Quiet currents, cultural shifts: Arab and North African artists find a hub in Minnesota
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In the eyes of Kathryn Haddad, Minnesota’s isolation from the West and East Coasts has created a unique place for Southwest Asian and North African — or SWANA — art.
“I think it’s very similar to the question of why it is such a hub for the Asian American art scene,” said the writer and community organizer.
Haddad added that the combination of isolation and Minnesota’s “very supportive arts funding community,” as well as the relatively small size of SWANA artists in Minnesota, has led to cross-ethnic collaborations.
“It’s just like a whole community of people from other backgrounds, other Arab, Muslim, SWANA backgrounds, to come together under the umbrella of art because we don’t have a huge community.”
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Haddad has been involved in many Minnesota arts originations. Career highlights include helping found Pangea World Theater, receiving multiple playwriting grants and time spent with the Asian American Renaissance. She is also the co-founder of Mizna, the nationally known literary arts magazine dedicated to SWANA storytelling.
“I wanted to see and read the writings of Arab Americans. I did not see it in any of my schooling. I was an English major, I was a teacher,” Haddad said.
Eventually, though, Haddad left the organization to pursue another passion — theater. After spending time writing plays, Haddad realized that community organizing was part of who she was.
This led to her founding New Arab American Theater Works, a performing arts company centering SWANA voices. She still serves as its executive artistic director.
“It’s just something that I feel in my blood that I like, it sounds dramatic, but I feel like I have to do it.”
Haddad is also a founding member of MENATMA, the Middle Eastern North African Theater Makers Association.
“It’s a national organization of the theaters in the United States,” Haddad explained, adding that New Arab American Theater Works is contributing to a larger conversation about representation, but also defining an Arab presence in American Theater.
“Historically, there has not been a space for, as is the story for lots of other communities. So there’s not an American tradition of us, our voices on the stage ... we’re building that up.”
The work of amplifying and advocating for Arab and Muslim voices has not been easy.
“I know a lot of stories myself of people who have have feared losing their job because of advocating or speaking out for for Arabs Muslims or specifically now Palestinians.”
Haddad describes the suffering and loss of life in Gaza as overwhelming — but also mobilizing for the diasporic community. She also recognizes the history of Anti-Arab and Anti-Muslim sentiments in America, both pre- and post-9/11. But she also sees the needle moving.
“I was very moved just a few weeks ago when I was watching ‘Saturday Night Live’ and seeing Ramy Youssef say ‘Free Palestine’ on ‘Saturday Night Live’ and everybody cheer,” Haddad said.
“I couldn’t imagine that happening 20-30 years ago.”
Haddad reflected on an event she had hosted years ago, centered on the book “Palestine: A Photographic Journey” by George Baramki Azar.
“It was so controversial. Controversial that you could call a book ‘Palestine,’ like he almost didn’t get it published.” Haddad said to go from that to Youssef’s declaration on SNL represents “a huge cultural shift in my mind.”
Haddad is also a high school educator. She has been in the classroom for 34 years — and this year will be her last. She now plans to take time to tell her own story.
“All through history, [when] someone else tells your story, they don’t quite get it correct,” Haddad said.
She is working on a project with fellow Minnesota writers Carolyn Holbrook and David Mura to document the history of Minnesota’s art scene in the 1990s, when many artists and arts organizations of color developed. She hopes to capture the work she and others did to advance art in their communities.
Haddad said it’s important for her to tell that story about “this important movement for the SWANA and Arab community, but also for the Twin Cities community as a whole, as a place that is unique.”
