ACKNOWLEDGMENTS; INTRODUCTION; CHAPTER 1: Palestine: A Historical Perspective; Events that Shaped Palestinian Identity; CHAPTER 2: The Construction of Identity; Arab and Palestinian Immigrants; Palestinian Communities in the United States; Palestinian Ethnic Identity and Land; 1. The Political Component; 2. The Social Component; 3. The Economic Component; Material Culture and Immigrants' Identity; CHAPTER 3: Who We Are; The Families; The Ameen Family; The Basim Family; The Dawood Family; The Esam Family; The Farah Family; The Ghazi Family; The Hani Family
Social interaction among women in the communityDocumenting Material Culture; CHAPTER 4: Social Identity Practices of the Palestiniansin Maryland; Political and Cultural Challenges; Linguistic Practices; Politics of Naming; Language and Dialect; Oral History and Storytelling in the Home; Choices in Consuming Media; Religious and Educational Choices; Adaptation in the New Home; CHAPTER 5: Come to my House; National Artifacts; Map; Flag; Hatta; Thobe; The Dome of the Rock; Pictures of Jerusalem; National Wall Hangings and Home Décor; Religious Artifacts; Christian Symbols; Islamic Symbols
Clothing and JewelrySocial Artifacts; Clothing; Musical Instruments; Jewelry; Home Décor; Food from Distinct Cities; House and Garden; Artifacts and Identities; Artifacts and Heritage; Artifacts and Maintaining a Distinct Palestinian Identity; Exchange of Artifacts; Artifacts and Gender Identity; CHAPTER 6: When We Go Back ... ; The Social Identity Practices of Palestinian Familiesin Maryland; Cultural Artifacts in the Identity Formation of Palestiniansin Maryland; APPENDIX; BIBLIOGRAPHY; INDEX
Summary
Abu-Ghazaleh focuses on Palestinian cultural material artifacts and their connection with the preservation of cultural identity. The Palestinian participants were acutely aware of the potential instability of their diaspora, especially in the United States since 9/11. This study provides a perspective not generally presented in Western media of the Palestinian people striving for the peaceful preservation of their nationality through their cultural artifacts, and social identity practices. For Palestinians, material culture artifacts connect them to their homeland even as it is relentlessly re
