Issues

Issues

Joining the Tribe

Posted on Wednesday July 11, 2007

This week we are reminded of anniversaries. My personal milestone just passed in December, when I celebrated 25 years of being a Palestinian-in-law. Like most Palestinians, my husband’s family has deep roots in the crusty, ancient, elusive land that was occupied 40 years ago. Their village, ‘Ain Sinia, is home today to no more than a few hundred souls, but the spirit of that place has filled and sustained thousands of homes on five continents. These brave and sturdy people are my family now, and their story, their longing, has become my own.

Pictured here are my sisters-in-law: Muyasser and Widad; Widad is a great grandmother already (doing her share to grow the tribe). They are at a wedding (of course) in Chicago where they live. The Samhan clan—its sheer size and tenacity—continues to amaze me and teach me about life and hope. My kids smile at their dad’s stories of his unadorned childhood—no frills, free roam of the town to play (barefoot) and tough teachers—days that are still remembered with tenderness.

When asked, my kids are clear: they are Palestinian. Never mind that they share my Lebanese and Syrian heritage, their Samhan identity trumps it all. I am not offended. Their legacy is powerful, filled with struggle and steadfastness and a thirst for justice. I am just proud to be in the tribe.

Helen Hatab Samhan