Imagining Ghanem—My Return to Lebanon
The writer explores Lebanon's archives for traces of her family who left 150 years ago, contemplating our responsibilities to our ancestors.
immigration
Germany’s Most Rightwing Parliament Since WWII—Liberals Panic, Immigrants Roll Their Eyes
Laila Abdalla, a young Egyptian journalist transplanted to Germany, sizes up the rightward drift of the country.
Love Across Borders—on Romance, Restrictions and Happy Endings
Lina Mounzer reviews the new book by Anna Lekas Miller that gathers stories of love- and border-challenged couples.
Suad Aldarra’s I Don’t Want to Talk About Home
Ammar Azzouz reviews Suad Aldarra’s memoir about Syrian life that exists beyond the headlines and numbers reported in the newspapers.
“Kaleidoscope: In Pursuit of the Real in a Virtual World”—fiction from Dina Abou Salem
Caught between Beirut and a town in the Californian desert, Buthayna searches for the meaning amid life’s absurdities.
And Yet Our Brothers: Portraits of France
Laëtitia Soula toured the expansive photo exhibit Portraits of France, which celebrates the lives of 318 immigrants who paid it forward.
“What Are You Doing in Berlin?”—a short story by Ahmed Awny
Egyptian writer Ahmed Awny divigates between fiction and reality in this decentering short story.
After Nine Years in Detention, an Iraqi is Finally Granted Asylum
Rana Asfour reviews the third novel from Dutch Iraqi writer Rodaan Al Galidi.
Two Syrian Brothers Find Themselves in “We Are From There”
Angélique Crux reviews the award-winning documentary from Lebanese filmmaker Wissam Tanios.
“Disappearance/Muteness”—Tales from a Life in Translation
A writer born into both Arabic and Hebrew linguistic traditions finds herself writing in English but longing for Arabic.
Why I left Lebanon and Became a Transitional Citizen
More Lebanese live abroad than at home, and the exodus continues. Some have the option to leave, others cannot.
France’s new Culture Minister Meets with Racist Taunts
Rosa Maria Branche welcomes Rima Abdul Malak as Macron's choice for the new Minister of Culture.
Ukraine War Reminds Refugees Some Are More Equal Than Others
Observing the Russia-Ukraine conflict, a Lebanese American journalist in London, married to a Syrian refugee, finds the racist double standard on refugees unsettling.
The Alexandrian: Life and Death in L.A.
An Egyptian American daughter recalls the enduring love her immigrant father harbored for Los Angeles and the American Dream.
Hananah Zaheer’s “Lovebirds”? Don’t Be Fooled by the Title
Mehnaz Afridi reviews the new book of short stories by a Pakistani American writer determined to disrupt her readers' expectations.