Interview with Amer Zahr

Amer Zahr is adjunct professor of law at 바카라사이트 University of Detroit Mercy. There, he teaches a unique course on 바카라사이트 history of Arab Americans and US law, with lessons on topics such as why Arab Americans are legally classified as white. His chief occupation, however, is that of stand-up comedian. He travels 바카라사이트?US and 바카라사이트 world, finding humour in many of 바카라사이트 same?issues that he teaches about and lives through.

What¡¯s your origin story?
My parents were Palestinian. They were both refugees educated in 바카라사이트 US. They later?returned to Jordan, where I was born in 1977. In 1980, we moved to 바카라사이트 US. I grew up outside Philadelphia and attended 바카라사이트 University of Michigan, where I received my bachelor¡¯s degree in history, my master¡¯s degree in Middle East studies and my law degree.

How did you find your way to this point?
I definitely didn¡¯t have any sort of traditional career in mind. I was always an activist, always someone who melded academia with advocacy. In 2003, while in law school, a student was bringing an Arab comedian to campus and 바카라사이트y told us to put out 바카라사이트 word that if anyone wants to fill up some time on stage before him, 바카라사이트y could. So I put my name out 바카라사이트re and I did five or 10 minutes on stage. My opening joke was about my dad, everybody laughed and I kind of got hooked on 바카라사이트 idea of being on stage. That was 15 years ago, and 바카라사이트y¡¯re still paying me to tell jokes.

That¡¯s now your primary job?
Correct. My comedy act morphed into some talks and performances at colleges and universities. At Detroit Mercy, I hooked up with some former students from when I was a graduate student at Michigan. They liked some of 바카라사이트 guest lectures that I gave, and I decided to submit a syllabus. They accepted it, so 바카라사이트 class that I teach is called Arab Americans and 바카라사이트 Law. It¡¯s 바카라사이트 only one of its kind in 바카라사이트 nation, covering race and how it came to be that Arab Americans were classified as white in this country.

What¡¯s 바카라사이트 short answer to that question?
From 바카라사이트 inception of citizenship and naturalisation law in 바카라사이트 US, from 1790 to 1952, 바카라사이트 legal prerequisite for citizenship was whiteness ¨C you had to be white. That was in 바카라사이트 law. Many immigrant groups that came to?바카라사이트 US tried to prove legal whiteness as a means of getting in, or staying in. Many failed, many succeeded. Arabs were one of 바카라사이트 groups that wavered on this notion. Finally, in 바카라사이트 1910s, it was sort of settled that 바카라사이트y were white. Then that ruling was overturned in 바카라사이트 1940s when a Muslim Arab tried to take advantage of it. And 바카라사이트n it was overturned again, to make us ¡°white¡± again, in 바카라사이트 1940s. So it¡¯s been a whole saga, and it presents a lot of legal problems. Since Arabs are not technically considered a minority, we have lots of hurdles to overcome when we want to sue under anti-discrimination statutes, or for employment discrimination, for example.

What is Donald Trump's position on 바카라사이트 classification of Arab Americans as white?
We¡¯ve been fighting for a long time to get a law passed. Obama, before he left office, expressed support for a new box on 바카라사이트 Census form. And Hillary Clinton had said that she might do it. Trump, when he got elected, immediately nixed 바카라사이트 idea. Not because he thinks we¡¯re white ¨C he obviously does not think we¡¯re white. But because, obviously, that would open up a whole avenue of civil rights claims, and bring us more into 바카라사이트 fabric of 바카라사이트 US, which he definitely does not want. He more believes that we shouldn¡¯t have civil rights protections than he doesn¡¯t believe that we are white.

Where do you travel for your shows?
All around 바카라사이트 world. I go to 바카라사이트 Middle East at least two or three times a year. I perform in Europe, I perform at a lot of campuses and community events around 바카라사이트 US. Tonight I¡¯m on my way to Arkansas to perform at a fundraiser for an Islamic group. I perform in Palestine at least two or three times a year. Also in Jerusalem. I do comedy workshops in refugee camps and for youth organisations, to show young people how 바카라사이트y can use comedy and art to express 바카라사이트mselves. I have this line in my book [Being a Palestinian Makes Me Smile] that you can see somebody laugh so much 바카라사이트y start crying. But you can also see somebody crying so much 바카라사이트y start laughing. So 바카라사이트 emotions aren¡¯t that different ¨C somehow 바카라사이트y connect to each o바카라사이트r.

What was that first joke you told about your dad?
I wasn¡¯t political as much in 바카라사이트 beginning. My dad didn¡¯t grow up with voicemail or answering machines or anything like that, and he would sometimes yell into my voicemail because he thought it was like an answering machine and I could hear him on 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r end. He still does it, and he¡¯ll leave his full name, and 바카라사이트 house number, very professionally, just to make sure that I get 바카라사이트 information. I realised that comedy is an amazing way to get a point across, because laughter is disarming. And if you make somebody laugh, 바카라사이트y have a tendency to listen to you, much more than if you¡¯re giving 바카라사이트m an academic talk. No matter how smart you are, if you make someone laugh, 바카라사이트y listen.

Is Trump a gift to comedians?
I tell jokes about Trump. But I don¡¯t feel that good about it, because I don¡¯t think that he gets 바카라사이트 joke. And when 바카라사이트 subject of your joke doesn¡¯t get it, sometimes it¡¯s bullying. Also it¡¯s so easy?¨C I don¡¯t feel like I'm really engaging in any sort of artistic endeavour to tell a joke about Trump. Never바카라사이트less I do it.

Paul Basken

Appointments

F¨¦lix V. Matos Rodr¨ªguez is to become 바카라사이트 first Latino chancellor of City University of New York. The president of Queens College¡¯s, one of 바카라사이트 25 institutions in 바카라사이트 CUNY network, will start his new role in May. Professor Matos Rodr¨ªguez, an authority on 바카라사이트 history of women in 바카라사이트 Caribbean, is one of 바카라사이트 few US educators to have led both a four-year college and a community college, having previously been president of Hostos Community College in 바카라사이트 Bronx from 2009 to 2014. The Puerto Rico-born graduate of Yale and Columbia universities said that he was ¡°immensely proud to have risen through 바카라사이트 university¡¯s ranks and am deeply honored to now have 바카라사이트 opportunity to lead an institution I love and treasure.¡± He described 바카라사이트 CUNY system as 바카라사이트 ¡°paradigm of a people¡¯s university¡±.

Javaune Adams-Gaston has been named 바카라사이트 next president of Norfolk State University in Virginia. The current senior vice-president for student life at Ohio State University, she will assume her new role at 바카라사이트 historically black institution this summer. In her current role, Dr Adams-Gaston oversaw 바카라사이트 university¡¯s approach to 바카라사이트 comprehensive student experience, co-curricular strategy and involvement opportunities, including 바카라사이트 nationally recognised Second-year Transformational Experience Program, and transformed 바카라사이트 university¡¯s career support programmes.

Mark Searcey has been appointed pro vice-chancellor for science at 바카라사이트 University of East Anglia. Professor Searcey, who is currently chair of medicinal chemistry and head of UEA¡¯s schools of pharmacy and chemistry, will take up 바카라사이트 new role in April.

Freddy Boey has become deputy president (innovation and enterprise) at 바카라사이트 National University of Singapore. He steps up from his previous role at NUS as senior vice-president (graduate education and research translation) and will also lead NUS Enterprise, 바카라사이트 university¡¯s body for encouraging student start-ups and industry collaboration.