Editors’ Note: Some sources in this piece are left anonymous for safety and privacy reasons. City on a Hill Press is committed to protecting the identity of these individuals.
Cultivating joy and resilience in the midst of Israel’s occupation of 60 percent of Gaza and an ethnic cleansing regime in Iran and Lebanon is vital to uplifting Arab American communities.
UC Santa Cruz student activists have and continue to participate in these efforts,
hosting an event to celebrate resistance and aiding these communities in need.
“It always feels like there’s this great distance between you and your people and homeland. Not only your physical land, but also heritage and what you call home,” said first-year Sulaf Hatab.
The second annual Celebration of Life fundraiser was held at Subrosa Community Space on May 30, hosted by UCSC’s Arab Student Union (ASU), Iranian Student Union and Armenian Student Association.
Attendees could be seen shuffling throughout the Subrosa Community Space, embracing each other, sharing laughs, making arts and crafts, and celebrating culture, keeping true to the event’s name.
About 50 guests filled the space with bustling laughter, eager to participate in an assortment of activities. Culture mixed with cultivation. Attendees through letter- writing materials to support those in Gaza, button- making and henna stations organized by board members.
Guests entertained themselves throughout the night by rotating between the henna, screen printing, letter writing, button making and rosary making stations.
Event proceeds went to Rolla Alaydi, a family friend of one of the event organizers, for his extended family in Gaza. Israel’s ongoing genocide against Palestinians has made essentials like food, medicine and clothes nearly impossible to obtain.
Cultural items, kaffiyehs, and other trinkets were being sold in order to support Alaydi’s family.
Alyadi’s family is still accepting donations, with every dollar contributing towards their basic necessities such as food, medicine and clothes.The family originally posted a GoFundMe in 2024 that was published for the past two years until being removed from the website a month ago. This nearly left Alaydi’s family without a lifeline, but they have since reestablished a platform for donations on Chuffed Crowdfunding. Alaydi is hopeful their family will be able to make up the funds lost from the previous campaign.
First-year student Hana Alkhami, who attended the event, spoke about a shift in perspective when it comes to the Arab community.
“Communities need to know that we exist and that we have a place in society, not in a way that is demeaning, but in a way that uplifts us and as well as uplifting others,” Alkhami said.
Alkhami made buttons throughout the night that expressed her pride for her Arab heritage.
Zaynab Masri, a second-year UCSC student, gave a speech about the constant catastrophes occurring in her home country of Syria, explaining how since childhood, she was “measuring life through displacement.”
Masri speaks about her experiences as an Arab American.
“I immigrated with my family from Syria when I was younger and I had a hard time adjusting,” Masri shared in an interview with City on a Hill Press. “I never really felt like I fit in. Navigating America felt like a solo journey at times, especially when it came to college.”
By the time Masri finished sharing her story, the comforting aroma of falafel, chicken shawarma and manakish filled the air. Attendees piled their plates with savory bites, along with homemade desserts such as baklava, roz bil laban and sukseh.
Attendees could be seen enjoying their meals while sharing stories and laughs, maintaining the event’s mission of building community amid turmoil.
After breaking bread with one another, participants were encouraged to share their own viewpoints on the adversities faced throughout Southwest Asia and North Africa, often through personal anecdotes and historical context.
The first speaker began with an account of Iran’s current regime, given its current conflicts with the U.S. They mentioned how the state operated prior to the newly elected Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, citing the drastic changes the nation underwent with waves of nationalism and uprisings.
A speech on Palestine featured a viewing of Rafeef Ziadah’s slam poetry “We Teach Life, Sir,” which reminded the audience how, despite the hardships Palestinians face today, they still teach love in high spirits. 
Audience members listen to Ziadah’s reading of her poem, “We Teach Life, Sir.”,
After the speeches concluded, Achkar described the speeches as not just informative, but also emotional.
Numerous speeches from students discussed the unique experiences of Arab -Americans and the struggles of the Southwest Asian region.
“Hearing people’s testimonials and their personal experiences with being Arab American in America, or immigrating to America, is really beautiful and also hard to hear, but it was nice that they had the platform to do that,” she said.
Following the heartfelt speeches was a traditional Levantine folk dance, Dabke, performed by members of ASU. The audience roared in applause as the dancers stomped their feet to the beat.
A lively performance of Dabke kept guests entertained as the night came to an end.
“There are so many ways one can represent and advocate for your people into your culture,” Sulaf Hatab said. “Being loud and sharing our heritage with other people … is our way of representing it.”
