Rimah Jaber, a fourth-year Ph.D. student in Counseling Psychology at Fordham Graduate School of Education, presented her research at the American Psychological Association (APA) 2024 Convention on August 10th, where she received the “Outstanding Poster Presentation” award for her study titled, “We’re Not Home Anymore: Exploring Identity and Experiences of Palestinian Muslim Women in the U.S.” Jaber’s study explores the complex identity processes of Palestinian Americans, particularly in the context of family displacement, the politicization of Palestinian and Muslim identities, and the impact of discrimination and dehumanization. Her research lays the groundwork for understanding the psychosocial needs of this community, including their evolving and resilient coping strategies.
Jaber’s recognition at APA 2024 extended beyond the award, as she was invited by Sage Publishing to film a video about her research for their academic video library. She plans to further explore the unique mental health concerns and help-seeking behaviors of Palestinians in the U.S. in her dissertation.
Reflecting on her academic journey, Jaber shared:
“I was a first-generation college student and now I’m the first in my family to pursue a doctorate degree. As a Palestinian Muslim woman, I entered the program broadly interested in conducting research with second-generation Muslim- and/or Arab-Americans on their identity development and negotiation processes, discriminatory experiences, and cultural and spiritual tensions. While developing my research apprenticeship project with my mentor, Dr. Eric C. Chen, I felt that it was my duty to fill the research gaps on my community by providing insight to scholarly communities on who we are as people—not just who we are in the contexts of 9/11 or our religious practices, which is oftentimes the sole lens in which we are viewed or researched.”
At APA 2024, Jaber presented findings from her research apprenticeship project, which she describes as especially pertinent in the current sociopolitical climate. Though the data was collected before recent escalations in the region, Jaber notes that the
“findings demonstrate the complex identity processes of Palestinian Americans in the context of decades of family displacement, and lay the groundwork for understanding their psychosocial needs as it relates to their fragmented histories, the politicization of their Palestinian and Muslim identities, discriminatory and dehumanizing experiences, as well as their evolving resilient coping strategies. To have the opportunity to not only share these findings, but to be recognized with ‘Outstanding Poster Presentation’ means a lot to me, especially now as Palestinian voices are being silenced across academic, professional, and government institutions.”
Jaber also shared how the research resonated with attendees:
“It was incredibly validating and moving to hear from convention attendees and scholars how excited they were to see research on Palestinian Muslims being showcased at APA, and how their own research on minoritized populations in the U.S. (e.g., Asian Americans, transgender individuals) has yielded similar themes with respect to identity negotiation processes and the politicization of identities.”
Jaber remains committed to continuing this work:
“This research project taught me a lot about my community and about myself. I hope to continue exploring the unique mental health concerns and help-seeking behaviors of Palestinians in the U.S. for my dissertation. I also hope to contribute to creating more culturally appropriate interventions that honor and incorporate the stories and tools that Muslim- and Arab-Americans have been passing on for generations. These mechanisms have helped them survive, navigate, and cope with the ongoing trauma and violence associated with orientalism, Islamophobia, and all other forms of anti-Arab and anti-Palestinian racism, and should be considered by professionals to ensure these communities have the support they need.”
This article was contributed by Leah McKirgan.
