The Dilemma of Arab Americans in Selected Plays by Yussef El Guindi: A Post-Colonial

Abstract

Arab Americans have faced a dilemma in the period following the 9/11 attacks. They have been occasionally suspected; they have often visited and interrogated by the American government agents without any real evidence that shows they are spies or terrorists. This is revealed through the number of bias-motivated hate crimes reported by the National Uniform Crime Reporting Program which collects official data of the crimes against Arab Americans especially Muslims in post 9/11 America. For instance, this program reported 7,462 hate crimes in 2002 in the United States. This thesis discusses the dilemma faced by Arab Americans through its three different chapters. In addition, it highlights the identity crisis that most Arab Americans suffer from, as they often do not know to which country they belong.