Facing the past and approaching the future: A multi-generational insight into growing up in Palestine and moving to America

I have always been fascinated by history and studied the histories of the United States, Europe and the Middle East in both high school and college. However, I never had the opportunity to fully examine my own history and past until now. This thesis is an exploration of my family's history and the narrative of our journey from Palestine to America. I seek not only to understand my family's take on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict that so drastically shaped our lives, but also to understand the more quotidian thoughts, feelings, hopes, and dreams. I want to share stories that have not been heard before because the Palestinian narrative continues to be a contested issue by other competing narratives and it is important that an accurate depiction be recorded and distributed for the general public. I hope that this project will accomplish this task and encourage critical thinking of this long-standing conflict.