Identity and Home in Arab American Novels

Abstract

This research seeks to analyse representations of home and identity in diasporic perspectives of Arab Americans in Laila Halaby and Diana Abu Jaber’s works, which can be representative of the authors’ own experience and that of the Arab American community. Laila Halaby and Di-ana Abu Jaber discuss and deal with the issues of their community through their works. Among these issues are the concepts of identity and home, which are frequently discussed and analysed in Arab American literature. Abu Jaber, and Halaby are third-wave Arab American authors. Therefore, it is not surprising that their works tend to be critical of Arab American identity and the concept of home rather than nostalgic, and this is a feature of literature from this phase. They present the impact of the diasporic experience on the identity of their Arab Ameri-cans.