both my books Your vision and commitment to helping make America the inclusive society it needs to be is remarkable From Maha Thanks to the people who will read this book with an open mind and heart and to my children who give me the peace of mind to write Maha and Yvonne are both grateful to these won
derful folks who filled in the blanks and didn't mind being interviewed and pumped for information Adil Oualim Akram Khater Douglas Haddad Elsa Marston Jeffrey Saad Joseph Haiek Joseph Kassab Khalil Hachem Laila Al Qatami Liz Behrend Malika Zarra Musa Hamideh Naef Al Mutawa Paul Ibrahim Pauline Kaldas Ray Saeid Sarab Al Jijakli Naomi Shihab Nye Helen Zughaib Hani Shihada Susan Joseph
Note to Readers y journey started in Kuwait where I grew up in a mixed Arab and American community with Arab friends who shared the same traditions and foods as my family I also had American friends who taught me how to build the perfect hamburger how to furnish a dollhouse and everything anyone needed to know about Charlie Brown and Snoopy Our neighborhood celebrated the national tradi tional and cultural holidays both Arab and Ameri can like Eid Thanksgiving and Easter I was an Arab Muslim girl who helped untangle Christmas tree lights sang in the choir and one year played the piano to accompany the choir I loved it all When I attended college in the United States I brought this sense of intercultural exchange and shared it with my college friends some of whom visited me in the Arab world Years later I had the opportunity to immigrate to the United States and make America my home My children were born here I wanted to keep the balance of Arab and American in their life which grows ever more challenging Arabs Arab Americans and Arab cultures are often treated in a very negative way in
the United States The idea behind A Kid's Guide to Arab American History was to bring to light real Arab American culture people who have con and the tributed to the fabric of the United States Maha Addasi My dear friend and coauthor of many books Arlene Hirschfelder and my wonderful husband Roger Den nis pushed me to write A Kid’s Guide to Arab American History Over the years I had become more angry and dismayed at the untruths and stereotypes aimed at Arabs and Arab American people For most of my life I have addressed racism directed at all groups but particularly First Nations peoples I am fortunate to be both Indigenous American and Arab American two of the most misrepresented peoples in history Through my books I have tried to set the record straight about Native peoples it is time to do the same regarding Arab Americans Much like the Hol lywood Indian who was violent and not too smart Arab Americans are portrayed as unrealistic and unpleasant characters None of these portrayals resemble anyone in my family or community people who are hard working brilliant loyal and deeply spiritual citizens My very Syrian grandparents would be proud that I wrote a book that tells a bit about their history in America and my very Cherokee Sand Hill grandparents would be proud that I walk in bal ance and honor all of my ancestors Yvonne Wakim Dennis
