Displacement and the Palestinian American Story

By: Jenan A. Matari, Alana Hadid

Until now, you've only heard one side of the story: that Israel was a land without a people, for a people without a land. But there were people on the land of Historic Palestine, and their lives were forever changed when Israel was established there. Many were forced from their homes, and made their way to America. Here's the true story of America and Palestine, from the Palestinian perspective.

When you think about Palestine, what comes to mind? An arid desert and a history too complicated for any young person to understand it? The truth is, Palestine is a diverse environment with a rich history, one that is far less complicated than you've been told.

The creation of Israel didn't just redraw borders. It created one of the largest, longest-lasting refugee populations in the world, with millions of Palestinians still carrying the trauma, the keys, and the hope of return. The story of this region, and America's role in it, has been carefully represented to omit the Palestinian side of the story. From olive groves, to music as resistance, to a longing to return home, this is the true story of Palestine, told from the perspective of Palestinians displaced to America.