Of the many Palestinians that fled after the 1948 and 1967 wars, a large number ended up in the USA. Their present number is estimated at between 150 to 250 thousand, living mostly in urban areas. The majority of Palestinian-Americans have adjusted reasonably well to American society. Still, second and even third generations remain highly conscious of their origins, and supportive and aware of the Palestinian cause. Many Palestinians are in the US because they had no other option, and they would return to their homeland if it were economically and politically viable. Furthermore, many of them are critical of American morals and values. Thus a number of Palestinian-American parents send their children to live and study in the West Bank, to familiarize them with Palestinian culture (preventing alienation from their parents), to prevent them from being exposed to the 'dangers' they identify with American culture, or to marry their daughters to Palestinian men.
Lianne Engelkes, a student in the Palestine-Arabic Studies Program at Birzeit University, interviewed a sample of Palestinian-American students between the ages of 16 and 19 at the Ramallah Friends Boys School, which has a special English-speaking stream to accommodate these children, as do several other private schools in the city. Most of these students were born and brought up in large American cities and now live with their parents or other relatives in Ramallah or its surrounding villages, to which they returned within the last two years. The students came to the West Bank because their parents decided they should. In some cases parents told the children that they would only be staying for a holiday, so that some of the children feel both frustrated and betrayed.
The students generally felt that there were more disadvantages than advantages to living in the West Bank. Positive points mentioned included their familiarization with the culture and language and getting to know their relatives, as well as the more personalized school education they receive at FBS. On the negative side, boys claim they are extremely bored as they miss the variety of activities they were accustomed to in the USA, and they also complained about the difficult political situation, their lack of independence, and, as they called it, the slow, undisciplined and unorganized nature of the Ramallah inhabitants. Girls added to the above list the restrictions they experience owing to pressure from relatives and society, and harassment on the streets. They have to stay in after school, and feel that they have no real powers of decision making regarding their own lives.
In general, the students felt unhappy and depressed about their stay in the West Bank and hoped to return to the US They feel resentful at having been forced to leave their native country and have lost trust in their parents. They feel they may never be able to adapt to Palestinian society due to their US upbringing (although some speak Arabic quite well) and dislike what they call the disorganization and latent anger in Palestinian society. The problem of dual identity became clear when the students were asked whether they felt American, Palestinian-American or Palestinian. Only one girl considered herself Palestinian; all the other students considered themselves Palestinian-American. Due to their upbringing they feel more closely connected to the US. They speak English better than Arabic and dress like American kids, yet they remain connected to Palestinian society through their Arabic language, their Palestinian relatives and their culture.
The above combination of problematic relationships and identity adjustments is intensified by the fact that these students are all adolescents, and thus find themselves in an emotional tug-of-war between two cultures at a crucial stage in their development. It is likely that many of them will return to the US to finish their education and will stay there, while others, in particular the girls, will have no other option but to adjust to Palestinian society. However, whatever country they will find themselves in, the other will always have an impact and influence on their lives.
Elaine Clark
Educational Network, POB 66, Ramallah, West Bank
tel: 02 995 6230/fax: 02 995 6231 e-mail: eclark@ednet.birzeit.edu