A Reflection on the idea of double consciousness, living between worlds and between different perceptions in Bayoumi "How does it feel to be a problem?”
The volume by Moustafa Bayoumi; How Does it Feel to be a problem? Precisely presents what the subtitle indicates namely: Being Young and Arab in America. This book won an American Book Award and the Arab American Book Award titles. Bayoumi work has appeared in the London Review of Books, the Guardian, the New York Times and the Nation. In his narrative, the author explores how Muslim immigrants living in United States have been racially discriminated. This racial discrimination has brought negative effects to young Arab Americans in terms of their cultural and social lives. The author notes that the young Arab Americans have completely abandoned their cultural heritage due to either fear or shame or both. In his narrative, Bayoumi explains the hard time facing the young Arab Americans living and working in Brooklyn before, after and during the terrorist attack of September 11, 2001 (Bayoumi 45).
The immigrant Arab youths have succeeded the American culture at the expense of their religious and cultural heritage. Sade an Arab American youth is upset to find that one of his best friends his spying him, his other close friends and his entire community (Barnard 46). His friend was an undercover police detective, and he had presented himself with a fake Palestinian American name for the four years they have known each other. The terrorist attack of September 11, 2001 clearly has jeopardized the American friendship for the Arab Americans. They are seen as dangerous outsiders who should be identified with special IDs (Bayoumi 175). Because of how they are perceived, the Arab Americans ought to change their names. However, the change of names does not allow them relative anonymity because of their physical appearance. In order to counter this problem, most of the Arab Americans are opting to succeed the Latin culture, but still they are faced by anti-Latino racism (Barnard 45).
Sami is a 15 years old Brooklyn high school student Sami. He is Manhattan-born Christian, who comes from Egyptian-Palestinian background. Sami say he is regularly called “Bin Laden junior” or sometimes a “Terrorist” These names are causing Sami a lot of pain. Sami say, and I quote “It’s supposed to be a joke, but it gets to me a lot” (Bayoumi 256). Sami is finding his identity as a Muslim immigrant and as a student in Brooklyn in a serious conflict. He is particularly shameful, and he only bears with situation. The regular conversations around him are all about spies and informants. He says,” That’s a difficult environment for anyone” and he adds that he now feels like an alien, and he suffers so much frustration. Coupling all these problems has caused his stress levels to heighten. Before the terrorist the terrorist attack of September 11, 2001, Sami was enlisted in the Marines during the Iraq war. Sami blames his prized internship in Al-Jazeera with the UN press office, of his lack for a network media job opportunity. In addition, a good-paying job will see him move to a safer neighbourhood (Bayoumi 258).
The Muslim American community at large is facing workplace discrimination, government detentions and surveillance (Barnard 47). The American community is unable to draw between the radicalized Muslim and the young Arab Americans who dream for a better life in America. They are all facing racial discrimination that is forcing them to abandon their heritage.
Works Cited:
Bayoumi, M. (2008). How does it feel to be a problem?: Being young and Arab in America.
New York: Penguin Press. 13-290
Barnard, A., & Feurer, A. (2010, October 8, 2010). Pamela Geller: In her own words, New York
Times Print. 45-175
