American Arab pushes for voter empowerment. Building on the #YallaVote branding for Arab American get-out-the-vote efforts, the Arab American Institute has updated its campaign with “Ammu Sam” the brainchild of one design-savvy Arab American. Rawan Elbaba talks about the inspiration behind the new image which adorns t-shirts, totes and buttons for 2016.
By Rawan Elbaba
Growing up in the shadow of 9/11 was not easy, especially as a young Arab American and an American Muslim. Popular culture, the news media and the like all told me that my existence as an Arab American was a discrepancy, an oxymoron.
How could I be an Arab and an American? An American and a Muslim? These questions often dizzied my young head as a I struggled to understand what it means to be an American of non-European descent.
As I began my digital media work with the Arab American Institute, my familiarity with the Arab American community grew, helping me define myself as Arab and American. Whether that meant having stuffed grape leaves on the side of my turkey at Thanksgiving or spending weekends in front of the White House, fighting for the rights of other communities, being Arab American suddenly meant something different.
I was no longer confused about where I fit in this country, my country because I found communities of people who embrace the essence of my dichotomous identity.
For the last year, AAI has been preparing for the 2016 election and as I became acquainted with AAI’s #YallaVote campaign to mobilize and educate voters, I knew I wanted to create something that would showcase my duality, and resonate with my fellow Arab Americans.
So I asked myself what is the first word that comes to my mind when I think of “American,” and instantly the image of Uncle Sam and his wagging finger refused to leave my head. With the American symbolism down, I knew I needed to accessorize Uncle Sam with something that was inherently Arab, something that symbolized all that it means to Arab.
The keffiyeh was the perfect addition to the already powerful Uncle Sam image. Historically worn to provide protection from the blazing Middle Eastern sun, the woven checkered pattern scarf became a powerful symbol of Arab nationalism. And thus, Ammu (simply the Arabic word for “uncle”) Sam was born.
With a keffiyeh draped along his chest, Uncle Sam’s stern look and pointed finger has a whole new meaning. Ammu Sam wants us to make a difference; he wants us to be at the forefront of the conversation; to join him at the polls to make the Arab American community’s voice heard—loud and clear.
Ray Hanania is an award winning political and humor columnist who analyzes American and Middle East politics, and life in general. He is an author of several books.
Hanania covered Chicago Politics and Chicago City Hall from 1976 through 1992 at the Daily Southtown and the Chicago Sun-Times. He began writing in 1975 publishing The Middle Eastern Voice newspaper in Chicago (1975-1977). He later published “The National Arab American Times” newspaper (2004-2007).
Hanania writes weekly columns on Middle East and American Arab issues as Special US Correspondent for the Arab News ArabNews.com, at TheArabDailyNews.com, and at SuburbanChicagoland.com. He has published weekly columns in the Jerusalem Post newspaper, YNetNews.com, Newsday, the Orlando Sentinel, Houston Chronical, and Arlington Heights Daily Herald.
Hanania is the recipient of four (4) Chicago Headline Club “Peter Lisagor Awards” for Column writing. In November 2006, he was named “Best Ethnic American Columnist” by the New American Media. In 2009, Hanania received the prestigious Sigma Delta Chi Award for Writing from the Society of Professional Journalists. He is the recipient of the MT Mehdi Courage in Journalism Award. He was honored for his writing skills with two (2) Chicago Stick-o-Type awards from the Chicago Newspaper Guild. In 1990, Hanania was nominated by the Chicago Sun-Times editors for a Pulitzer Prize for his four-part series on the Palestinian Intifada.
His writings have also been honored by two national Awards from ADC for his writing, and from the National Arab American Journalists Association.
Hanania is the US Special Correspondent for the Arab News Newspaper, covering Middle East and Arab American issues. He writes for the Southwest News newspaper group writing on mainstream American issues.
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