Batoul Ballout
I immigrated to the United States from Lebanon with my family at age nineteen. Lebanon is a country that has seen conflict, violence, and war within my lifetime. I depict personal experiences related to my identity, belonging, and immigration as a Muslim female in the United States. Muslims are often seen as terrorists in the US media and have been marginalized since 9/11. The rise of white nationalism within the current global political climate has made it more dif cult to identify as a Muslim and a new immigrant. I use self-portraiture as a vehicle for storytelling to portray what it looks like to embody the racist’s nightmare.