Narrating Palestinian Identity, Belonging, and Resistance in U.S. Education

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Thursday 4:15 pm
  In Roundtable Session: Intersectional Identity Narration, Negotiation, and Masking in School and Community-Based Organizations

Abstract

This study explores the educational journey of a Palestinian American Muslim woman, tracing the development of her intersecting identities across U.S. schooling contexts. Using Critical Narrative Inquiry, the research examines how school climate, cultural socialization, and institutional structures shape ethnic-racial identity, belonging, and civic agency. Findings reveal a trajectory from suppression in public school to affirmation in Islamic schooling, followed by resistance and activism in higher education. Samira’s narrative highlights the emotional toll of marginalization, the erasure of Palestinian perspectives, and the transformative power of student-led counter-spaces. Grounded in lived experience and supported by theoretical insights, this study contributes to scholarship on identity development, educational equity, and the role of narrative in challenging dominant discourses and fostering inclusive learning environments.

Author

• Orwa Sedawi, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev