Dear Hassan,
I enjoyed meeting you and the conversation we shared over lunch last week. I look around and I see so many positives in this community of Eastern immigrants who share little or no commonality with the Western majority of this land. And yet, I also recognize so much that awaits to be done. The United States continues to evolve and change âlargely for the better. I see my role and our communityâs role as pivotal to affecting the direction of that evolution. What I mean by that is that I have long ago stopped trying to assimilate myself to an idea of what America wants me to be and have been endeavoring to change America to what I want it to be. My 22 years of military experience have taught me one very important lesson. America is a mosaic of cultures, ethnicities, races, religion and a dozen other unique characteristics. It is only when each one of these independent means of identity is unabashedly embraced, that a certain group flourishes, takes its rightful place in the patchwork of the American quilt and becomes indispensible to the greater American society. To give you an example, it is only when African-Americans embraced their African-ness and became proud of their skin color, culture, and heritage, that they gained the respect that they deserved. As Malcolm X put it, âwe cannot think of being acceptable to others until first we have proven acceptable to ourselves.â Likewise, while we have achieved great successes as a community, we cannot attain our greatest successes until we become acceptable to ourselves. To that end I seek to bring an awareness to a younger generation of Arab-Americans about our great culture, language, heritage and history because I believe that when they understand who they are, they will never feel unanchored and lost. The pride of success becomes the sole option when young men and women realize that behind them stand generations spanning centuries of great triumphs in all disciplines of life. That pride will also give them the courage to be themselves and to mold America to them rather than molding themselves into a fake image of what America expects them to be.
I look forward to taking a tour of your building and to our next get together.
Best,
Haytham Faraj, Esq.
PUCKETT & FARAJ, PC
_______________________
WASHINGTON DC METRO
The Law Firm of Puckett & Faraj, PC
1800 Diagonal Road
Suite 210
Alexandria, VA 22314
703-706-0442 Phone
202-280-1039 Fax
DETROIT METRO
313-457-1390 Phone
202-280-1039 Fax
www.puckettfaraj.com
The information contained in this electronic message is confidential, and is intended for the use of the individual or entity named above. If you are not the intended recipient of this message, you are hereby notified that any use, distribution, copying of disclosure of this communication is strictly prohibited. If you received this communication in error, please notify Puckett & Faraj, P.C. at 888-970-0005 or via a return the e-mail to sender. You are required to purge this E-mail immediately without reading or making any copy or distribution.