Arab American Heritage month always makes me think about the history of Arab Americans in this country, and our different experiences. I grew up in Orange County in the 1980s, which for many reasons was awesome. We had the best music, the best movies, and no one can convince me otherwise. Life was simpler before the explosion of the internet.
But growing up as an Arab American in the 1980s was tough. Many times, I turned on the television and there were stories about plane hijackings, terror attacks, or wars that I had nothing to do with, but they had a profound impact on my fragile, young identity. I felt like an enemy here, and I didn’t feel any pride in my heritage. Quite frankly, I felt disdain.
I remember after the first Gulf War started in 1990 being scared because of the pervasive jingoism, which is very similar to our current environment for members of many disadvantaged groups. I told my parents not to speak Arabic in public because I was afraid of what might happen to them and me. They still bring that up to me to this day, and I feel a sense of guilt and shame about it.
As a teenager, all I wanted was to be “normal.” I was obsessed with punk rock and, like most teenagers back then, I wanted to be (and was) in punk band(s) (which I continued to do until I went to law school). Still, I always felt like an outsider because of my Arab/son of immigrants background, and there were always skinheads around at the punk shows and in Huntington Beach back then which consistently reminded me of my “otherness.”
I think back on this time and wonder what would have made things better for me and other Arab American and Middle Eastern kids back then. I think an Arab American/Middle Eastern role model in comic books or on television, would have made all the difference. When I was a kid, I was a huge fan of comic books, because I was looking for heroes. But there were no Arab or even Middle Eastern comic book characters back then that I was aware of; usually we were the villains. Back then, we just didn’t have enough “regular” everyday heroes (like lawyers, doctors, government officials, etc.) representing us in literature, film, TV shows, radio shows or otherwise.
But things are finally moving in the right direction! And it’s in large part due to influential media companies, such as Disney, who we are honoring at AALASC’s Annual Banquet on April 28, 2023. Their show Ramy (on Hulu), starring actor/comedian Ramy Youssef, is a perfect example of the kind of regular every day Arab American hero that our community needs. Ramy is a millennial Egyptian Muslim living in New Jersey, and the show explores the challenges of what’s like being caught between a religious Egyptian community, who thinks life is a moral test, and Ramy’s millennial American peers, who believe life has no consequences. Disney’s live action adaptation of Aladdin, importantly featured a diverse cast, with an Arab American, Mena Massoud, playing the lead role. Another example is the Netflix series Mo, about a Palestinian who straddles the line between two cultures, three languages and a pending asylum request while hustling to support his family. We also have Arab American actors in lead roles portraying non-Arabs. Rami Malek won an Oscar for his portrayal of Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody, and was first launched into the spotlight because of his role in Mr. Robot, which was created by another Arab American, Sam Esmail. Hopefully, the continued success of stories with Arab American characters will produce more role models for kids growing up who need heroes, and the partnership of hugely influential media companies such as Disney and Netflix are invaluable.
As the incoming President of AALASC, I want to thank all Presidents and Boards that came before me for being heroes in their own right. I look forward to working with the incoming Officers, Board members and all members of our organization to support, promote, and grow the Arab American legal community, and hopefully, inspire other Arab and Middle Eastern Americans to do the same.
Rudy S. Salo is the incoming President of the Arab American Lawyer’s Association of Southern California. Rudy is also an infrastructure finance attorney advising governmental entities and financial institutions on financing infrastructure and transportation systems throughout the United States. Rudy is also a notable writer/public speaker/actor and is currently a Transportation Contributor to Forbes.com. Rudy is the co-host of “Good Is In The Details,” a philosophy/self-improvement podcast. Rudy received his law degree from Georgetown University Law Center and his undergraduate degree from UCLA, magna cum laude, in Political Science. During the Spring Semester, Rudy is a lecturer at Chapman University’s Fowler School of Law.
