Reimagining Arab America with Omar Offendum

What is the early history of Arab immigrants to the United States, and why aren’t their stories more widely known? Join hip-hop artist and activist Omar Offendum for a performance and discussion about his current creative project, which focuses on the history of Manhattan’s fabled Little Syria neighborhood. Immigrants from the Arab world first settled Little Syria over a century ago, forming the foundations of contemporary Arab American culture.

Offendum’s unique performance project blends hip-hop with live Arabic instrumentation and the time-honored Hakawati storytelling traditions of the Levant. For this event, he will be joined by oud virtuoso Ronnie Malley, beatmaker Thanks Joey, and scholar Elizabeth Saylor to uncover what life in the heart of Arab America was like over a century ago. They’ll also explore how these origins continue to  inform what is (still) happening today in terms of immigration, xenophobia, Syria, and the ever-evolving notion of an “American dream.”

Omar Offendum is a Syrian American rapper and poet based in Los Angeles. He was born in Saudi Arabia and raised in Washington, DC. Known for his unique blend of hip-hop and Arabic poetry, he has collaborated with major museums and cultural organizations and helped raise millions of dollars for humanitarian relief groups. Offendum is a Kennedy Center Citizen Artist Fellow for 2018–19.