A new documentary is in the works that promises to
make Americans re-evaluate the way they look at the Syrian refugees and
migrants that end up on their doorstep. It hopes to display the way they
integrate themselves into society, and their transition to becoming as American
as the next man.
Watani Ana seeks to explore the lives of
extraordinary Syrians who have left their home country for America, and managed
to achieve great things. It includes success stories like Shawnee State
University professor of anthropology and history Amr Al-Azm and senior
politician Mohammed Alaa Ghanem, but also features regular people struggling to
find employment and acceptance in the U.S. It seeks to challenge preconceptions
and educate the public about the reality behind the stereotypes.
In
this current climate of Islamophobia and anti-immigrant sentiment, this
documentary could play a role in demonstrating that Syrian refugees and
migrants are just like anybody else. The fact that they have travelled from
another country doesn’t mean that they don’t have a place in the U.S.; it just
means they have to work that little bit harder to fit in. Watani Ana (I Am My Homeland) is currently being funded via the
crowdfunding platform Kickstarter, and tells a story that clearly needs to be
brought to the masses in order for them to fully understand the plight of the
people that the news so often denigrates. It is a poignant reminder that home
is where the heart is. Check it out for yourself at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/181005813/watani-ana-i-am-my-homeland-0
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