The importance of our Palestinian American story. An open discussion on the many ways our community can tell that story. We will discuss our contributions as Palestinian Americans, our heritage, and how we change the misinformed public narrative through the art of storytelling. How we depict Palestinian Americans as part of the fabric of American culture through our storytelling, promoting understanding, acceptance, and respect for our community, culture, and history.

Speaker Bios:

 Paul Aziz Zarou: Palestinian American born and raised in New York; Paul moved to Los Angeles early in his working life. He raised his family in LA and now lives here with his wife. Paul has had a thirty-five-plus-year career in technology sales and sales leadership and writes in his spare time. His love of literature, history, and politics motivates him to tell stories. As a writer of novels and screenplays, Paul enjoys exploring both the social and political landscapes of the past and the timeless complexities of family dynamics. ARAB BOY DELIVERED, published in March 2022, is his first novel. For over the past twenty-seven years, Paul has also been affiliated with The Humanitas Prize Award, an organization that recognizes film and TV writers who explore the human condition in their storytelling.

Jamal R. Nassar is Dean Emeritus of the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences at California State University, San Bernardino. He was born in Jerusalem, received a B.A. from Jacksonville University in 1972, a M.A. from the University of South Florida in 1974 and a Ph.D. from the University of Cincinnati in 1978. Immediately afterwards, he joined the faculty at Illinois State University, where he served as chair of the Department of Politics and Government until accepting the post at CSUSB in 2007. His specialty is Middle Eastern politics.