I am “primary text” in the classroom: Reflections of an “Othered” TA

One of my students has recently asked me why many of my examples on stereotypes, power, and hegemony are about the Middle East. I answered him with a frustrated smile: “You need to understand that what happens in the Middle East does not remain in the Middle East. Can we examine terrorism and the War on Terror or gas prices without talking about Middle Eastern culture?” The rest of the students laughed, and one replied: “I think it is important to know about other cultures, and you are the perfect example that debunks many of the stereotypes we know about Arabs.”

Perhaps my experience as a teaching assistant/instructor is more challenging than that of my colleagues in terms of being one who belongs to a culture often thought of as “primitive,” “backward,” “exotic,” and one that “promotes violence” (Shaheen, 1985). Resisting dominant assumptions is not an easy task, but finding myself often frustrated with such perceptions was one reason I applied for a TA position. I still remember how anxious I was when I first entered the classroom and introduced myself to students. I walked in, smiling, and wrote my name in English, Arabic, and Russian. I explained to them where I came from, and then paused for some seconds before I told them: “You may have noticed that I have an accent, and I do not think it will cause any confusion. However, if you do not understand what I say, raise your hand and ask.” They all nodded, implying approval and excitement at my unexpected transparency.

Johnson and Bhatt’s (2003) essay, “Gendered and Racialized Identities and Alliances in the Classroom: Formations in/of Resistive Space” explains why it is important to examine “How do we dialogue with those who are not—not us, not me—particularly when this notness is contextualized within a construction of being that essentially and inherently marks us as superior or subordinate?” (p. 230). The authors assert that the classroom is one main space in which “social justice prevails” by creating an intercultural exchange through which we learn from each other, and resist prejudices.

So, how do I create such space? I bring my own experience to the classroom. I present myself as one example of that faraway culture that most students have learned about from the media and political rhetoric. Standing in front of them and telling them stories that debunk cultural myths of my culture is one experience that fills me with content, and helps them understand, for example, that not all Arabs are Muslim. There are Christian Arabs, Jewish Arabs, and even atheist Arabs. I log in to my Facebook account and show them pictures of my friends, some wear hijab, while others do not. I explain to them that we have the right to criticize, but we do not have the right to offend other cultures. I am, simply, the “primary text in the classroom” (p. 234). The benefits are numerous from analyzing my experience and sharing it with my students.