The Arab American community has a long history of involvement, contributions, activism and community building in the Chicago. The library welcomed Dr. Nina Shoman-Dajani to discuss the immigration, geographic trends and historical settlement of the Arab community in the greater Chicagoland area. Watch the presentation from 4/6/22 below.
In honor of Arab Heritage Month, we celebrate the voices and experiences of Arab Americans. Visit the MVCC library for more titles.
Need help? Ask a librarian!
the wrong end of the table: a mostly comic memoir of a muslim arab american woman just trying to fit in, ayser salman
"Laced in her offbeat takes about immigrant life, dating, and measuring up to her parents’ demands are vivid descriptions of what it is like to be a Muslim in America, including a letter to President Trump begging him not to turn the country she loves into the Iraq she left behind. Humorous and heartfelt, Salman’s story reflects the best—and worst—that her new country has to offer an outsider." - Booklist
Stop by the Library for the Printed Book
Ms. marvel. vol. 1: destined, saladin ahmed
"Ms. Marvel is back--and she's magnificent! But there's no such thing as business as usual in Jersey City. Aliens are wreaking havoc in Kamala's corner of the world, and they seem weirdly interested in Ms. Marvel...and her family! Kamala is about to face a devastating loss--but with an alien invasion ravaging her neighborhood, she's not going to have much time to grieve. Even if Kamala saves her hometown, will her life ever be the same? And what's all this business about a 'Chosen One'?"--Publisher description
Visit our website for the eBook!
the beauty of your face, sahar mustafah
“A uniquely American story told in powerful, evocative prose, The Beauty of Your Face navigates a country growing ever more divided. Afaf Rahman, the daughter of Palestinian immigrants, is the principal of Nurrideen School for Girls, a Muslim school in the Chicago suburbs..”—provided by the publisher.
Stop by the library for the Printed Book
all-american muslim girl, nadine jolie courtney
“The book handles the complexity and intersectionality of being a Muslim American woman with finesse, addressing many aspects of identity and Islamic opinions. . .While grounded in the American Muslim experience, the book has universal appeal thanks to its nuanced, well-developed teen characters whose struggles offer direct parallels to many other communities. Phenomenal.” ―Kirkus Reviews
View our website for the eAudiobook
the return: fathers, sons, and the land in between, hisham matar
"In 2012, after the overthrow of Qaddafi, the acclaimed novelist Hisham Matar journeys to his native Libya after an absence of thirty years. When he was twelve, Matar and his family went into political exile. Eight years later Matar's father, a former diplomat and military man turned brave political dissident, was kidnapped from the streets of Cairo by the Libyan government and is believed to have been held in the regime's most notorious prison. Now, the prisons are empty and little hope remains that Jaballah Matar will be found alive. Yet, as the author writes, hope is 'persistent and cunning.' This book is a profoundly moving family memoir, a brilliant and affecting portrait of a country and a people on the cusp of immense change, and a disturbing and timeless depiction of the monstrous nature of absolute power."--Publisher description
Hisham Matar is an American-born Pulitzer Prize-winning author.
Stop by the library for the Printed Book
A very large expanse of sea, tahereh mafi
From the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Shatter Me series comes a powerful, heartrending contemporary novel about fear, first love, and the devastating impact of prejudice. It's 2002, a year after 9/11. It's an extremely turbulent time politically, but especially so for someone like Shirin, a sixteen-year-old Muslim girl who's tired of being stereotyped. Shirin is never surprised by how horrible people can be. She's tired of the rude stares, the degrading comments-even the physical violence-she endures as a result of her race, her religion, and the hijab she wears every day. So she's built up protective walls and refuses to let anyone close enough to hurt her. Instead, she drowns her frustrations in music and spends her afternoons break-dancing with her brother. But then she meets Ocean James. He's the first person in forever who really seems to want to get to know Shirin. It terrifies her-they seem to come from two irreconcilable worlds-and Shirin has had her guard up for so long that she's not sure she'll ever be able to let it down
Visit our website for the eAudiobook!
Credits:
Created with an image by Abdullah_Shakoor - "prophet mosque masjid"