The Palestinian in Diaspora

Pitner, Julia

Publication

The Palestinian in Diaspora

Pitner, Julia

Abstract

There were several things I was interested in learning. First, I wanted to examine individual Palestinian views to compare them with what the Palestinian leadership states in representing them. Also, I wanted to discover how the Palestinians outside of the Occupied Territories feel about a Palestinian nation its leadership, and the leadership's goals. Second, I wanted to learn about the socialization and politicalization process of Palestinians because most Palestinians under thirty living in Diaspora have never seen Palestine let alone lived there. I was interested in how these young Palestinians have come to relate so strongly to a land they have never seen and how Palestinian history is passed on to them. Third, I want to examine two statements I have repeatedly seen in scholarly wrks on Palestinians: 1) That education is extremely important to the Palestinians because it helps them move up the social ladder; and 2) That Palestiniane as a nation did not exist until the expulsion in 1948 and that this expulsion created the Palestinian nation (nation as different from a state which requires territory). Finally, I wanted to find out how Palestinians view themselves in this Diaspora.