WEBVTT - One-on-One with Reem Assil 0:00:01.000 --> 0:00:05.080 Hello, point of origin listeners. It's Steven Saderfield and before 0:00:05.120 --> 0:00:09.560 we begin today's episode, I feel I must acknowledge the 0:00:09.720 --> 0:00:15.160 enormity of the global crisis we now face. COVID nineteen 0:00:15.240 --> 0:00:18.720 has claimed the lives of thousands all over the world 0:00:18.920 --> 0:00:24.840 and sadly untold numbers more we more in the loss 0:00:24.920 --> 0:00:30.200 of life and livelihood, and particularly the collapse of the 0:00:30.280 --> 0:00:34.879 US restaurant industry. I thought that is so difficult to 0:00:34.920 --> 0:00:39.680 imagine that I'm not yet sure I can process its magnitude. 0:00:41.080 --> 0:00:45.559 Today's interview is with Palestinian and Syrian chef and restaurants 0:00:45.560 --> 0:00:50.320 who are Realms Hill Ream just one week before her 0:00:50.560 --> 0:00:54.360 restaurants opening, and I had a chance to talk about 0:00:54.360 --> 0:00:57.880 her forthcoming restaurant and what now seems like a very 0:00:57.920 --> 0:01:02.680 long time ago and a much simpler times as MS 0:01:03.280 --> 0:01:08.840 Place was closed down just two days after opening and 0:01:09.040 --> 0:01:13.840 is now closed indefinitely. As we all collectively await the 0:01:13.880 --> 0:01:17.000 fate of restaurants all over the country and over the world, 0:01:25.840 --> 0:01:29.200 so we decided to play this interview in its entirety 0:01:29.319 --> 0:01:31.800 for a couple of reasons. The first is that Realm 0:01:32.080 --> 0:01:35.720 is a brilliant and important voice in the North American 0:01:35.800 --> 0:01:39.720 restaurant industry, and we wanted to allow the proper space 0:01:39.880 --> 0:01:42.560 for her wisdom and experience to come to the fore. 0:01:43.600 --> 0:01:47.000 And you know, related to the crisis itself, what you 0:01:47.040 --> 0:01:52.760 will hear is a brilliant person who's unique background in 0:01:53.000 --> 0:01:57.240 worldview was really ahead of the curve in so many ways. 0:01:57.240 --> 0:02:01.360 And what you will hear was a very broken system 0:02:01.360 --> 0:02:04.960 within the restaurant industry. So when I believe this interview 0:02:05.040 --> 0:02:09.000 provides for for us is a bit of organizational and 0:02:09.200 --> 0:02:12.679 UH an intersectional roadmap for how we might be able 0:02:12.720 --> 0:02:16.639 to better organize ourselves on the other side of this. So, 0:02:16.800 --> 0:02:26.840 without further ado chef and Restaurants or reem a Seal, Hello, Hey, 0:02:26.880 --> 0:02:30.840 there you go. Well, I really appreciate you taking time. 0:02:30.840 --> 0:02:35.520 How are you spending your days these days? Yeah? I 0:02:35.680 --> 0:02:38.960 sort of toggle between Footville and mission, but mostly trying 0:02:38.960 --> 0:02:42.239 to open this space in the mission. And I believe 0:02:42.280 --> 0:02:49.359 I read family life Hello right, shrinking somewhere shrinking. They 0:02:49.440 --> 0:02:54.400 understand Mama, Mama's gotta get these bills paying. You know, 0:02:54.480 --> 0:02:58.359 we just hired a new staff. It's a group of 0:02:58.480 --> 0:03:03.040 ten lovely people. I'm like trying had to get too 0:03:03.080 --> 0:03:06.359 attached them, like these are all natural board leaders. Like 0:03:06.480 --> 0:03:08.639 we just had a three day training with all of them, 0:03:08.639 --> 0:03:12.240 and it's not like your average restaurant training. I think 0:03:12.280 --> 0:03:15.680 they're not a lot of them, you know, have like 0:03:16.040 --> 0:03:19.240 come from the traditional setting where they just like go 0:03:19.320 --> 0:03:23.400 around and they're a body anywhere they apply, And here 0:03:23.440 --> 0:03:26.720 it's like no, like we're going to talk about systems 0:03:26.760 --> 0:03:30.639 of oppression. It's like these are what our murals are. 0:03:31.200 --> 0:03:34.600 Expect you all to like know these things, and we 0:03:34.680 --> 0:03:37.680 did like Arab hospitality one oh one. So it's it's 0:03:37.680 --> 0:03:40.920 cool to kind of see people, to spark in people's 0:03:40.920 --> 0:03:43.800 eyes and like really kind of we we did a 0:03:43.800 --> 0:03:46.040 really good job sort of like waning it down to 0:03:47.000 --> 0:03:51.600 ten solid leaders and then hopefully it'll grow. Definitely, I 0:03:51.640 --> 0:03:53.240 want to talk about some of the stuff you just 0:03:53.280 --> 0:03:58.280 brought up, beginning with systems of oppression. So if I 0:03:58.440 --> 0:04:03.840 come expecting to a restaurant job and um, I'm started, 0:04:03.880 --> 0:04:07.000 I'm talking about systems of oppression, how do you lead 0:04:07.080 --> 0:04:10.960 into that conversation. Well, it's it's more subtle. I mean, 0:04:11.000 --> 0:04:14.680 I think part of what our job is. I think, 0:04:14.720 --> 0:04:20.000 as as people who maybe come from a more privileged 0:04:20.080 --> 0:04:25.239 background of understanding social justice, and like, you know, speaking 0:04:25.279 --> 0:04:28.920 work for myself, I'm college educated and like my awakening, 0:04:29.480 --> 0:04:32.560 I mean, I think being a Palestinian, you're always politicized 0:04:32.640 --> 0:04:35.520 from a very early age. So I understood systems of 0:04:35.560 --> 0:04:39.240 oppression to some extent. And I think, you know, community 0:04:39.320 --> 0:04:43.040 is especially once who've been marginalized sort of understand it intrinsically. 0:04:43.080 --> 0:04:47.040 They just maybe haven't been given the resources to articulate it. 0:04:47.760 --> 0:04:50.520 So you know, what we sess out is just sort 0:04:50.560 --> 0:04:54.279 of and our interviews we talk about sort of realms 0:04:54.480 --> 0:04:58.280 core values, and then we have internal core values too, 0:04:58.320 --> 0:05:01.080 so we have external all sort of the way that 0:05:01.160 --> 0:05:02.800 we want the world to be and the way that 0:05:02.839 --> 0:05:06.120 we want that to be reflected in our business. You know, 0:05:06.279 --> 0:05:11.120 things like centering folks of color, immigrants, women, queer folks. First, 0:05:11.520 --> 0:05:15.800 you know, supporting the local ecosystem, an already vibrant ecosystem, 0:05:16.040 --> 0:05:19.800 you know, whether it be supporting local farmers or local businesses, 0:05:20.000 --> 0:05:24.839 or providing our space to community organizations. And then community building, 0:05:24.880 --> 0:05:27.320 which is like the most universal one. You know, like 0:05:28.040 --> 0:05:31.680 you can't really organize unless you build trust and community 0:05:31.720 --> 0:05:35.200 and cohesion, and you know, at it's very basics, that's 0:05:35.279 --> 0:05:38.880 REALMS mission is to to build that community. So just 0:05:38.920 --> 0:05:41.200 sort of having a conversation with people about that, but 0:05:41.240 --> 0:05:45.400 then we really get we get deep where like these 0:05:45.440 --> 0:05:48.800 are our core values. We have like four five core 0:05:48.920 --> 0:05:52.640 values that we ask people, like, tell people right off 0:05:52.680 --> 0:05:54.880 the bat, this is what we're looking for, and then 0:05:54.960 --> 0:05:56.839 just see how they talk about it and react to 0:05:56.880 --> 0:05:59.680 it and apply it to their daily lives. And you'd 0:05:59.680 --> 0:06:03.080 be really surprised how much people really sort of understand 0:06:04.440 --> 0:06:10.680 some of those core values. Sure, Um, well, the the 0:06:10.760 --> 0:06:14.480 ultimate one. We we talk about integrity, So we want 0:06:14.560 --> 0:06:19.000 people who are honest, who really believe in just mutual 0:06:19.080 --> 0:06:22.520 respect and they would act the same way when people 0:06:22.520 --> 0:06:27.200 are watching then when people are not watching, right, Um, 0:06:27.360 --> 0:06:31.520 that they really value sort of the basic tenets of 0:06:31.600 --> 0:06:34.360 human rights, right the people to stand in their dignity 0:06:34.440 --> 0:06:37.719 and treat everyone that way. Um. We talk about commitment. 0:06:37.880 --> 0:06:41.279 Commitment is a big thing, I feel like we and 0:06:41.360 --> 0:06:44.520 it's hard in this economy where it is there's so 0:06:44.680 --> 0:06:47.400 much instability. Like we're asking people to take that leap 0:06:47.440 --> 0:06:50.800 of faith to commit to commit to this job, to 0:06:50.839 --> 0:06:52.800 commit to the vision of realms. It doesn't mean they 0:06:52.800 --> 0:06:55.440 have to stay forever, but they're we're asking them to 0:06:55.440 --> 0:06:59.040 give us a commitment and commitment to themselves and their team. 0:06:59.279 --> 0:07:02.239 So that's a really big one. We ask um desire 0:07:02.320 --> 0:07:05.120 to grow, just like we want people who really not 0:07:05.240 --> 0:07:07.680 just like our open feedback, will want to grow, want 0:07:07.720 --> 0:07:12.640 to be transformed to think that, especially if you're going 0:07:12.680 --> 0:07:15.000 to spend most of your time in the workplace, it 0:07:15.000 --> 0:07:18.120 should be a transformative space. So, you know, we talk 0:07:18.160 --> 0:07:21.680 about transformation in our communities and how we want to 0:07:21.720 --> 0:07:24.960 do that for our customers, but really, you know, you 0:07:24.960 --> 0:07:27.560 could teach some of them, but you know, and and 0:07:27.560 --> 0:07:29.920 and the world is tough out there. You know, sometimes 0:07:29.960 --> 0:07:32.440 it brings out the worst in us, even those of 0:07:32.520 --> 0:07:36.200 us who you know have the potential to be our best. UM, 0:07:36.280 --> 0:07:39.520 So we try to like really probe and and find 0:07:39.600 --> 0:07:42.160 and learn about people and how they are in their 0:07:42.200 --> 0:07:45.120 lives more than like how they are in the workplace, 0:07:45.200 --> 0:07:49.240 because we understand that the workplace, especially in the restaurant industry, 0:07:49.360 --> 0:07:54.280 is just plagued with racism, classism, able is um, all 0:07:54.320 --> 0:07:57.120 of the things, right, So like it's it's hard to 0:07:57.560 --> 0:08:00.200 just use that as an assessment for who we've ring 0:08:00.240 --> 0:08:03.200 into the space, right, And I have to say, you're 0:08:03.240 --> 0:08:08.560 speaking with a particular depth in fluency on this subject. 0:08:08.960 --> 0:08:11.680 And if I'm not mistaken, don't you have a background 0:08:11.880 --> 0:08:17.400 as a community organizer. Yeah? Right, so this is this 0:08:17.480 --> 0:08:20.880 is all like new language and as someone who grew 0:08:20.920 --> 0:08:25.880 up in restaurants, really new ideas about what's possible. Yeah, 0:08:25.960 --> 0:08:29.400 it's like it's it's so interesting. I approach sort of 0:08:29.440 --> 0:08:33.520 building my restaurant as an entrepreneur, like an organizer, Like 0:08:33.640 --> 0:08:36.080 I mean, I was a labor organizer. I used to 0:08:36.520 --> 0:08:42.200 you know, underground organized like airport workers and service workers, 0:08:42.200 --> 0:08:44.200 people who wouldn't even tell me what they were making 0:08:44.200 --> 0:08:47.520 on an hourly wage because they're afraid of retaliation. I 0:08:47.559 --> 0:08:52.000 remember like those first days finally, like after recruiting ten people, 0:08:52.520 --> 0:08:54.719 getting them in a room together and saying, this is 0:08:54.760 --> 0:08:58.400 the beginning, right, this is the beginning of building your power. 0:08:58.679 --> 0:09:00.319 I take. I think a lot of this skills that 0:09:00.360 --> 0:09:03.720 I built as an organizer sort of helped translate to 0:09:03.840 --> 0:09:08.240 this setting where you know you're as an organizer, you're 0:09:08.280 --> 0:09:14.000 a facilitator, right, Um, you are obviously you're a leader, 0:09:14.120 --> 0:09:17.280 you're you're inspiring folks, but you're more behind the scenes 0:09:17.320 --> 0:09:21.640 to find to find ways to draw out the collective 0:09:21.640 --> 0:09:26.079 power that's already there, you know. Um, and I think 0:09:26.200 --> 0:09:30.400 that where this butts up and against sort of the 0:09:30.559 --> 0:09:33.760 limitations working in sort of a capitalist system where you've 0:09:33.760 --> 0:09:36.720 gotta you know, you gotta keep moving, you gotta make money, 0:09:36.720 --> 0:09:39.440 you gotta turn a profit as you can't you know, 0:09:39.600 --> 0:09:42.040 it's it's hard to find the ways to find that 0:09:42.120 --> 0:09:46.400 time to make that transformation. But we have done it. 0:09:46.760 --> 0:09:49.320 You know, We've taken the short term hit with the 0:09:49.360 --> 0:09:52.760 hope that the investment in people, you know, spending time 0:09:52.800 --> 0:09:56.440 and paying people to come for trainings and U spend 0:09:56.440 --> 0:09:59.480 that time for them to really sort of understand their 0:09:59.480 --> 0:10:02.840 skill set and be self perflective as a way to 0:10:02.880 --> 0:10:05.960 like invest long term. I think about that even with 0:10:06.000 --> 0:10:08.680 my staff have stayed with me to three to four years, Like, 0:10:09.520 --> 0:10:12.880 how do we make sure that we continue to show 0:10:12.920 --> 0:10:16.320 people growth and to get to new to inspire people 0:10:16.400 --> 0:10:19.720 and motivate them. Um, that work doesn't just like stop 0:10:19.760 --> 0:10:23.920 at one training, But unfortunately, it takes time and it 0:10:24.000 --> 0:10:28.640 takes resources. And you know, I hope, I hope that 0:10:28.840 --> 0:10:31.960 I'm sharing a model that would resonate with other like 0:10:32.040 --> 0:10:34.960 minded folks in the industry where we could combine forces 0:10:35.040 --> 0:10:38.040 to do more of that to scale because I think, 0:10:38.160 --> 0:10:40.480 you know, not that we're going to start a revolution 0:10:41.280 --> 0:10:46.000 within the industry, but most of low income communities of 0:10:46.040 --> 0:10:49.640 color are working in the industry. It's one of the 0:10:50.040 --> 0:10:53.480 It is, I think, the biggest employer of people in 0:10:53.520 --> 0:10:57.280 the country. So why not start somewhere where we have 0:10:57.360 --> 0:11:01.839 masses of people we have that can galvanize and politicize 0:11:01.880 --> 0:11:04.720 and transform, you know. So yeah, I think we don't 0:11:04.760 --> 0:11:08.080 beat people over the head with any of our politics, 0:11:08.200 --> 0:11:11.480 but we really sort of hope that the space is 0:11:11.520 --> 0:11:15.520 politicizing in and of itself. Right, And to your point, 0:11:15.600 --> 0:11:21.000 you know, a lot of the conversations around the increase 0:11:21.040 --> 0:11:24.160 in minimum wage, and in fact the actualization of that 0:11:24.240 --> 0:11:30.040 increase can be credited to fast food workers campaigning. So this, 0:11:30.040 --> 0:11:34.320 this mentality is obviously ingrained in you and your background. 0:11:35.080 --> 0:11:38.920 Have you reached a point yet as an entrepreneur and 0:11:39.000 --> 0:11:43.680 business owner in which your values in your background as 0:11:43.840 --> 0:11:49.200 an organizer have felt challenged or conflicted as an entrepreneur 0:11:49.160 --> 0:11:51.560 in business owner. When I made the switch to become 0:11:51.600 --> 0:11:54.920 an entrepreneur, like I understood the contradictions, I struggled with 0:11:54.960 --> 0:11:57.000 them for a little bit. You know, as someone who 0:11:57.720 --> 0:12:01.240 has deep resentment for capital is m as a system 0:12:01.559 --> 0:12:04.360 and understand that it is not the way and that 0:12:04.440 --> 0:12:09.240 we won't really have true democracy or true liberation in 0:12:09.559 --> 0:12:13.040 the context of capitalism. I also understand that in order 0:12:13.200 --> 0:12:16.719 to you know, fight the good fight and to imagine 0:12:16.840 --> 0:12:20.280 an alternative system, we need to build the resilience and 0:12:21.160 --> 0:12:24.360 resources in our community. So we need we need to 0:12:24.440 --> 0:12:26.800 take care of our own. You know, I would say 0:12:26.840 --> 0:12:30.360 that I am trying to be outside the box, right, 0:12:30.400 --> 0:12:32.160 I'm a little bit on the fringes of all of 0:12:32.200 --> 0:12:35.200 it because I don't operate my business in in the 0:12:35.240 --> 0:12:38.240 most traditional sense. You know, if you look at all 0:12:38.280 --> 0:12:40.319 the rules of the game. You know, we run at 0:12:40.800 --> 0:12:45.160 labor Liant, and we build our model around the we 0:12:46.000 --> 0:12:48.559 you know this, this restaurant is not just a restaurant space. 0:12:48.679 --> 0:12:52.200 We provide a business that is the destination spot and 0:12:52.360 --> 0:12:56.920 hits the you know, all the coolests. Like we understand 0:12:57.000 --> 0:12:58.960 that we are those contradictors. You know that we live 0:12:59.000 --> 0:13:01.280 in that contradiction. Like we need the people with more 0:13:01.320 --> 0:13:06.640 disposable income to understand and spend money on us and 0:13:06.679 --> 0:13:09.080 pay for the true cost of food. Right, we need 0:13:09.120 --> 0:13:12.040 to keep our prices high so that we can pay 0:13:12.040 --> 0:13:14.839 our workers, but then we don't want to price out 0:13:14.880 --> 0:13:18.240 our own community. So I'm constantly grappling with how do 0:13:18.280 --> 0:13:22.959 I have both and um, you know, because you need that, 0:13:23.000 --> 0:13:26.199 and um, yeah, I mean the way I think about 0:13:26.200 --> 0:13:29.400 it is that, you know, restaurants are a conduit there 0:13:29.400 --> 0:13:32.280 a conduit from urban to rural areas, or a conduit 0:13:32.360 --> 0:13:34.280 from the rich to the poor that you know, like 0:13:34.360 --> 0:13:38.360 we're Yeah, I'm constantly having to come up around hard 0:13:38.400 --> 0:13:41.880 decisions around what's my values? Who who do we serve 0:13:42.000 --> 0:13:44.280 versus who we do do we not serve? Like what 0:13:44.360 --> 0:13:47.960 do we make explicit versus implicit? Um? You know, obviously 0:13:48.040 --> 0:13:51.920 I took a really bold stance and Fruitville putting you know, 0:13:52.040 --> 0:13:55.880 Palestinian activists on my wall. Um, I just I didn't 0:13:55.920 --> 0:13:59.559 realize it was a problem until there was a sobering 0:13:59.600 --> 0:14:03.960 reality the um of this political context that we're in. 0:14:04.400 --> 0:14:06.120 So there are often times where I like, I don't 0:14:06.679 --> 0:14:09.920 I think it's a problem until you know, then I'm 0:14:09.920 --> 0:14:13.160 met with challenges and then I have to you know, 0:14:13.360 --> 0:14:16.959 I'm I Then I'm faced with a choice either hied 0:14:17.120 --> 0:14:20.800 or being visibilized the way you have, you know, And 0:14:20.800 --> 0:14:23.160 and in times of my life, you know, I've had 0:14:23.200 --> 0:14:25.360 to do that and my community has had to do 0:14:25.440 --> 0:14:28.760 that or you know, double down and and be more outspoken, 0:14:28.840 --> 0:14:33.320 and luckily I've chose the latter. Um. You know, I 0:14:33.360 --> 0:14:39.160 think being outspoken has been really my greatest asset and 0:14:39.240 --> 0:14:42.560 my best tool to really help other people come out 0:14:42.560 --> 0:14:47.320 of the trenches and you know, join with me. But yeah, 0:14:47.480 --> 0:14:49.800 certainly it's not easy on a day to day basis 0:14:49.960 --> 0:14:52.480 to run a business. I mean even things of like 0:14:52.480 --> 0:14:56.440 where I source, you know, like we unfortunately need to 0:14:56.760 --> 0:15:00.440 rely on the gig economy of like delivery service. As 0:15:00.480 --> 0:15:05.400 an entrepreneur myself agree and underscore the need for multiple 0:15:05.560 --> 0:15:11.440 strategies in transformation like Um, so I want to talk 0:15:11.480 --> 0:15:16.760 to you about that controversy of having an activist that really, 0:15:17.000 --> 0:15:21.480 I feel was a definitive moment for you. I'm interested 0:15:21.600 --> 0:15:27.080 in that you did something that doesn't happen very often, 0:15:27.480 --> 0:15:33.560 which is stand your ground and really emerge within this 0:15:34.280 --> 0:15:38.520 our institution will say of the culinary, conventional culinary world 0:15:39.160 --> 0:15:44.720 and media even more beloved. Dare I say, um as 0:15:44.720 --> 0:15:47.560 someone who has observed your work for the last few 0:15:47.600 --> 0:15:51.320 years and up close, So, um, how do you feel 0:15:51.640 --> 0:15:55.520 after that situation. I just want to know how you're 0:15:55.520 --> 0:15:59.880 feeling in light of that. Yeah, I mean I still 0:16:00.160 --> 0:16:06.160 really emotional about it. I think that, um, I'm really 0:16:06.200 --> 0:16:09.560 really lucky. I mean, if the older version of myself 0:16:09.680 --> 0:16:13.960 talked to the younger version of myself, I would have 0:16:14.000 --> 0:16:17.280 told her, like, built community as soon as possible, because like, 0:16:17.480 --> 0:16:20.880 I don't think that I could have stood my I mean, 0:16:20.920 --> 0:16:24.520 I had a lot of people who came to my support. 0:16:24.600 --> 0:16:29.400 So when I when we first got those attacks, you know, 0:16:30.080 --> 0:16:32.960 organizations that I had worked for for years, worked with 0:16:33.080 --> 0:16:38.640 for years basically like came to my side and like 0:16:38.720 --> 0:16:42.280 set up an SS system and helped me build my narrative, 0:16:42.320 --> 0:16:45.280 and it really helped me build the like inner strength 0:16:45.560 --> 0:16:48.320 to to say, no, this is who I am and 0:16:48.320 --> 0:16:50.960 this is this is I mean, clearly I had an 0:16:50.960 --> 0:16:54.280 affinity towards wanting to make a stand. I called my 0:16:54.400 --> 0:16:58.680 food Arab food rather than Middle Eastern or Mediterranean. Like, 0:16:58.720 --> 0:17:02.720 you know, I was already making subtle political stances from 0:17:02.760 --> 0:17:06.800 the very beginning. I may have not realized that, um 0:17:06.920 --> 0:17:10.119 so this was just another part of that mission. And 0:17:10.200 --> 0:17:14.600 so to have people by my side helping me build 0:17:14.600 --> 0:17:18.440 those sort of inner reserves. I think is is really 0:17:18.520 --> 0:17:22.200 what what helped me get through that process. So I'm yeah, 0:17:22.320 --> 0:17:24.119 I feel like that that was a group effort. I mean, 0:17:24.160 --> 0:17:27.320 obviously it took courage for me to do that, but 0:17:27.560 --> 0:17:31.760 it just made me see the power of like community 0:17:31.920 --> 0:17:34.720 and and and what I've built and what we've built. 0:17:34.920 --> 0:17:38.600 You know, obviously it's scary running a business and ann 0:17:38.640 --> 0:17:40.720 the ebbs and flows, but like you, it's sort of 0:17:40.760 --> 0:17:44.000 like a security blanket, like I just know that my 0:17:44.040 --> 0:17:47.800 community is going to have my back. But that doesn't 0:17:48.080 --> 0:17:52.800 I mean, it doesn't negate all of the trauma and 0:17:52.840 --> 0:17:56.520 the experiences I've had and sort of witnessed sort of 0:17:57.040 --> 0:18:01.200 on the on the periphery of myself, my community. Any 0:18:01.240 --> 0:18:04.919 time that we are our identity as Palestinians were punished, 0:18:05.640 --> 0:18:08.520 you know, certainly rest me a who's who who you 0:18:08.520 --> 0:18:11.240 know as an activist in my wall. And now that 0:18:11.320 --> 0:18:14.280 I know, you know, she lost the little battle. She's 0:18:14.280 --> 0:18:18.080 still winning because she is resilient and continuing to do 0:18:18.080 --> 0:18:22.200 the work that she's doing in Jordan's after her deportation. 0:18:22.400 --> 0:18:25.560 But it does feel like a little loss for our community, 0:18:25.760 --> 0:18:28.360 you know. Um, And I think about all of these 0:18:29.040 --> 0:18:31.720 these folks have taken a stance who did it for 0:18:31.760 --> 0:18:35.960 the greater good, and you know you were murderred or 0:18:36.359 --> 0:18:43.119 you know, lost their jobs over it. So like the 0:18:43.240 --> 0:18:48.239 community that had your back is entirely a reflection of 0:18:48.320 --> 0:18:52.560 you and all of the love and earnestness that you 0:18:52.680 --> 0:18:55.280 put out in the world when you were building that community, 0:18:56.720 --> 0:19:01.199 and in just your existence has done so much for 0:19:01.320 --> 0:19:04.840 so many people who are not even Palestine, you know, 0:19:04.960 --> 0:19:07.800 but just in terms of creating that much needed space 0:19:07.880 --> 0:19:11.399 for so many of us. Um, So I appreciate you 0:19:11.480 --> 0:19:15.200 for that. Thank you. Yeah, I'd like to think this 0:19:15.200 --> 0:19:18.440 this really intersects. I mean, intersectionality is a big piece 0:19:18.480 --> 0:19:22.280 of the work that I do. So you know, this 0:19:22.400 --> 0:19:26.199 is just a it's a it's a symbol of the 0:19:26.240 --> 0:20:02.800 bigger issues. Right. Last night, Selene, who is our producer 0:20:02.840 --> 0:20:06.080 for this podcast, she came to see you talk, um, 0:20:06.200 --> 0:20:11.880 and she told me this really great quotes which I'm paraphrasing, 0:20:12.359 --> 0:20:16.240 basically went like, if you build it, then they will 0:20:16.280 --> 0:20:20.560 come build it with me, right, which I feel isn't 0:20:20.600 --> 0:20:24.800 a perfect encapsulation of what you're saying right now about 0:20:24.880 --> 0:20:28.440 the community. So, UM, tell me if I got that right, Like, 0:20:28.600 --> 0:20:32.359 what your philosophy is on that. Yeah. Yeah, I think 0:20:32.720 --> 0:20:34.720 what I was saying last night was like a lot 0:20:34.760 --> 0:20:36.720 of people are just like build it and they will come, 0:20:36.760 --> 0:20:41.320 and I'm like, let them build it with me, because well, 0:20:41.320 --> 0:20:43.760 one I don't have all the answers, you know, I 0:20:43.800 --> 0:20:45.840 think that that is a fault. I think a lot 0:20:45.880 --> 0:20:49.600 of people who want to present something to a community, 0:20:49.680 --> 0:20:53.160 like I think it's two way process, right, and it's 0:20:53.240 --> 0:20:55.840 very lonely. Especially I'm sure you can resonate with this 0:20:55.960 --> 0:21:00.159 as an entrepreneur. Um. It can be very lonely not 0:21:00.280 --> 0:21:03.480 having thought partners and not having community if you don't 0:21:03.520 --> 0:21:06.080 seek them out, and like, what better way than to 0:21:06.240 --> 0:21:09.960 be a sort of a partner, and especially if you 0:21:10.040 --> 0:21:12.600 have For me, I have a physical space to be 0:21:12.680 --> 0:21:15.280 able to meet my community and see where they're at 0:21:15.359 --> 0:21:17.480 and see what they want, and to be able to 0:21:17.480 --> 0:21:19.680 sort of give and take as we say, like we 0:21:19.760 --> 0:21:23.680 haven't an Arabic, we say give and take. And that 0:21:23.720 --> 0:21:26.400 has really served as well because it keeps Reams from 0:21:26.440 --> 0:21:30.240 being stagnant, keeps us always evolving, It keeps us always 0:21:30.240 --> 0:21:32.879 sort of self reflecting on what we're doing well and 0:21:32.880 --> 0:21:36.080 what we're not. And I'm always just really amazed to 0:21:36.200 --> 0:21:42.800 buy how brilliant people's ideas are, and also saddened when 0:21:42.800 --> 0:21:45.199 people are so knocked down that like we've lost our 0:21:45.240 --> 0:21:48.639 ability and imagine, so what would happen if we create 0:21:48.840 --> 0:21:51.560 spaces where people can kind of think outside the box. 0:21:51.720 --> 0:21:55.760 And you know, I think that's what I've done. It reams, 0:21:55.800 --> 0:22:00.080 you know, both internally and externally. So like, internally, I 0:22:00.119 --> 0:22:04.280 really try to build processes that are more collective, you know. 0:22:04.880 --> 0:22:08.000 I mean it's kind of ironic that the business is 0:22:08.080 --> 0:22:11.919 named after me, so much of the growth of it 0:22:12.320 --> 0:22:15.640 has been sort of a collective effort of my leaders, 0:22:17.080 --> 0:22:20.399 you know, So I think, yeah, it just keeps me 0:22:20.480 --> 0:22:23.760 honest too, keeps me on my game, That's right. I 0:22:23.800 --> 0:22:28.000 think that is the crucial Part two is about the 0:22:28.040 --> 0:22:31.399 accountability it provides for you as the as the business 0:22:31.400 --> 0:22:35.520 owner to write like totally, let's talk about food for 0:22:35.760 --> 0:22:38.840 a little bit. I would love to know what some 0:22:39.040 --> 0:22:44.439 of your earliest and most formative food memories are and 0:22:44.480 --> 0:22:48.920 then tell us about like your transition from organizing into 0:22:49.119 --> 0:22:52.919 food into food. Yeah, I've been reflecting a lot on this. 0:22:53.080 --> 0:22:58.119 I feel sort of robbed of like my food memories 0:22:58.160 --> 0:23:01.359 from my childhood a little bit. And it's not to 0:23:01.440 --> 0:23:05.119 say I didn't have any experiences with food, but we 0:23:05.119 --> 0:23:07.720 were very much like sort of, Uh, I was a 0:23:07.760 --> 0:23:11.040 latchkey kid. Both my parents were working, and my mom 0:23:11.119 --> 0:23:13.280 was going to school and working, so she didn't really 0:23:14.040 --> 0:23:17.840 sort of cook the traditional foods, and so my my 0:23:17.920 --> 0:23:23.040 life sort of toggled between macaroni and cheese, instant raman 0:23:23.440 --> 0:23:28.760 and then sort of family gatherings of like big you know, 0:23:28.840 --> 0:23:32.040 plates of herm us and all the different mesa spreads 0:23:32.200 --> 0:23:34.680 with bread. But it was never sort of the home 0:23:34.680 --> 0:23:38.119 cooked meal um that we had, I think when I 0:23:38.200 --> 0:23:41.840 think about sort of and I grew up in the 0:23:41.880 --> 0:23:44.960 oldest of three um, so it was me and my 0:23:45.040 --> 0:23:47.760 sisters and my parents. When my mom did have time 0:23:48.720 --> 0:23:51.000 to make food, you know, it was always sort of 0:23:51.200 --> 0:23:56.040 incorporating you know, our flavors sort of traditional Arab foods 0:23:56.040 --> 0:23:59.760 in American dishes, you know, so we would like have 0:24:00.280 --> 0:24:06.439 cooked a meatballs in spaghetti, um and like classic and 0:24:06.440 --> 0:24:09.320 the red sauce. Yeah. I mean that's kind of a 0:24:09.320 --> 0:24:13.400 classic immigrant and first generation story, right, It's like these 0:24:13.640 --> 0:24:18.600 iterations and adaptations I kind of yeah, and like um, 0:24:18.640 --> 0:24:22.120 the pally Kali, which is like our popular dish on 0:24:23.000 --> 0:24:26.680 the Realms menu is sort of emerged. It really isn't 0:24:26.680 --> 0:24:30.720 homage to My mother likesachan, which is like the traditional 0:24:30.800 --> 0:24:35.320 chicken dish that Palestinians enjoy. You know. It's traditionally made 0:24:35.560 --> 0:24:38.480 on this thin bread, but my mom used to sort 0:24:38.480 --> 0:24:41.000 of wrap it in tortillas for us and have these 0:24:41.040 --> 0:24:44.640 little chicken burritos. And that's always how I grew up 0:24:44.680 --> 0:24:48.040 eating it. Never grew up eating, you know, chicken like 0:24:48.160 --> 0:24:51.439 open faced on pieces of bread. And I'm like that 0:24:51.480 --> 0:24:54.280 it's just genius and it's just you know, for me, 0:24:54.920 --> 0:24:56.960 I think I approached my food the way that my 0:24:57.040 --> 0:25:01.480 mom approached food about you know what, what's familiar to people, 0:25:01.480 --> 0:25:04.800 and what resonates and what's convenient, you know what, um 0:25:04.800 --> 0:25:09.639 not taking food too seriously and so yeah, I think 0:25:10.080 --> 0:25:13.760 it wasn't until sort of my adult life, you know. 0:25:13.800 --> 0:25:16.840 And and and we have the like uh we we 0:25:16.880 --> 0:25:19.480 grew up. Our home away from home was southern California, 0:25:19.480 --> 0:25:23.040 where my grandmother was the matriarch of the family and 0:25:23.119 --> 0:25:27.400 she was the master cook. But she was very very secretive, 0:25:29.359 --> 0:25:31.800 not secretive. She was just like, I don't need no help, 0:25:31.880 --> 0:25:33.679 I don't need any helpers. I will cook for an 0:25:33.760 --> 0:25:36.800 army and everybody out of the kitchen, you know, and 0:25:36.880 --> 0:25:39.320 so I have these memories and sort of peeking in 0:25:39.440 --> 0:25:42.520 on her and like, you know, just like she was 0:25:42.640 --> 0:25:46.880 the most amazing cook, and she was just like make 0:25:46.960 --> 0:25:50.320 these elaborate spreads, and you know, for us, like the 0:25:50.320 --> 0:25:54.400