Hi, I’m Bianca — a queer, Japanese-Lebanese-Syrian, Artist, Professor, & Creative Strategist living in Los Angeles. In case you are new here or if a reminder could help, this newsletter began as an exploration of figuring things out, one day at a time. Upgrade to a paid subscription to make sure you never miss out on the really good stuff.
Hi all,
I don’t even know how to write this week’s letter. How do I even begin to address the fact that we have all been witnessing the genocide of the Palestinian people online? So I’m doing what I know how to do - sharing resources and connecting folks.
I was also doing some check-ins with other Arab and Muslim friends this week. For those of us who were kids during the post-9/11 “war on terror,” we are feeling old wounds of alienation, frustration, anger, and shame in new ways as we see the same rhetoric against Arabs that was used to justify the killing of Iraqis resurface now.
It is important that we take care of ourselves and one another as we witness, organize, and mobilize. I’m grateful to Hannah and Amro, who offered to open up their space on Sunday to hold for our community to gather. I’ll be offering a free guided meditation and sound bath.
A friend in my group chat yesterday asked me to share actions and ways to help. So many people are doing important and necessary work right now - I’ll link them below in this week’s quick links.
My friend Hiba, also shared this beautiful practice with us:
“One habit I developed years ago was going on the Library of Congress’ website, where you can access the most beautiful photos of what life was like in Palestine before the Nakba, before expulsion, before checkpoints and institutionalized narratives and rockets and missiles and bombs and rubble. Jaffa looks like a dream, people in long robes mulling around markets as the sea sparkles in their surroundings. Women in Ramallah are dressed like queens, carrying clay pots on their heads. Nazareth is just olive groves and mountains and tiny villages of homes in between. It takes my breath away.”
Please stay safe this weekend.
with care,
Bianca
Palestine 101 Primer
Donations
Send Aid to Gaza
Children’s Relief Fund
Jewish Voices For Peace Action Toolkit
Free E-Books on Palestine
Radio Alhara Day Long Programming for Palestine
Surviellance Self Defense
Costs of War
Antidoxxing resources for activists
Legal Resources for Activists Advocating for Palestine Across the U.S.