Oral History Records and Their Contribution to the Question of Identity: The Case of the Arab American Community in the United States

This paper discusses the topic of hyphenated identity as it pertains to the Arab American community in central Ohio, U.S.A. It aims at highlighting the experiences of this minority group and bringing them to the forefront as knowledge creators. The paper focuses on creating and carefully analyzing a digital cultural record of Arab American voices. The paper uses the methodology of digital oral history to answer the following questions: (1) how digital oral history projects can help us understand individuals with hyphenated identities; (2) what factors shape the Arab American identity, and (3) what common practices are used by this group to balance preserving their identity and heritage, while integrating within White American culture.