1 00:00:01,680 --> 00:00:04,960 Speaker 1: Alzoon Media. 2 00:00:06,600 --> 00:00:09,080 Speaker 2: Hello everybody, This is Sharen. Welcome to it could happen 3 00:00:09,160 --> 00:00:13,640 Speaker 2: here today. We're talking to two people I love and 4 00:00:13,680 --> 00:00:16,680 Speaker 2: respect very much about a topic that I think is 5 00:00:16,720 --> 00:00:20,440 Speaker 2: really underreported on, and that's food erasure and how it's 6 00:00:20,480 --> 00:00:22,920 Speaker 2: part of ethic cleansing. And I think it's a really 7 00:00:22,920 --> 00:00:25,279 Speaker 2: important topic to talk about right now, especially with the 8 00:00:25,400 --> 00:00:29,040 Speaker 2: genocide happening in Palestine. So let's just jump right in 9 00:00:29,120 --> 00:00:33,320 Speaker 2: without further ado. Welcome my guests, Reeve and Jabidil. 10 00:00:32,920 --> 00:00:36,760 Speaker 3: Hello, Hello, Hello, Hey. 11 00:00:37,560 --> 00:00:38,840 Speaker 2: Just so our audience can get to know you guys 12 00:00:38,840 --> 00:00:41,280 Speaker 2: a little bit better, how about y'all introduce yourselves and 13 00:00:41,360 --> 00:00:45,279 Speaker 2: like what you do and yeah, yeah, Ream you want 14 00:00:45,280 --> 00:00:45,720 Speaker 2: to go first? 15 00:00:46,640 --> 00:00:47,080 Speaker 4: Sure. 16 00:00:48,040 --> 00:00:48,960 Speaker 3: My name is Reem. 17 00:00:49,240 --> 00:00:54,560 Speaker 4: I am a Bay Area based Palestinian Syria and chef. 18 00:00:55,760 --> 00:00:59,240 Speaker 4: I own a restaurant called Reems, California. And our mission 19 00:00:59,280 --> 00:01:04,000 Speaker 4: really is too who built community across cultures and experiences 20 00:01:04,080 --> 00:01:06,280 Speaker 4: through the warmth of Arab bread and hospitality. 21 00:01:07,400 --> 00:01:11,679 Speaker 5: Beautiful. Wow, that was so succinct. My name is thank 22 00:01:11,720 --> 00:01:13,039 Speaker 5: you for a Saesday, So. 23 00:01:14,600 --> 00:01:15,880 Speaker 3: I've done it a few times, you know. 24 00:01:16,040 --> 00:01:19,399 Speaker 5: Yeah. My name is Jabrell Unis. I'm a filmmaker based 25 00:01:19,440 --> 00:01:25,200 Speaker 5: in Pasadena, and I am also a Palestinian artist in general. 26 00:01:26,640 --> 00:01:29,040 Speaker 2: Yeah, no relation. Both of our last names are Unis, 27 00:01:29,040 --> 00:01:31,600 Speaker 2: but that is how we met. A white person said, 28 00:01:31,680 --> 00:01:33,440 Speaker 2: you guys have the same last name, you should meet, 29 00:01:33,680 --> 00:01:37,600 Speaker 2: and we met. No, we're friends, But I really like 30 00:01:37,840 --> 00:01:40,520 Speaker 2: the partnership that you guys have in the collaboration that 31 00:01:40,560 --> 00:01:43,520 Speaker 2: you guys, from my perspective, have established. Can you guys 32 00:01:43,560 --> 00:01:46,080 Speaker 2: talk about what you've been working on recently together? 33 00:01:47,280 --> 00:01:50,080 Speaker 5: Yeah? Yeah, So we've been working on for the past 34 00:01:51,280 --> 00:01:55,920 Speaker 5: since like twenty twenty one or late twenty twenty. We've 35 00:01:55,920 --> 00:01:59,320 Speaker 5: been working on a documentary series that is named after 36 00:01:59,640 --> 00:02:03,040 Speaker 5: reim cookbook, which is you should pick it up. It's 37 00:02:03,120 --> 00:02:05,400 Speaker 5: one of my favorite cookbooks that I own. It's called 38 00:02:05,440 --> 00:02:10,560 Speaker 5: Arabia and it is a documenting series exploring the food 39 00:02:10,600 --> 00:02:14,640 Speaker 5: ways and diaspora of Arab people across South past Asia, 40 00:02:14,680 --> 00:02:17,760 Speaker 5: North Africa. And I think the general log line and 41 00:02:17,880 --> 00:02:20,080 Speaker 5: dream can dive into a bit more of the general 42 00:02:20,080 --> 00:02:22,520 Speaker 5: log line is you can tell this like through telling 43 00:02:22,600 --> 00:02:24,280 Speaker 5: the story of the food, you can tell the story 44 00:02:24,280 --> 00:02:28,440 Speaker 5: of our people in diaspora. And it underscores a lot 45 00:02:28,480 --> 00:02:31,560 Speaker 5: of I think we'll talk about today, which is sort 46 00:02:31,600 --> 00:02:37,880 Speaker 5: of food, identity, identity through food and resilience and through food. 47 00:02:37,919 --> 00:02:40,600 Speaker 5: But also I think one thing that's always been really 48 00:02:40,639 --> 00:02:43,880 Speaker 5: important to both of us is how much we see 49 00:02:43,880 --> 00:02:46,000 Speaker 5: the show as like a celebration of our culture. I 50 00:02:46,000 --> 00:02:50,400 Speaker 5: feel like there are so many trauma stories from not 51 00:02:50,440 --> 00:02:53,600 Speaker 5: only Palestinians but Arabs in general, and I think something 52 00:02:53,600 --> 00:02:55,440 Speaker 5: that was really important to us is like, guess, let's 53 00:02:55,520 --> 00:02:58,600 Speaker 5: talk about all of it. We're an extremely I think 54 00:02:58,720 --> 00:03:01,280 Speaker 5: you know, we're extremely politicize as a people, but also 55 00:03:01,880 --> 00:03:05,320 Speaker 5: very passionate, but also let's celebrate all the things we 56 00:03:05,400 --> 00:03:08,600 Speaker 5: love about ourselves and love about our culture and the 57 00:03:08,600 --> 00:03:11,919 Speaker 5: tastes and smells and sounds and sights. So how would 58 00:03:11,960 --> 00:03:14,160 Speaker 5: you I feel like that's sort of the setup, but 59 00:03:14,560 --> 00:03:15,600 Speaker 5: how would you describe it? 60 00:03:17,480 --> 00:03:22,840 Speaker 4: Yeah, I think that's exactly it. And our hope is 61 00:03:22,880 --> 00:03:27,240 Speaker 4: that the being able to break down the barriers or 62 00:03:28,520 --> 00:03:32,280 Speaker 4: have a lens into our world for the public is 63 00:03:32,720 --> 00:03:37,440 Speaker 4: kind of a gateway to understand the context and the 64 00:03:37,480 --> 00:03:41,320 Speaker 4: politics behind why things are the way they are and 65 00:03:41,400 --> 00:03:47,520 Speaker 4: to really fight the dehumanization that Arabs have experienced, particularly. 66 00:03:46,920 --> 00:03:47,560 Speaker 3: In the West. 67 00:03:47,960 --> 00:03:51,200 Speaker 4: And so, you know, while this is a show about food, 68 00:03:51,320 --> 00:03:56,640 Speaker 4: it's also it's very much a show about people and 69 00:03:56,720 --> 00:04:01,120 Speaker 4: how interconnected we are. So yeah, we're really excited to 70 00:04:01,200 --> 00:04:04,120 Speaker 4: be able to break down some of those barriers of 71 00:04:04,240 --> 00:04:07,960 Speaker 4: understanding in a way that could actually lead to people, 72 00:04:08,960 --> 00:04:13,080 Speaker 4: you know, fighting anti Arab sentiment in this country, fighting Islamophobia, 73 00:04:13,200 --> 00:04:15,960 Speaker 4: all of these things when they have that kind of 74 00:04:16,040 --> 00:04:18,520 Speaker 4: lens or that view into our world. 75 00:04:19,200 --> 00:04:22,880 Speaker 5: Yeah, and I mean it's been pretty interesting. Can I 76 00:04:22,960 --> 00:04:25,760 Speaker 5: keep vamping a little bit? It's been pretty interesting. I 77 00:04:25,760 --> 00:04:29,480 Speaker 5: mean I think the sort of like thought that started 78 00:04:29,520 --> 00:04:33,000 Speaker 5: the show really was why it's so easy? And I 79 00:04:33,040 --> 00:04:35,800 Speaker 5: think we'll talk about this later too in depth, but like, 80 00:04:35,880 --> 00:04:39,200 Speaker 5: why is it so easy to find so many different 81 00:04:39,240 --> 00:04:43,120 Speaker 5: cultures food? You know, like you have I'm going to 82 00:04:43,240 --> 00:04:45,320 Speaker 5: use Asian food as an example because I live in 83 00:04:45,360 --> 00:04:47,320 Speaker 5: the San Gabriel Valley, so it's like all around me. 84 00:04:47,800 --> 00:04:51,159 Speaker 5: But you have Korean food and Japanese food, and so 85 00:04:51,320 --> 00:04:54,440 Speaker 5: many different types of Chinese food that are all specifically 86 00:04:54,480 --> 00:04:57,520 Speaker 5: called what they are and where they're from, right, They're 87 00:04:57,560 --> 00:05:02,200 Speaker 5: all like identified correctly. That can extend to the Latin 88 00:05:02,360 --> 00:05:06,920 Speaker 5: X world and their food. It can extend to European food. 89 00:05:07,040 --> 00:05:10,080 Speaker 5: It's all very you know, like people call it what 90 00:05:10,160 --> 00:05:13,800 Speaker 5: it is, and then you sort of get to you 91 00:05:13,880 --> 00:05:16,839 Speaker 5: get to you know, Southwest Asia and North Africa, and 92 00:05:17,000 --> 00:05:21,600 Speaker 5: suddenly the food stops being called you know, what it is, 93 00:05:21,680 --> 00:05:26,000 Speaker 5: and starts being called Mediterranean or starts being called Middle Eastern. 94 00:05:26,960 --> 00:05:31,640 Speaker 5: And I think that the idea was, like I had 95 00:05:31,680 --> 00:05:34,400 Speaker 5: gone to Anaheim, where there's a neighborhood called Little Arabia here, 96 00:05:35,040 --> 00:05:37,159 Speaker 5: and there was a Palestinian restaurant. I was like so 97 00:05:37,320 --> 00:05:40,160 Speaker 5: excited about it. It's called the Olive Tree. It's closed now, 98 00:05:40,560 --> 00:05:43,520 Speaker 5: but I was like so so excited, and I got 99 00:05:43,680 --> 00:05:46,640 Speaker 5: I always get so so excited when I find a 100 00:05:46,680 --> 00:05:51,680 Speaker 5: Palestinian restaurant or a yeah, any restaurant, and you know, 101 00:05:51,680 --> 00:05:55,479 Speaker 5: I mean many of them. But I think the reason 102 00:05:55,480 --> 00:05:57,320 Speaker 5: I get so excited is because it's so hard to 103 00:05:57,360 --> 00:06:01,760 Speaker 5: find those places, and I think there's a reason why. 104 00:06:01,960 --> 00:06:04,520 Speaker 5: And so, you know, three and a half years later, 105 00:06:04,560 --> 00:06:07,599 Speaker 5: the show has sort of grown from that initial thought 106 00:06:07,680 --> 00:06:12,440 Speaker 5: and interest and become very very different, and it's effort 107 00:06:12,480 --> 00:06:16,360 Speaker 5: to humanize Arabs, which is something I think is you know, 108 00:06:16,400 --> 00:06:18,039 Speaker 5: it's unfortunate that we still have to do that, but 109 00:06:18,080 --> 00:06:20,640 Speaker 5: I think we kind of do, especially right now. But yeah, 110 00:06:20,680 --> 00:06:23,440 Speaker 5: we've been pitching for like, you know, we worked on 111 00:06:23,480 --> 00:06:25,680 Speaker 5: it together for a while and then of been pitching 112 00:06:25,800 --> 00:06:29,200 Speaker 5: and going through pitches and talking at different companies and 113 00:06:29,240 --> 00:06:31,400 Speaker 5: getting a lot of great feedback and getting some really 114 00:06:31,400 --> 00:06:34,279 Speaker 5: weird feedback for the past like few years. And we 115 00:06:34,279 --> 00:06:35,000 Speaker 5: can talk about that. 116 00:06:34,960 --> 00:06:38,680 Speaker 2: More if you want, But well, oh, I'd like to 117 00:06:38,720 --> 00:06:41,559 Speaker 2: talk about some of the more interesting feedback, I guess, 118 00:06:41,640 --> 00:06:45,400 Speaker 2: but I would also want to ask you ream how 119 00:06:45,520 --> 00:06:47,720 Speaker 2: how did you get involved in food? Like where did 120 00:06:47,760 --> 00:06:48,599 Speaker 2: that passion start? 121 00:06:50,680 --> 00:06:52,120 Speaker 3: Yeah, I've I. 122 00:06:52,040 --> 00:06:56,000 Speaker 4: Would say food has always been in the backdrop for 123 00:06:56,120 --> 00:07:00,719 Speaker 4: better or for worse of my life experiences, particularly when 124 00:07:01,320 --> 00:07:07,719 Speaker 4: everything falls apart from me. I grew up kind of 125 00:07:07,760 --> 00:07:10,960 Speaker 4: as a whatever. The term I've heard is like the 126 00:07:11,000 --> 00:07:16,640 Speaker 4: third culture kid, right where the Arab identity was really 127 00:07:16,680 --> 00:07:19,320 Speaker 4: strong in our household and that was particularly through food, 128 00:07:19,400 --> 00:07:23,040 Speaker 4: but then also and a stranger in a strange land 129 00:07:24,120 --> 00:07:29,440 Speaker 4: outside of the home where it was predominantly your typical 130 00:07:29,560 --> 00:07:34,400 Speaker 4: Americana suburban culture. And so I was kind of like, 131 00:07:36,040 --> 00:07:41,080 Speaker 4: even though food was there, the intertwining with identity made 132 00:07:41,080 --> 00:07:42,880 Speaker 4: me like run away from it a lot because it 133 00:07:42,920 --> 00:07:48,360 Speaker 4: reminds you of your otherness and also just the nuances 134 00:07:48,400 --> 00:07:52,040 Speaker 4: of seeing my mom being a working mom and struggling 135 00:07:52,080 --> 00:07:54,720 Speaker 4: in the kitchen. So I was like, I'm never gonna 136 00:07:54,760 --> 00:07:56,840 Speaker 4: I'm going to be a feminist and I'm never. 137 00:07:56,680 --> 00:07:58,720 Speaker 3: Gonna touch her. That was like. 138 00:08:00,280 --> 00:08:03,040 Speaker 4: Every time, like you know, and then I did like 139 00:08:03,560 --> 00:08:07,440 Speaker 4: what the immigrant child does, like overachiever, like go to college, 140 00:08:07,640 --> 00:08:10,160 Speaker 4: try to be the president, and then realize us of 141 00:08:10,280 --> 00:08:12,320 Speaker 4: what I want to do. When I spent many years 142 00:08:12,600 --> 00:08:15,840 Speaker 4: in the nonprofit world, I was doing organizing work, and 143 00:08:15,880 --> 00:08:18,840 Speaker 4: while that work was really rewarding to some extent, it 144 00:08:18,920 --> 00:08:23,280 Speaker 4: was really draining and not fulfilling in a deeper spiritual level. 145 00:08:24,000 --> 00:08:26,679 Speaker 4: And so every time I would burn out, the food, 146 00:08:26,760 --> 00:08:29,080 Speaker 4: and particularly the food of my culture would come back 147 00:08:29,120 --> 00:08:32,280 Speaker 4: in some shape or form. So I just had this 148 00:08:32,360 --> 00:08:34,560 Speaker 4: kind of moment in twenty ten where I was in 149 00:08:34,600 --> 00:08:39,200 Speaker 4: another bout of burnout and depression and really questioning everything. 150 00:08:39,280 --> 00:08:41,320 Speaker 4: And it was a trip that I took to the 151 00:08:41,320 --> 00:08:45,600 Speaker 4: Arab world with my father and seeing particularly bred in 152 00:08:45,640 --> 00:08:51,800 Speaker 4: these straight corner bakeries be the anchor for this community 153 00:08:51,800 --> 00:08:55,440 Speaker 4: that I had, you know, as a kid of diaspora, 154 00:08:55,520 --> 00:08:58,440 Speaker 4: like really longing to feel connected to and it was 155 00:08:58,480 --> 00:09:01,040 Speaker 4: through the food that I like felt connected once again, 156 00:09:01,160 --> 00:09:05,520 Speaker 4: So my mom did something right, look of her the 157 00:09:05,559 --> 00:09:08,199 Speaker 4: credit for that, But I was like, I need to 158 00:09:08,240 --> 00:09:10,280 Speaker 4: explore this more. I need to understand what is this? 159 00:09:10,400 --> 00:09:13,000 Speaker 4: And so then food became a source of healing for 160 00:09:13,040 --> 00:09:16,640 Speaker 4: me to come back to my identity and come back 161 00:09:16,679 --> 00:09:19,840 Speaker 4: to my culture. But then also just the power of 162 00:09:19,880 --> 00:09:23,520 Speaker 4: food as a community builder that like transcends all cultures, 163 00:09:23,679 --> 00:09:26,720 Speaker 4: Like I really loved that as a community organizer who 164 00:09:27,400 --> 00:09:30,440 Speaker 4: had been working with other communities who struggled just like 165 00:09:30,480 --> 00:09:33,560 Speaker 4: my own, right, So that's kind of how I got 166 00:09:33,600 --> 00:09:36,720 Speaker 4: into food by way of my love for wanting to 167 00:09:36,800 --> 00:09:40,600 Speaker 4: belong and my love for connection of community, and then 168 00:09:41,360 --> 00:09:45,000 Speaker 4: slowly became obsessed with food itself. 169 00:09:45,040 --> 00:09:46,320 Speaker 3: I mean, who doesn't love food? 170 00:09:46,360 --> 00:09:50,880 Speaker 4: But it is a place of both trauma and healing 171 00:09:50,960 --> 00:09:53,160 Speaker 4: for me, So it became kind of a way to 172 00:09:53,200 --> 00:09:53,920 Speaker 4: transcend that. 173 00:09:54,720 --> 00:09:56,160 Speaker 2: No, I think it's a great thing to bring up 174 00:09:56,200 --> 00:10:01,640 Speaker 2: how it's a trauma and very healing as well. I 175 00:10:02,040 --> 00:10:04,040 Speaker 2: to kind of talk about like the feedback. I know 176 00:10:04,080 --> 00:10:06,000 Speaker 2: you've had a restaurant in the Bay Area for a while. 177 00:10:07,360 --> 00:10:09,319 Speaker 2: Was it similar when you tried to make the show 178 00:10:09,360 --> 00:10:12,960 Speaker 2: come together? Like did you have similar barriers and feedback? 179 00:10:12,960 --> 00:10:14,400 Speaker 2: Like were you like familiar with some of the things 180 00:10:14,440 --> 00:10:17,280 Speaker 2: that people were saying, or was it completely like a 181 00:10:17,320 --> 00:10:17,800 Speaker 2: new game. 182 00:10:18,720 --> 00:10:19,440 Speaker 3: Yeah. 183 00:10:19,520 --> 00:10:23,640 Speaker 4: So the context that I started my restaurant, and I 184 00:10:23,679 --> 00:10:26,319 Speaker 4: want to say it was probably much different than even 185 00:10:26,400 --> 00:10:29,559 Speaker 4: what it is now today, although certainly there is backlash. 186 00:10:29,720 --> 00:10:31,560 Speaker 4: But I would say I was one of the first 187 00:10:31,760 --> 00:10:34,720 Speaker 4: few chefs who were saying, nope, I want my food 188 00:10:34,760 --> 00:10:40,360 Speaker 4: to be called Arab, and I really wanted to counter 189 00:10:40,440 --> 00:10:44,000 Speaker 4: these kind of watered down labels of Middle Eastern or 190 00:10:44,080 --> 00:10:47,520 Speaker 4: Mediterranean or you know, levantine. To me, those were all 191 00:10:47,520 --> 00:10:50,440 Speaker 4: colonial terms and it was like a bad word to 192 00:10:50,480 --> 00:10:53,320 Speaker 4: say Arab, and I wanted to reclaim that identity. I 193 00:10:53,360 --> 00:10:54,719 Speaker 4: was like, if I'm going to come out, I want 194 00:10:54,720 --> 00:10:57,920 Speaker 4: to come out as my whole self and not this person, 195 00:10:58,280 --> 00:11:00,880 Speaker 4: this scared person that was stifled all my life. And 196 00:11:00,920 --> 00:11:04,160 Speaker 4: I understand why the immigrants before me came, you know, 197 00:11:04,240 --> 00:11:06,680 Speaker 4: did it that way because they needed to make a living, 198 00:11:06,880 --> 00:11:09,800 Speaker 4: and you know, there was a lot of anti Arab sentiment, 199 00:11:09,920 --> 00:11:12,960 Speaker 4: especially in the wake of nine to eleven, that that 200 00:11:13,040 --> 00:11:17,440 Speaker 4: kind of climate here, and so I had this like 201 00:11:17,679 --> 00:11:20,360 Speaker 4: lovely idea that I'm like this generation where I can 202 00:11:20,440 --> 00:11:22,520 Speaker 4: like break it down and make it cool. I'm like, 203 00:11:22,559 --> 00:11:26,199 Speaker 4: I'm going to mainstream it, you know, And I got 204 00:11:26,240 --> 00:11:29,840 Speaker 4: pushback actually from my own family because they had those fears. 205 00:11:29,880 --> 00:11:32,680 Speaker 4: They were like, just you know, start like, don't even 206 00:11:32,720 --> 00:11:35,319 Speaker 4: start with like a Zacta event with shit, nobody's gonna 207 00:11:35,920 --> 00:11:37,440 Speaker 4: now it's like the hot thing. 208 00:11:37,840 --> 00:11:39,400 Speaker 3: But so that was a context in which I was 209 00:11:39,440 --> 00:11:39,959 Speaker 3: opening my. 210 00:11:39,960 --> 00:11:44,800 Speaker 4: Business and nobody had done it really before, so I 211 00:11:44,800 --> 00:11:46,840 Speaker 4: could kind of create my own rules and people. 212 00:11:46,600 --> 00:11:47,319 Speaker 3: Are like, what is this? 213 00:11:47,520 --> 00:11:50,080 Speaker 4: And I still got like a lot of like, oh 214 00:11:50,960 --> 00:11:56,400 Speaker 4: is this you know Mediterranean? You know people, it took 215 00:11:56,440 --> 00:12:00,480 Speaker 4: a while to train people to say Arab and then 216 00:12:00,520 --> 00:12:03,640 Speaker 4: put the layer of Palestinian identity, you know, my Palestinian 217 00:12:03,679 --> 00:12:06,000 Speaker 4: identity at the time that I was opening my restaurant 218 00:12:06,600 --> 00:12:08,800 Speaker 4: was really important. It was you know, I had started 219 00:12:08,800 --> 00:12:12,679 Speaker 4: my pop ups on the in the wake of Israel's 220 00:12:13,200 --> 00:12:16,360 Speaker 4: second to worst. Now we're seeing the worst of it 221 00:12:17,280 --> 00:12:20,800 Speaker 4: incursion on RaSE in twenty fourteen, in which they killed 222 00:12:21,720 --> 00:12:26,679 Speaker 4: you know, over three thousand Palestinians in one winter, and 223 00:12:26,960 --> 00:12:30,720 Speaker 4: we were devastated by that. We were devastated about the 224 00:12:30,720 --> 00:12:33,960 Speaker 4: state of organizing with Palestinians, and I really wanted to 225 00:12:33,960 --> 00:12:37,040 Speaker 4: as I opened my restaurant not be scared to talk 226 00:12:37,080 --> 00:12:41,440 Speaker 4: about my whole self, and so I, uh so everything 227 00:12:41,480 --> 00:12:44,720 Speaker 4: about Reims, even though we're not like pushing our politics 228 00:12:44,760 --> 00:12:47,800 Speaker 4: in your face. The very act of being Palestinian was 229 00:12:47,840 --> 00:12:51,240 Speaker 4: seen as political, just existing. And we had a mural 230 00:12:51,480 --> 00:12:54,440 Speaker 4: of a Palestinian activist who was based in Chicago named 231 00:12:54,559 --> 00:12:59,800 Speaker 4: Esmueroda who was deported by the government as a made 232 00:12:59,840 --> 00:13:03,280 Speaker 4: an example of to say, if you're Palestinian and you're 233 00:13:03,320 --> 00:13:05,679 Speaker 4: outspoken about Palestine, this is what will happen to you. 234 00:13:05,800 --> 00:13:08,320 Speaker 4: And I put her on the wall to remind my 235 00:13:08,400 --> 00:13:10,839 Speaker 4: community and to remind myself that we don't need to 236 00:13:10,880 --> 00:13:15,080 Speaker 4: be scared. And I got a lot of backlash for that, 237 00:13:15,280 --> 00:13:21,120 Speaker 4: but I think even in that time, despite the backlash, 238 00:13:21,200 --> 00:13:25,320 Speaker 4: the amount of community support, amount of opportunity for people 239 00:13:25,360 --> 00:13:29,520 Speaker 4: to learn, was that much greater, and so I ended 240 00:13:29,600 --> 00:13:34,440 Speaker 4: up getting a lot more positive attention for my bakery 241 00:13:34,520 --> 00:13:36,320 Speaker 4: overall as a result of that. 242 00:13:36,679 --> 00:13:40,760 Speaker 5: How do you have just a few? 243 00:13:40,800 --> 00:13:42,640 Speaker 4: It makes me happy every time I wake up with 244 00:13:42,679 --> 00:13:45,440 Speaker 4: a nomination. I'm like, I wonder what the Zionists be thinking. 245 00:13:48,040 --> 00:13:51,600 Speaker 4: It gives me a little bit of like hope that 246 00:13:51,720 --> 00:13:54,160 Speaker 4: like our success is kind of like what is threatening, 247 00:13:54,280 --> 00:13:56,400 Speaker 4: you know, because we are truth We are in the 248 00:13:56,440 --> 00:13:58,560 Speaker 4: business of truth telling, and we do it in a 249 00:13:58,600 --> 00:14:02,320 Speaker 4: way that's very human, you know, based in our humanity 250 00:14:02,360 --> 00:14:06,640 Speaker 4: and our dignity, and that our restaurant was really I 251 00:14:06,640 --> 00:14:09,440 Speaker 4: think powerful in that way that a simple art piece 252 00:14:10,080 --> 00:14:13,240 Speaker 4: or the simple act of making food and calling it 253 00:14:13,360 --> 00:14:18,480 Speaker 4: Palestinian was that threatening to the powers that be, you know, Like. 254 00:14:18,520 --> 00:14:22,800 Speaker 5: That's such an interesting backdrop also to talk about the 255 00:14:22,840 --> 00:14:25,840 Speaker 5: feedback we got from the show, because like, I think 256 00:14:25,880 --> 00:14:32,080 Speaker 5: Reem's experience was so was so visceral in that way, 257 00:14:32,120 --> 00:14:34,520 Speaker 5: and I mean what she described as well, and I 258 00:14:34,600 --> 00:14:36,040 Speaker 5: think you can look it up and there have been 259 00:14:36,120 --> 00:14:38,280 Speaker 5: articles on Vice and stuff about it where people can 260 00:14:38,640 --> 00:14:41,800 Speaker 5: read about her experience and everything that happened. And you know, 261 00:14:41,880 --> 00:14:44,800 Speaker 5: I think maybe we undersold your intro a little bit 262 00:14:44,840 --> 00:14:47,720 Speaker 5: ram like you're a badass and you know, the James 263 00:14:47,720 --> 00:14:50,280 Speaker 5: Beard nooms and a lot of great and awesome press. 264 00:14:51,320 --> 00:14:56,120 Speaker 5: But I think what's interesting about the show is with realms, 265 00:14:56,880 --> 00:15:02,000 Speaker 5: with realms at the restaurant. You know, it's very specifically 266 00:15:02,160 --> 00:15:06,480 Speaker 5: Palestinian and Arab food and the show, while yeah, it's 267 00:15:06,520 --> 00:15:10,040 Speaker 5: being made by us who are Palestinian people, it's not 268 00:15:10,600 --> 00:15:16,800 Speaker 5: only about Palestine, and that's been something we've sort of 269 00:15:16,840 --> 00:15:21,280 Speaker 5: had to overcome. Like the show is about Arabs, and 270 00:15:21,320 --> 00:15:24,720 Speaker 5: it's about our foods and food ways, and as much 271 00:15:24,800 --> 00:15:28,240 Speaker 5: as the food, you know, the show. As much as 272 00:15:28,240 --> 00:15:31,840 Speaker 5: the show focuses on on Palestine, it also focuses on 273 00:15:31,960 --> 00:15:34,720 Speaker 5: Egypt and Yemen and where you know, I mean the 274 00:15:34,800 --> 00:15:37,800 Speaker 5: Yemeni coffee tradition is like where Arab coffee kind of 275 00:15:37,840 --> 00:15:40,080 Speaker 5: came from and started from. And it also focused on 276 00:15:40,120 --> 00:15:45,600 Speaker 5: Lebanon and Morocco and Algeria. It's been an interesting Yeah, 277 00:15:45,640 --> 00:15:46,320 Speaker 5: go ahead. 278 00:15:46,640 --> 00:15:49,320 Speaker 4: Yeah, I was just to that point, like it's it's 279 00:15:49,360 --> 00:15:52,080 Speaker 4: not about I mean, first of all, these these these 280 00:15:52,120 --> 00:15:56,800 Speaker 4: states are border right, they're bordered, they're they're colonized states 281 00:15:56,840 --> 00:16:00,720 Speaker 4: in some shape or form, and ideas to fight the 282 00:16:00,800 --> 00:16:04,520 Speaker 4: tropes of the Arab as one thing, right, Like it's 283 00:16:04,520 --> 00:16:06,840 Speaker 4: showing the breadth and depth of our culture that like 284 00:16:06,880 --> 00:16:10,280 Speaker 4: we're not Hamat, it's not a monolith, we're not homogeneous. 285 00:16:11,280 --> 00:16:15,360 Speaker 4: And even the ethos of Reems kind of is very 286 00:16:15,600 --> 00:16:19,600 Speaker 4: similar to that idea that yes we are Palestinian, but 287 00:16:19,640 --> 00:16:22,680 Speaker 4: we're also Syrian, we're also Oakland, we're also California, Like 288 00:16:22,800 --> 00:16:25,960 Speaker 4: those things don't need to compete with one another. I 289 00:16:26,120 --> 00:16:30,360 Speaker 4: hate you know, like you know, my identity kind of 290 00:16:30,360 --> 00:16:33,360 Speaker 4: coming on the scene. Yes I'm Arab and yes I'm Palestinian, 291 00:16:33,360 --> 00:16:36,440 Speaker 4: but those are political identities. The reason we call our 292 00:16:36,480 --> 00:16:40,280 Speaker 4: food Palestinian is to draw attention to the ethnic cleansing. 293 00:16:39,840 --> 00:16:42,360 Speaker 3: And e raisure of our people. That's why we call 294 00:16:42,400 --> 00:16:45,280 Speaker 3: it Palestinian. But it's not. There's there are certain foods 295 00:16:45,280 --> 00:16:46,280 Speaker 3: that are not inherent. 296 00:16:46,280 --> 00:16:49,520 Speaker 4: I mean they're enjoyed all over the Arab world and 297 00:16:49,560 --> 00:16:52,200 Speaker 4: they look different, but you can't like the claiming of 298 00:16:52,320 --> 00:16:54,200 Speaker 4: ownership of food is yeah, so. 299 00:16:54,160 --> 00:16:54,600 Speaker 3: We try to. 300 00:16:54,960 --> 00:16:58,760 Speaker 4: I think this show is really trying to fight against 301 00:16:59,520 --> 00:17:02,920 Speaker 4: that of the it's called ada Bia, which is kind 302 00:17:02,920 --> 00:17:04,879 Speaker 4: of like a tongue in cheek, like what do you 303 00:17:04,920 --> 00:17:07,720 Speaker 4: think of with the Arab woman? And it's like, let 304 00:17:07,720 --> 00:17:10,640 Speaker 4: me take all of those stereotypes and like turn them 305 00:17:10,680 --> 00:17:13,280 Speaker 4: on their head. It's the same thing with like all 306 00:17:13,320 --> 00:17:15,119 Speaker 4: of our food ways in our culture. There is no 307 00:17:15,280 --> 00:17:19,520 Speaker 4: singular way of what an Arab is. We all have 308 00:17:19,680 --> 00:17:22,280 Speaker 4: kind of our unique stories and histories. So when we 309 00:17:22,400 --> 00:17:26,040 Speaker 4: choose to call things what they are, there's a context 310 00:17:26,080 --> 00:17:28,320 Speaker 4: in a history for that, and that's what we're trying 311 00:17:28,320 --> 00:17:28,879 Speaker 4: to share. 312 00:17:29,600 --> 00:17:31,879 Speaker 5: Yeah, exactly, I think. 313 00:17:32,280 --> 00:17:36,520 Speaker 2: I mean, I really really relate to the idea of 314 00:17:38,040 --> 00:17:40,639 Speaker 2: really wanting to be represented with food. Like when I 315 00:17:40,680 --> 00:17:44,680 Speaker 2: find a Syrian restaurant, I freak out. Like there's one 316 00:17:44,800 --> 00:17:49,680 Speaker 2: alcohol in southern California where it's like my family and 317 00:17:49,720 --> 00:17:51,960 Speaker 2: I go there every weekend when I'm down and when 318 00:17:51,960 --> 00:17:54,400 Speaker 2: I'm visiting my parents. It's just like a place where 319 00:17:54,440 --> 00:17:58,560 Speaker 2: we feel like the closest we can get to home again. 320 00:17:58,800 --> 00:18:01,400 Speaker 2: And I think it's a really important and like reminder 321 00:18:02,119 --> 00:18:05,280 Speaker 2: that I don't know, food is food can be really powerful. 322 00:18:05,320 --> 00:18:07,040 Speaker 2: And before I keep rambling, I'm going to take our 323 00:18:07,040 --> 00:18:22,200 Speaker 2: break and we'll be right back. And we are back, reim. 324 00:18:22,240 --> 00:18:25,840 Speaker 2: You mentioned something earlier that I think is worth touching 325 00:18:25,880 --> 00:18:29,600 Speaker 2: back on the idea of like existing being already like 326 00:18:29,600 --> 00:18:33,480 Speaker 2: a political act. I think that is like it's a 327 00:18:33,480 --> 00:18:35,200 Speaker 2: burden for a lot of people of color and a 328 00:18:35,240 --> 00:18:38,640 Speaker 2: lot of marginalized communities. And I think hand in hand 329 00:18:38,680 --> 00:18:41,080 Speaker 2: with that is the fact that like our food is 330 00:18:41,119 --> 00:18:44,280 Speaker 2: also like a political act, like making sure it's couscus 331 00:18:44,359 --> 00:18:46,960 Speaker 2: not is really cuscus or whatever it is that we're 332 00:18:47,440 --> 00:18:52,240 Speaker 2: trying to fight against How do you see food, and 333 00:18:52,320 --> 00:18:55,879 Speaker 2: especially now, I think people underestimate how many levels there 334 00:18:55,920 --> 00:18:59,440 Speaker 2: are of ethnic cleansing, because erasing food and appropriating food 335 00:18:59,480 --> 00:19:02,560 Speaker 2: is a huge part of that, right, So can I 336 00:19:02,600 --> 00:19:04,760 Speaker 2: get your take on that, both of your takes. 337 00:19:05,720 --> 00:19:08,640 Speaker 4: You mean, like beyond appropriating, Yeah, I mean I think 338 00:19:09,280 --> 00:19:16,359 Speaker 4: food is a tool of It is weaponized historically against people, 339 00:19:17,600 --> 00:19:21,280 Speaker 4: I mean most doubtably obviously with seventy five years of 340 00:19:22,920 --> 00:19:30,359 Speaker 4: occupation of Palestine. One of the many ways, besides the dispossession, killing, expulsion, 341 00:19:31,320 --> 00:19:34,160 Speaker 4: is to sever us from our food ways. And when 342 00:19:34,200 --> 00:19:37,560 Speaker 4: you sever someone from their land that creates the food ways, 343 00:19:37,640 --> 00:19:42,760 Speaker 4: you sever them from their culture, from their existence. Then 344 00:19:42,800 --> 00:19:46,280 Speaker 4: there's just the most the more immediate way as we're 345 00:19:46,400 --> 00:19:50,359 Speaker 4: seeing this genocide unfolds, where you can starve a population 346 00:19:50,640 --> 00:19:54,560 Speaker 4: with that, and so food then becomes kind of this 347 00:19:54,720 --> 00:19:59,880 Speaker 4: powerful tool to break a people and why we see 348 00:20:00,040 --> 00:20:04,359 Speaker 4: people like food become a form of resistance for people. 349 00:20:04,960 --> 00:20:07,359 Speaker 4: But even here in our communities, I mean, this is 350 00:20:07,400 --> 00:20:14,160 Speaker 4: not unfortunately unique to the Palestinians. You've seen the pillaging 351 00:20:14,280 --> 00:20:19,040 Speaker 4: of indigenous folks here in this country, the same things 352 00:20:19,119 --> 00:20:21,760 Speaker 4: kind of cutting them off from their food ways, their 353 00:20:22,200 --> 00:20:25,359 Speaker 4: means of subsistence, of supporting one another, of you know, 354 00:20:25,480 --> 00:20:28,520 Speaker 4: being connected to their culture. And now you're seeing in 355 00:20:28,640 --> 00:20:33,199 Speaker 4: communities through economic policy, like food deserts and people not 356 00:20:33,240 --> 00:20:36,640 Speaker 4: being able to access their food or have sovereignty over 357 00:20:36,680 --> 00:20:41,639 Speaker 4: their food production. So it is absolutely a tool and 358 00:20:43,280 --> 00:20:45,520 Speaker 4: something that we talk about at REAMS a lot that 359 00:20:45,600 --> 00:20:48,359 Speaker 4: like the fight for Palestine is the fight for food 360 00:20:48,400 --> 00:20:50,359 Speaker 4: sovereignty everywhere and vice versa. 361 00:20:50,680 --> 00:20:54,600 Speaker 2: Right, Well, I'm glad you brought up the idea of 362 00:20:56,720 --> 00:20:59,920 Speaker 2: or just the fact that like Israel and design is 363 00:21:00,359 --> 00:21:03,040 Speaker 2: has like taken Palestinians from their land. And I've talked 364 00:21:03,040 --> 00:21:06,080 Speaker 2: about this before on this podcast, but like the olive 365 00:21:06,119 --> 00:21:09,760 Speaker 2: tree is a very significant part of Palestinian culture, and 366 00:21:09,840 --> 00:21:13,280 Speaker 2: like olive harvesting is a huge part of Palestinian life. 367 00:21:13,280 --> 00:21:16,240 Speaker 2: And so when you burn down thousands of olive trees, 368 00:21:16,320 --> 00:21:19,120 Speaker 2: or when you kick people out of like thet agriculturally 369 00:21:19,240 --> 00:21:23,400 Speaker 2: rich parts of the land, you're denying them so much 370 00:21:23,440 --> 00:21:26,560 Speaker 2: more than just olives. It's like very deep. And I 371 00:21:26,600 --> 00:21:30,080 Speaker 2: think when people that are not as informed about Palestine 372 00:21:30,240 --> 00:21:33,320 Speaker 2: question like why is there a watermelon? Like what's this? 373 00:21:33,400 --> 00:21:36,360 Speaker 2: And what's the olive about? And I think that goes 374 00:21:36,400 --> 00:21:39,560 Speaker 2: to show how powerful food can be. And just for 375 00:21:39,600 --> 00:21:43,119 Speaker 2: those who don't know, the watermelon became an active or 376 00:21:43,240 --> 00:21:45,840 Speaker 2: a symbol of resistance because the Palestinia flag was not 377 00:21:45,880 --> 00:21:48,080 Speaker 2: allowed to be raised for a while and it has 378 00:21:48,080 --> 00:21:50,200 Speaker 2: the same colors as the Palestinian flag, and so that's 379 00:21:50,240 --> 00:21:53,840 Speaker 2: just like a really beautiful way that food has become 380 00:21:53,880 --> 00:21:58,080 Speaker 2: this like powerful symbol. And so I just I just 381 00:21:58,119 --> 00:22:02,679 Speaker 2: trying to know emphasize that a little bit. I guess, Jabill, 382 00:22:02,720 --> 00:22:03,280 Speaker 2: what's your take. 383 00:22:04,320 --> 00:22:08,320 Speaker 5: Yeah, I mean I think that I think just I'll 384 00:22:08,359 --> 00:22:10,639 Speaker 5: speak like a little bit more domestically. I feel like 385 00:22:10,720 --> 00:22:13,800 Speaker 5: Raem is so eloquent and talking about historic parts of it, 386 00:22:14,240 --> 00:22:16,440 Speaker 5: but I mean even here, like domestically in Los Angeles 387 00:22:16,480 --> 00:22:18,480 Speaker 5: or California, I think one of the things, and it 388 00:22:18,560 --> 00:22:20,280 Speaker 5: kind of goes back to what we were talking about earlier. 389 00:22:20,720 --> 00:22:22,480 Speaker 5: One of the things that's one of the things that's 390 00:22:22,520 --> 00:22:28,919 Speaker 5: difficult is there are so few identifying parts of or 391 00:22:28,960 --> 00:22:32,080 Speaker 5: just restaurants in general, like correctly identifying restaurants Syria in 392 00:22:32,119 --> 00:22:36,240 Speaker 5: or lebaneses or Palestinian or what have you, and they 393 00:22:36,320 --> 00:22:40,920 Speaker 5: hide under these names, which when I'm not going to 394 00:22:41,000 --> 00:22:44,080 Speaker 5: name like specific restaurants here, but like which when other 395 00:22:44,200 --> 00:22:49,040 Speaker 5: restaurants open and maybe they're owned by an Italian person 396 00:22:49,200 --> 00:22:53,240 Speaker 5: or just other people that aren't Arab, and suddenly they're 397 00:22:53,560 --> 00:22:58,000 Speaker 5: taking the food and misappropriating it and calling it. Yeah, 398 00:22:58,040 --> 00:23:01,240 Speaker 5: I mean, Israeli kuskus are like is rarely salad or 399 00:23:02,000 --> 00:23:05,640 Speaker 5: Israeli falaffle or hey, here's all this food and it's 400 00:23:05,640 --> 00:23:10,440 Speaker 5: shuarma and it's kebabs and it's menish and we're an 401 00:23:10,440 --> 00:23:13,560 Speaker 5: Israeli restaurant. Like these are things that are really difficult 402 00:23:13,560 --> 00:23:16,520 Speaker 5: because I think, you know, those things tend to be 403 00:23:16,840 --> 00:23:21,280 Speaker 5: unfortunately just like more approachable, saying Mediterranean tends to be 404 00:23:21,320 --> 00:23:25,159 Speaker 5: more approachable, and what you get ultimately is a population 405 00:23:25,280 --> 00:23:28,480 Speaker 5: of I would say a larger population of non Arab 406 00:23:28,520 --> 00:23:31,720 Speaker 5: people that don't really understand what they're eating and they're 407 00:23:31,760 --> 00:23:35,720 Speaker 5: not educated on where it comes from. And just the 408 00:23:35,800 --> 00:23:39,840 Speaker 5: amount of people you know, anecdotally that I personally have 409 00:23:40,040 --> 00:23:44,720 Speaker 5: met who like don't know that this food is Arab 410 00:23:44,800 --> 00:23:48,520 Speaker 5: food or don't know like what where the food comes from, 411 00:23:48,520 --> 00:23:50,520 Speaker 5: which is so interesting to me because it's not an 412 00:23:50,560 --> 00:23:53,960 Speaker 5: experience that I think many other cultures or ethnicities have. 413 00:23:54,960 --> 00:23:57,680 Speaker 5: And so yeah, I mean I kind of always joke 414 00:23:57,760 --> 00:24:01,480 Speaker 5: that I feel like are really close. Example is if 415 00:24:01,800 --> 00:24:04,840 Speaker 5: you know, somebody started, like an American person started making 416 00:24:04,880 --> 00:24:09,520 Speaker 5: sushi and they're like, this is American food and it's 417 00:24:09,720 --> 00:24:13,360 Speaker 5: just not at the same time. And so I think 418 00:24:13,400 --> 00:24:17,560 Speaker 5: that the need to assimilate for generations before Reims and 419 00:24:17,640 --> 00:24:23,800 Speaker 5: I I have an empathy for the want of safety 420 00:24:23,840 --> 00:24:25,520 Speaker 5: that they were doing and the want to make a 421 00:24:25,560 --> 00:24:27,439 Speaker 5: living and the reasons they did it. I think we 422 00:24:27,720 --> 00:24:31,160 Speaker 5: kind of alluded to that earlier. But where it's left 423 00:24:31,240 --> 00:24:36,520 Speaker 5: us now is a population of Arabs and diaspora that 424 00:24:38,080 --> 00:24:40,760 Speaker 5: I think are harmed for it. You know, like we 425 00:24:40,800 --> 00:24:42,959 Speaker 5: don't have we don't show up on the census, and 426 00:24:43,480 --> 00:24:46,159 Speaker 5: it's all sort of one part. It's all they're all 427 00:24:46,200 --> 00:24:49,040 Speaker 5: different parts of the one problem. And I think that 428 00:24:49,359 --> 00:24:51,280 Speaker 5: when you take the food and you don't give it 429 00:24:51,280 --> 00:24:53,919 Speaker 5: its correct name, and you don't or you give it 430 00:24:54,080 --> 00:24:58,919 Speaker 5: the incorrect name, it hurts all of us in ways 431 00:24:58,960 --> 00:25:03,000 Speaker 5: that like we can't even imagine, whether it's at work 432 00:25:03,200 --> 00:25:06,919 Speaker 5: or in Diversity and Belonging initiative it's not including Swanamina people, 433 00:25:07,840 --> 00:25:10,560 Speaker 5: or whether it's just in food ways and not being 434 00:25:10,600 --> 00:25:13,040 Speaker 5: included or not being included in the census, which leads 435 00:25:13,119 --> 00:25:17,960 Speaker 5: to us not having as much community support around our 436 00:25:18,000 --> 00:25:22,080 Speaker 5: people are not knowing medical statistics. I think they're all 437 00:25:22,359 --> 00:25:26,840 Speaker 5: they're symptoms of a bigger issue, and I think one 438 00:25:26,840 --> 00:25:30,120 Speaker 5: of the ways you combat that issue is through knowledge 439 00:25:30,160 --> 00:25:33,000 Speaker 5: and shared learning and shared experience. And I think food 440 00:25:33,560 --> 00:25:37,040 Speaker 5: and food ways are one of the main ways that 441 00:25:37,080 --> 00:25:40,720 Speaker 5: people experience and learn about other cultures. And I think 442 00:25:40,720 --> 00:25:43,399 Speaker 5: if people look at that in their own lives, you 443 00:25:43,440 --> 00:25:47,119 Speaker 5: can apply it to any culture of food that you 444 00:25:47,200 --> 00:25:51,200 Speaker 5: really love and maybe it's not your own, and you've 445 00:25:51,280 --> 00:25:54,119 Speaker 5: learned something about those people through that, you know. I 446 00:25:54,160 --> 00:25:59,520 Speaker 5: think the main dishes of any culture, it says a 447 00:25:59,560 --> 00:26:02,239 Speaker 5: lot about out where that culture has been, where they 448 00:26:02,320 --> 00:26:05,960 Speaker 5: come from, what their history is. And I think people 449 00:26:05,960 --> 00:26:08,879 Speaker 5: being able to experience those things and go to a 450 00:26:08,960 --> 00:26:13,480 Speaker 5: Mexican restaurant and learn about, you know, a certain dish 451 00:26:13,520 --> 00:26:15,560 Speaker 5: and where it comes from or why it's there, or 452 00:26:15,600 --> 00:26:18,640 Speaker 5: why it's named something is an experience that allows them 453 00:26:18,640 --> 00:26:21,400 Speaker 5: to learn about a culture. And we just don't necessarily 454 00:26:21,440 --> 00:26:24,480 Speaker 5: have that here. And then when you add on, you know, 455 00:26:24,560 --> 00:26:28,760 Speaker 5: misnomers or incorrect labels, it becomes even more damaging and 456 00:26:28,800 --> 00:26:32,120 Speaker 5: also just hurtful and very annoying, Like it's so annoying, 457 00:26:32,359 --> 00:26:35,119 Speaker 5: and I like, I don't want to go. I'm sorry, 458 00:26:35,280 --> 00:26:37,760 Speaker 5: Like there are restaurants in LA that I like just 459 00:26:37,800 --> 00:26:39,800 Speaker 5: don't want to go to. And maybe the chefs are 460 00:26:39,800 --> 00:26:43,120 Speaker 5: really nice and they might be allies in some ways 461 00:26:43,800 --> 00:26:47,840 Speaker 5: or maybe they're not, but like I would rather give please, 462 00:26:47,960 --> 00:26:50,200 Speaker 5: Like I would rather give my money to like an 463 00:26:50,240 --> 00:26:54,359 Speaker 5: Arab person making our own food rather than going to 464 00:26:54,520 --> 00:26:57,080 Speaker 5: experience it in a different way, you know what I mean, 465 00:26:57,119 --> 00:27:00,000 Speaker 5: Like I don't. I don't know, so I think that's 466 00:27:00,160 --> 00:27:02,360 Speaker 5: kind of like how I generally feel. And the less 467 00:27:02,400 --> 00:27:05,880 Speaker 5: professional answer is I just find it like really annoying. 468 00:27:06,080 --> 00:27:09,520 Speaker 5: And I'm like, come on, y'all, there's so many listen, Like, 469 00:27:09,560 --> 00:27:11,480 Speaker 5: we're not LA is not New York. We have like 470 00:27:11,760 --> 00:27:16,200 Speaker 5: not as many Arab places to go. They're sort of few. 471 00:27:16,240 --> 00:27:17,840 Speaker 5: You have to seek them out a little bit more here. 472 00:27:18,440 --> 00:27:22,120 Speaker 5: But I'm like, come on, y'all, we're out here. Yeah, 473 00:27:22,200 --> 00:27:24,720 Speaker 5: go find go find us, like, go find give your 474 00:27:24,720 --> 00:27:29,119 Speaker 5: money to like this Syrian immigrant who moved here and 475 00:27:29,359 --> 00:27:34,040 Speaker 5: started this place that everybody loves. And you know, I, yeah, 476 00:27:34,200 --> 00:27:35,960 Speaker 5: I don't know. There are a lot of big restaurants 477 00:27:35,960 --> 00:27:38,119 Speaker 5: are very popular restaurants here, and I'm just like, not 478 00:27:38,200 --> 00:27:40,439 Speaker 5: a dog. I don't want to pay I don't want 479 00:27:40,480 --> 00:27:42,480 Speaker 5: to pay thirty five dollars for to believe. 480 00:27:43,000 --> 00:27:46,600 Speaker 4: Yeah, I think, I mean, I think it's twofold kind 481 00:27:46,640 --> 00:27:49,640 Speaker 4: of like who has access to resources versus who doesn't? 482 00:27:49,800 --> 00:27:52,119 Speaker 3: Right, who gets highlighted? You know? 483 00:27:52,160 --> 00:27:57,760 Speaker 4: There there's that piece and what's palatable to the American 484 00:27:57,800 --> 00:28:01,760 Speaker 4: public and what's not right? Like I always say, like, 485 00:28:01,800 --> 00:28:05,560 Speaker 4: for for instance, I think like realms, we kind of 486 00:28:06,359 --> 00:28:10,200 Speaker 4: we do things a little bit different. Obviously, we honor tradition, 487 00:28:10,400 --> 00:28:13,360 Speaker 4: we honor the soul of air cuisine, but we play. 488 00:28:13,119 --> 00:28:13,800 Speaker 3: Around with it. 489 00:28:14,640 --> 00:28:19,640 Speaker 4: And one could argue, are we is this like americanizing 490 00:28:20,280 --> 00:28:22,800 Speaker 4: the food? And they're like, no, it's just through the 491 00:28:22,880 --> 00:28:28,680 Speaker 4: lens of a yes for Palestinian Syrian by way of California. 492 00:28:29,920 --> 00:28:33,440 Speaker 4: But we I think when we first came on the scene, 493 00:28:33,760 --> 00:28:35,840 Speaker 4: I mean, there there is something to be said about 494 00:28:35,840 --> 00:28:40,680 Speaker 4: the privilege that I have as English speaking, as this 495 00:28:40,800 --> 00:28:45,280 Speaker 4: generation that can like what do you call it, translate 496 00:28:45,560 --> 00:28:48,720 Speaker 4: the foods to a mainstream public in a way that's 497 00:28:48,760 --> 00:28:49,800 Speaker 4: like really compelling, like. 498 00:28:49,800 --> 00:28:53,120 Speaker 2: A mediator, almost a ladiator like, but. 499 00:28:53,120 --> 00:28:55,080 Speaker 4: That comes from a little bit of racism, like that 500 00:28:55,120 --> 00:28:58,240 Speaker 4: people don't they want the food, you know, and so 501 00:28:58,400 --> 00:29:03,360 Speaker 4: like I am this palette character in some ways, and 502 00:29:03,400 --> 00:29:07,720 Speaker 4: that's a contradiction that I'm constantly like I don't want 503 00:29:07,760 --> 00:29:11,480 Speaker 4: to be. But it's like, what do you call that 504 00:29:11,600 --> 00:29:12,560 Speaker 4: the trojan horse? 505 00:29:12,680 --> 00:29:12,840 Speaker 5: Right? 506 00:29:12,920 --> 00:29:13,960 Speaker 3: But then once you come. 507 00:29:13,840 --> 00:29:16,680 Speaker 4: Into Reams, it's still it's very warm. I mean, there's 508 00:29:16,720 --> 00:29:20,360 Speaker 4: nothing we're not tricking anyone, right, But we're also truly 509 00:29:20,360 --> 00:29:22,400 Speaker 4: ourselves and that's. 510 00:29:22,160 --> 00:29:23,040 Speaker 3: Not for everybody. 511 00:29:23,120 --> 00:29:26,000 Speaker 4: So we don't want to be a gentrifying space where like, 512 00:29:26,040 --> 00:29:27,360 Speaker 4: if you're going to come in here, you have to 513 00:29:27,400 --> 00:29:30,320 Speaker 4: deal with the community that we're in just as much 514 00:29:30,360 --> 00:29:34,680 Speaker 4: as the food that you are obsessed with now, right 515 00:29:34,720 --> 00:29:35,560 Speaker 4: because either. 516 00:29:35,400 --> 00:29:36,680 Speaker 3: Wrote about it or whatever. 517 00:29:37,360 --> 00:29:41,720 Speaker 4: So we really and that's not for everybody, right, And 518 00:29:42,000 --> 00:29:46,960 Speaker 4: that just speaks to a like a bigger problem of 519 00:29:47,120 --> 00:29:49,720 Speaker 4: like if you like the people as much as you 520 00:29:49,800 --> 00:29:52,040 Speaker 4: like their food, Like our food is not just for sale. 521 00:29:52,120 --> 00:29:54,440 Speaker 4: You can't just take some of it and leave the 522 00:29:54,440 --> 00:29:56,200 Speaker 4: rest of it. And I think that's why the American 523 00:29:56,240 --> 00:30:00,719 Speaker 4: public is so comfortable with our foods being represented by 524 00:30:00,760 --> 00:30:02,880 Speaker 4: people other than us. We're not We're not We're never 525 00:30:03,080 --> 00:30:06,880 Speaker 4: the tellers of our own stories, because again, this dehumanization 526 00:30:07,280 --> 00:30:13,320 Speaker 4: of Palestinians, and it's particularly interesting now. And I would 527 00:30:13,320 --> 00:30:15,840 Speaker 4: say like Reims has always been transparent, but I've heard 528 00:30:15,880 --> 00:30:20,000 Speaker 4: from counterparts and who are now, you know, like there 529 00:30:20,000 --> 00:30:22,440 Speaker 4: are other restaurants now coming out. I think there was 530 00:30:22,600 --> 00:30:26,040 Speaker 4: even just an article that was released today on Eater 531 00:30:26,960 --> 00:30:32,040 Speaker 4: about the Palestinian category on Google, and you know, people 532 00:30:32,080 --> 00:30:37,040 Speaker 4: are now calling their restaurants, are maybe leading up to 533 00:30:37,120 --> 00:30:39,760 Speaker 4: this last four months calling their restaurants Palestinian. 534 00:30:40,440 --> 00:30:41,840 Speaker 3: And that was palatable enough. 535 00:30:41,840 --> 00:30:45,400 Speaker 4: It's like cool, like it's this culture that's really beautiful, 536 00:30:45,560 --> 00:30:48,640 Speaker 4: but then when it came down to it, when we're 537 00:30:48,680 --> 00:30:52,640 Speaker 4: experiencing a genocide, it made people feel uncomfortable. So it's 538 00:30:52,680 --> 00:30:55,560 Speaker 4: like they want to like it doesn't stop at food, 539 00:30:55,680 --> 00:30:57,960 Speaker 4: you know, And I think our food at least for me, 540 00:30:58,040 --> 00:31:01,000 Speaker 4: and I would say for a lot of people who 541 00:31:01,040 --> 00:31:03,800 Speaker 4: get into like expressing their food ways here in the US, 542 00:31:03,960 --> 00:31:07,920 Speaker 4: Like you can't just take some of us our food 543 00:31:08,520 --> 00:31:11,840 Speaker 4: and then dismiss the rest of us or dehumanize the 544 00:31:11,880 --> 00:31:13,720 Speaker 4: rest of us. And so I think that is the 545 00:31:13,800 --> 00:31:18,160 Speaker 4: contradiction that we're always dealing with, is like how can 546 00:31:18,200 --> 00:31:21,320 Speaker 4: we offer this beautiful culture, but not tokenize it. So 547 00:31:21,360 --> 00:31:25,840 Speaker 4: it becomes depoliticized because it is political. And if you're 548 00:31:26,040 --> 00:31:30,000 Speaker 4: engaging with Palestinian cuisine and consuming it, you can't just 549 00:31:30,880 --> 00:31:37,520 Speaker 4: you can't do it without either you know, being an 550 00:31:37,560 --> 00:31:41,680 Speaker 4: active participant one way or the other. Right, and what 551 00:31:41,840 --> 00:31:44,520 Speaker 4: is happening to Palestinians. And so we kind of pushed 552 00:31:44,560 --> 00:31:48,200 Speaker 4: the envelope on that, and you know, for us at Reams, 553 00:31:48,280 --> 00:31:54,680 Speaker 4: that has yielded a real, ever expanding community of folks 554 00:31:54,720 --> 00:32:01,240 Speaker 4: who have really maybe a few years ago, knew nothing 555 00:32:01,240 --> 00:32:03,200 Speaker 4: about Palestine. We got to do it in a way 556 00:32:03,200 --> 00:32:06,240 Speaker 4: that was right. And so we were you know, we 557 00:32:06,680 --> 00:32:08,880 Speaker 4: met people where they're at. We bring them along. It's 558 00:32:08,920 --> 00:32:13,640 Speaker 4: not like we're like, you know, beating anything over people's heads, 559 00:32:13,680 --> 00:32:15,560 Speaker 4: but we're like, this is what it means to be 560 00:32:15,600 --> 00:32:19,120 Speaker 4: truly authentically ourselves. This is our story, this is the history, 561 00:32:19,160 --> 00:32:21,640 Speaker 4: this is the painful atrocities, and like, if you're going 562 00:32:21,680 --> 00:32:23,320 Speaker 4: to eat our food, you have to engage with that 563 00:32:23,400 --> 00:32:26,120 Speaker 4: in some way. Like it can't just be comfortable and 564 00:32:26,280 --> 00:32:29,240 Speaker 4: like it's cool to eat Palestinian food. I don't want 565 00:32:29,240 --> 00:32:31,280 Speaker 4: to see our food as a trend, right. 566 00:32:31,560 --> 00:32:34,040 Speaker 3: Yeah, So while it's While it's. 567 00:32:33,840 --> 00:32:38,320 Speaker 4: Cool to see a lot of Palestinian restaurants now gaining popularity, 568 00:32:38,360 --> 00:32:41,960 Speaker 4: and hopefully, you know, REMS has paid some path for that, 569 00:32:42,760 --> 00:32:44,240 Speaker 4: we got to make sure that we're doing it in 570 00:32:44,280 --> 00:32:50,200 Speaker 4: a way that's intentional and responsible so we don't get 571 00:32:50,280 --> 00:32:50,880 Speaker 4: token zed. 572 00:32:51,920 --> 00:32:55,040 Speaker 5: I think one just like piggyback on one thought. One 573 00:32:55,080 --> 00:32:56,600 Speaker 5: thought that I that you brought up Riham that I 574 00:32:56,600 --> 00:33:00,120 Speaker 5: thought was really interesting was like being able to tell 575 00:33:00,120 --> 00:33:05,360 Speaker 5: our own stories and often we're not. We're not, And 576 00:33:05,400 --> 00:33:07,000 Speaker 5: I think that relates to like a lot of what 577 00:33:07,040 --> 00:33:10,360 Speaker 5: we've talked about today. But I mean even like sharing 578 00:33:10,400 --> 00:33:14,080 Speaker 5: our own experiences, Like you know, I don't think it's 579 00:33:14,120 --> 00:33:17,160 Speaker 5: necessarily a choice to be where you you know, to 580 00:33:17,200 --> 00:33:20,000 Speaker 5: be who you are. It is what you are. And 581 00:33:20,040 --> 00:33:26,280 Speaker 5: I think ultimately there's this real pressure for Arabs and 582 00:33:26,560 --> 00:33:30,600 Speaker 5: in Palestinians as well, to sort of let other people 583 00:33:31,200 --> 00:33:33,920 Speaker 5: tell our story for us, Let other people make the food, 584 00:33:34,360 --> 00:33:38,240 Speaker 5: let other people photograph the traumas and the joy is 585 00:33:38,280 --> 00:33:42,280 Speaker 5: like if you go to any like art bookstore and 586 00:33:42,320 --> 00:33:44,800 Speaker 5: try to find like an Arab photographer photographing of their 587 00:33:44,800 --> 00:33:49,040 Speaker 5: own people, whether it's the wars or the joy or 588 00:33:49,680 --> 00:33:53,880 Speaker 5: art like you'll find maybe one, you know, And I've 589 00:33:53,880 --> 00:33:55,360 Speaker 5: been to them and said, hey, do you have any 590 00:33:55,480 --> 00:33:57,440 Speaker 5: I'm looking for like this, and I want it from 591 00:33:57,600 --> 00:34:00,760 Speaker 5: an Arab person, and like the only one is Sharina 592 00:34:00,840 --> 00:34:03,960 Speaker 5: shot Who's I'm Persian, But I don't know. I think 593 00:34:03,960 --> 00:34:08,279 Speaker 5: it's I think it's just really interesting how I think 594 00:34:08,320 --> 00:34:10,759 Speaker 5: there's like a real fear about talking about for a 595 00:34:10,760 --> 00:34:14,440 Speaker 5: lot of us, about talking about our own experiences publicly. 596 00:34:15,239 --> 00:34:19,400 Speaker 5: And I think a lot of that, A lot of 597 00:34:19,440 --> 00:34:22,960 Speaker 5: that comes from just like being sort of conditioned in 598 00:34:23,000 --> 00:34:25,840 Speaker 5: this country to minimize ourselves and minimize our identity. 599 00:34:25,880 --> 00:34:33,160 Speaker 4: And I think essentially, well, there are real retributions for that. Yeah, 600 00:34:33,200 --> 00:34:36,799 Speaker 4: we get jailed, we get deported, we get fired from 601 00:34:36,840 --> 00:34:41,160 Speaker 4: our jobs. We don't get book deals, we don't get 602 00:34:41,440 --> 00:34:46,080 Speaker 4: show deals. Yeah, as we're experiencing. So it's like that's real. 603 00:34:47,600 --> 00:34:49,560 Speaker 5: Yeah. And I mean a lot of the a lot 604 00:34:49,600 --> 00:34:52,200 Speaker 5: of the stuff we've a lot of the feedback we've 605 00:34:52,200 --> 00:34:54,760 Speaker 5: gotten on the show. I mean early on a couple 606 00:34:54,760 --> 00:34:58,040 Speaker 5: of years ago, we started getting feedback that. I mean 607 00:34:58,080 --> 00:35:00,840 Speaker 5: there were like two or three are we started pitching 608 00:35:00,880 --> 00:35:03,080 Speaker 5: and I won't call out names, but they were like 609 00:35:03,200 --> 00:35:08,040 Speaker 5: major companies and one of them was we already have 610 00:35:08,320 --> 00:35:11,600 Speaker 5: like our minority food show. Like that was one of 611 00:35:11,640 --> 00:35:16,920 Speaker 5: the literal biases of feedback. And another one was and 612 00:35:17,000 --> 00:35:19,360 Speaker 5: again like I just I know we've talked about Palestine 613 00:35:19,400 --> 00:35:23,680 Speaker 5: a lot, but again, like the show is not necessarily 614 00:35:23,719 --> 00:35:26,920 Speaker 5: centered around Palestinians. It's just us telling our own stories. 615 00:35:27,560 --> 00:35:30,640 Speaker 5: And one of the pieces of feedback we got was 616 00:35:32,239 --> 00:35:36,560 Speaker 5: they were worried that Reim and I like that our 617 00:35:36,640 --> 00:35:41,120 Speaker 5: identities were too inherently political, and it's like, okay, but 618 00:35:41,560 --> 00:35:47,120 Speaker 5: there's like nothing we can do about how you perceive us. 619 00:35:47,600 --> 00:35:49,560 Speaker 5: What we can control is saying, hey, we want to 620 00:35:49,600 --> 00:35:52,400 Speaker 5: make an Arab joy show, and we want to like 621 00:35:52,520 --> 00:35:55,239 Speaker 5: show off the things we love about our culture, and 622 00:35:55,320 --> 00:35:58,120 Speaker 5: we want to talk about how great the food tastes 623 00:35:58,200 --> 00:36:02,080 Speaker 5: and talk about stories like immigrant success stories of people 624 00:36:02,080 --> 00:36:04,920 Speaker 5: coming to this country. And yeah, we'll talk about the trauma, 625 00:36:04,960 --> 00:36:07,040 Speaker 5: and sure we'll talk about the politics because that's what 626 00:36:07,080 --> 00:36:12,440 Speaker 5: we're passionate about. But like to get that feedback even 627 00:36:12,640 --> 00:36:15,320 Speaker 5: a couple of years ago, when you know, it seemed 628 00:36:15,400 --> 00:36:19,080 Speaker 5: like everybody was sort of every culture or people were 629 00:36:19,080 --> 00:36:22,800 Speaker 5: getting their turn to sort of shine, was I was like, really, 630 00:36:22,840 --> 00:36:26,000 Speaker 5: are we still are we still here right now. Yeah, 631 00:36:26,040 --> 00:36:31,359 Speaker 5: And yeah, I mean it's gotten, it's gotten weirder as 632 00:36:31,440 --> 00:36:36,239 Speaker 5: time goes on. And you know, I don't know, no 633 00:36:36,360 --> 00:36:39,440 Speaker 5: show exists like this in the way that probably no 634 00:36:39,520 --> 00:36:42,839 Speaker 5: restaurant existed like Reims did when she opened it. And 635 00:36:42,960 --> 00:36:45,080 Speaker 5: I think it's going to take like someone who just 636 00:36:45,120 --> 00:36:51,520 Speaker 5: really believes and is a champion for Arab people, for 637 00:36:51,640 --> 00:36:53,600 Speaker 5: us to make something that just shows how much we 638 00:36:53,680 --> 00:36:55,840 Speaker 5: love our own people and how excited we are to 639 00:36:55,920 --> 00:36:59,440 Speaker 5: be Arab, and how excited we are to be Palestinians, 640 00:36:59,480 --> 00:37:02,440 Speaker 5: and how awesome our food is and how great our 641 00:37:02,480 --> 00:37:04,560 Speaker 5: culture is and how fun and exciting it is, and 642 00:37:05,400 --> 00:37:09,080 Speaker 5: all these things that people love and eat. We just 643 00:37:09,120 --> 00:37:11,080 Speaker 5: want to show them like where it comes from and 644 00:37:11,120 --> 00:37:14,200 Speaker 5: who we are, and in addition to that, show that 645 00:37:14,239 --> 00:37:19,040 Speaker 5: we're all regionally very different, like we call in this country. 646 00:37:19,520 --> 00:37:22,680 Speaker 5: Every type of Arab food is called Mediterranean, whether it's 647 00:37:23,000 --> 00:37:27,760 Speaker 5: Moroccan or Lebanese or Egyptian, and they're all so different, 648 00:37:28,520 --> 00:37:32,160 Speaker 5: they're all wildly different. Yeah, And I think that, Yeah, 649 00:37:32,280 --> 00:37:34,359 Speaker 5: like the fact that we haven't been able to tell 650 00:37:34,400 --> 00:37:37,600 Speaker 5: this story is wild you know, like the fact that 651 00:37:37,600 --> 00:37:40,200 Speaker 5: no one has and we've come really close, we've gotten 652 00:37:40,239 --> 00:37:43,880 Speaker 5: into deals before, we've gotten into shopping agreements more recently, 653 00:37:44,680 --> 00:37:48,080 Speaker 5: and sort of you know, the outcome felt punitive after 654 00:37:48,120 --> 00:37:54,680 Speaker 5: October seventh, And yeah, I think that ultimately the fact 655 00:37:54,680 --> 00:37:58,200 Speaker 5: that like we we and it doesn't you know, truly, 656 00:37:58,560 --> 00:38:01,279 Speaker 5: I hope it's me and rem but like the fact 657 00:38:01,280 --> 00:38:03,320 Speaker 5: that no one has been able to tell this story 658 00:38:03,920 --> 00:38:06,560 Speaker 5: for a group of people that is so huge in 659 00:38:06,600 --> 00:38:09,960 Speaker 5: the Arab community, in the Muslim community, like that no 660 00:38:09,960 --> 00:38:12,840 Speaker 5: one has been able to serve this demographic of people 661 00:38:13,520 --> 00:38:20,160 Speaker 5: with a food show is wild and there's so many 662 00:38:20,200 --> 00:38:23,400 Speaker 5: of us who would be so excited. I would be 663 00:38:23,440 --> 00:38:26,600 Speaker 5: so excited, Like I would be bummed that it wasn't me, 664 00:38:26,680 --> 00:38:29,360 Speaker 5: but I would be thrilled that it happened for the community. 665 00:38:30,200 --> 00:38:33,920 Speaker 5: And I don't know if not now when you know, 666 00:38:34,120 --> 00:38:38,520 Speaker 5: like the time for the time for equity injustice as always. 667 00:38:38,840 --> 00:38:41,640 Speaker 5: And I think that's generally how I sort of feel 668 00:38:41,640 --> 00:38:44,920 Speaker 5: about the show and just being able to like I 669 00:38:45,000 --> 00:38:48,160 Speaker 5: just want to tell the story for my community so badly, 670 00:38:48,600 --> 00:38:52,000 Speaker 5: And yeah, I mean, I don't know, I feel like 671 00:38:52,040 --> 00:38:53,640 Speaker 5: I went on a bit of a tangent. That's kind 672 00:38:53,640 --> 00:38:55,200 Speaker 5: of where I am right now. 673 00:38:56,760 --> 00:39:01,560 Speaker 4: Well, in a time of Venice side, where literally are 674 00:39:01,680 --> 00:39:04,120 Speaker 4: people and this is not just past that, It's not 675 00:39:04,360 --> 00:39:09,840 Speaker 4: you know, there's a regional are the dehumanization of Arabs 676 00:39:10,840 --> 00:39:14,959 Speaker 4: is costing us lives. Yeah, so it feels that much 677 00:39:14,960 --> 00:39:16,520 Speaker 4: more important. 678 00:39:17,640 --> 00:39:18,799 Speaker 3: To do this work now. 679 00:39:19,280 --> 00:39:23,280 Speaker 2: Yeah, people are so used to seeing us seeing Arabs 680 00:39:25,600 --> 00:39:28,120 Speaker 2: like traumatized, are used to seeing us in pain. They're 681 00:39:28,200 --> 00:39:30,880 Speaker 2: used to seeing our countries destroyed and seeing our buildings 682 00:39:31,280 --> 00:39:34,320 Speaker 2: turned into rubble. I think so much of our culture 683 00:39:34,360 --> 00:39:36,800 Speaker 2: is so beautiful, and so much of it is about 684 00:39:36,800 --> 00:39:43,000 Speaker 2: food and art and joy. I think it's really Yeah. 685 00:39:43,160 --> 00:39:45,240 Speaker 2: I would be so excited for that show too, because 686 00:39:45,360 --> 00:39:47,960 Speaker 2: I if I was a little kid watching that, I 687 00:39:47,960 --> 00:39:50,040 Speaker 2: would have felt so much better about myself. And to 688 00:39:50,280 --> 00:39:53,719 Speaker 2: your point, a couple minutes ago, Realm, you were talking 689 00:39:53,760 --> 00:39:58,480 Speaker 2: about how you're not exactly a mediator, but growing up 690 00:39:58,680 --> 00:40:01,080 Speaker 2: there's almost this like shame about having like you're not 691 00:40:01,200 --> 00:40:03,200 Speaker 2: Arab enough, you're not American enough. You have a foot 692 00:40:03,200 --> 00:40:06,359 Speaker 2: in both worlds. But it's really a strength, you know, 693 00:40:06,719 --> 00:40:08,920 Speaker 2: in your experience and in our experience, Like we can 694 00:40:09,080 --> 00:40:13,279 Speaker 2: use that put in both worlds to our advantage and 695 00:40:13,400 --> 00:40:16,720 Speaker 2: try to show the American community how beautiful our community 696 00:40:16,840 --> 00:40:21,719 Speaker 2: is and I don't know, I think it's Yeah, I 697 00:40:23,160 --> 00:40:23,520 Speaker 2: love you. 698 00:40:23,480 --> 00:40:28,800 Speaker 3: Guys, That's what it comes down to it. 699 00:40:29,200 --> 00:40:34,240 Speaker 2: Yeah, but I really do appreciate you both doing this work, 700 00:40:34,480 --> 00:40:40,840 Speaker 2: and yeah, reminding us that it's Arab culture isn't something 701 00:40:40,840 --> 00:40:43,319 Speaker 2: to be feared. I don't know that the humanization has 702 00:40:43,320 --> 00:40:45,400 Speaker 2: gotten to a point that it's just really terrifying. And 703 00:40:45,440 --> 00:40:47,799 Speaker 2: so I think the fact that even existing is like 704 00:40:48,520 --> 00:40:51,280 Speaker 2: political or scary, and yeah, you bring to your point, 705 00:40:51,800 --> 00:40:55,480 Speaker 2: everything is so much more digestible for people than Arab 706 00:40:55,640 --> 00:40:58,120 Speaker 2: or than Muslim or whatever. Like in La we have 707 00:40:58,160 --> 00:41:02,399 Speaker 2: a huge Armenian community and they really embraced and I 708 00:41:02,440 --> 00:41:04,279 Speaker 2: would love that to happen for us too. 709 00:41:04,960 --> 00:41:08,600 Speaker 4: The backlash of being Arab feels very real and visceral 710 00:41:08,719 --> 00:41:12,279 Speaker 4: right now, feels like we are in a time of 711 00:41:12,760 --> 00:41:19,120 Speaker 4: the years after nine eleven again, and especially with this 712 00:41:19,880 --> 00:41:25,719 Speaker 4: upcoming election in twenty twenty four, it's a really, I 713 00:41:25,800 --> 00:41:34,680 Speaker 4: think a scary time of censorship for Arabs in general 714 00:41:35,280 --> 00:41:42,960 Speaker 4: and Muslim communities. Regardless of who the candidate who wins 715 00:41:43,000 --> 00:41:50,280 Speaker 4: our political campaign, it's quite clear that the policies towards us, 716 00:41:50,320 --> 00:41:52,880 Speaker 4: you know, the foreign policy, but also domestically how that 717 00:41:52,960 --> 00:41:58,959 Speaker 4: has translated into hate crimes against Arabs simply for being 718 00:41:59,040 --> 00:42:03,799 Speaker 4: Arab is a really scary thing. And so yeah, it's 719 00:42:03,880 --> 00:42:07,400 Speaker 4: just a new thing that we're going to have to 720 00:42:07,520 --> 00:42:10,239 Speaker 4: navigate in this in this new era. 721 00:42:11,840 --> 00:42:15,000 Speaker 2: Yeah, I think on that note, like community is so 722 00:42:15,080 --> 00:42:18,320 Speaker 2: important and I'm really grateful to continue to foster the 723 00:42:18,360 --> 00:42:23,080 Speaker 2: community around me as well. And I think with food, 724 00:42:23,840 --> 00:42:26,880 Speaker 2: with Palestinian culture in general, it relies so much on 725 00:42:27,080 --> 00:42:30,560 Speaker 2: us remembering and continuing to talk about it and not 726 00:42:30,840 --> 00:42:33,280 Speaker 2: letting anyone forget about it. And so I think food 727 00:42:33,320 --> 00:42:35,960 Speaker 2: is the same way. It's just reminding everyone this is 728 00:42:35,960 --> 00:42:38,040 Speaker 2: where it comes from, this is how important it is, 729 00:42:38,320 --> 00:42:40,479 Speaker 2: this is what it means to the culture. You can't 730 00:42:40,560 --> 00:42:42,319 Speaker 2: enjoy some of our culture and not all of it, 731 00:42:42,360 --> 00:42:44,320 Speaker 2: I guess, And I feel like that happens all the time. 732 00:42:44,760 --> 00:42:47,200 Speaker 2: I really appreciate you guys both being on the show 733 00:42:47,280 --> 00:42:51,400 Speaker 2: and talking a little bit about your stories, and yeah, 734 00:42:51,880 --> 00:42:54,640 Speaker 2: I can't wait to see the show happen one day, 735 00:42:54,680 --> 00:42:56,720 Speaker 2: because it will happen awesome. 736 00:42:56,920 --> 00:43:01,319 Speaker 4: Thank you. Yeah, thanks for for the work that I'm doing, 737 00:43:01,640 --> 00:43:07,600 Speaker 4: especially as it relates to food and hospitality. I was 738 00:43:07,640 --> 00:43:10,160 Speaker 4: one of the founders of an effort called Hospitality for 739 00:43:10,280 --> 00:43:16,400 Speaker 4: Humanity and you can find us on at Hospitality the 740 00:43:16,520 --> 00:43:21,560 Speaker 4: number four pal P A L. You know, we continue 741 00:43:21,560 --> 00:43:24,239 Speaker 4: to do things at REEMS and you can see us 742 00:43:24,239 --> 00:43:28,640 Speaker 4: on the socials at REEMS California, and then you can 743 00:43:29,280 --> 00:43:34,719 Speaker 4: obviously follow my whereabouts at REEM dot A C A S. 744 00:43:34,719 --> 00:43:35,040 Speaker 5: S I L. 745 00:43:35,840 --> 00:43:38,080 Speaker 2: I could put all your links in the description as well, 746 00:43:38,560 --> 00:43:39,920 Speaker 2: but you're real. Do you want to be found on 747 00:43:39,920 --> 00:43:41,840 Speaker 2: the internet and if so, where. 748 00:43:43,600 --> 00:43:44,719 Speaker 5: I don't know how much I want to be found 749 00:43:44,719 --> 00:43:47,360 Speaker 5: on the internet. I will plug that. I think everyone 750 00:43:47,400 --> 00:43:50,960 Speaker 5: should call their senators and demand a ceasefire immediately, and 751 00:43:51,080 --> 00:43:55,480 Speaker 5: also consider donating to one of many nonprofits, but the 752 00:43:55,520 --> 00:44:01,080 Speaker 5: one that I have is Gaza Emergency Appeal, and uh, 753 00:44:01,120 --> 00:44:03,480 Speaker 5: just ask for a ceasefire as much as possible. But 754 00:44:03,520 --> 00:44:08,439 Speaker 5: also if somebody demanded, they'll find me. Demand demand is fired. 755 00:44:08,440 --> 00:44:13,640 Speaker 5: Don't ask, don't ask, sir? Please can I have? Can 756 00:44:13,680 --> 00:44:16,480 Speaker 5: I have? Are you? 757 00:44:16,520 --> 00:44:16,840 Speaker 1: Please? 758 00:44:17,120 --> 00:44:17,400 Speaker 5: But no? 759 00:44:17,840 --> 00:44:21,640 Speaker 2: Please, everyone that's listening, keep talking about Palestine, keep sharing 760 00:44:21,800 --> 00:44:28,719 Speaker 2: info from Palestinians themselves, and yeah three Palestine. 761 00:44:29,239 --> 00:44:37,839 Speaker 1: Yes it could happen here as a production of cool 762 00:44:37,920 --> 00:44:40,839 Speaker 1: Zone Media. For more podcasts from cool Zone Media, visit 763 00:44:40,840 --> 00:44:43,440 Speaker 1: our website, cool zonemedia dot com, or check us out 764 00:44:43,480 --> 00:44:46,440 Speaker 1: on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you listen 765 00:44:46,480 --> 00:44:49,200 Speaker 1: to podcasts, you can find sources for It could happen here, 766 00:44:49,280 --> 00:44:52,800 Speaker 1: updated monthly at cool zone media dot com slash sources. 767 00:44:52,920 --> 00:44:53,760 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening.