The story follows the experiences and predicaments of Arab Americans after the 9/11 terror attack. The author, Moustafa Bayoumi, narrates tales of seven young people of Arab descent. The seven are Akram, Yasmin, Lina, Rami, Omar, Sami, and Rasha. Americans of Arab descent feel that the government and other communities perceive them as the root cause of the terror attack. As a result, they are marginalized and discriminated against due to their ethnicity. Many families of Arab descent experienced arbitrary arrests and oppression during the time. Whether in workplaces or schools, these young men and women faced discrimination in a nation filled with abhorrence for terrorists.
Immediately after the 9/11 attacks, Arab Americans experienced challenges that ranged from discrimination to being incarcerated without having committed any offense. People of other religious faiths associated the Arab community in the U.S with violence. Young Arab Americans like Omar, Rami, Yasmin, and Rasha experience isolation from the people around them. In short, they are treated with suspicion. In workplaces, people of Arab descent are perceived as enemies rather than colleagues. For instance, Sami is called a terrorist by his fellow soldiers. Omar worries about getting formal employment due to his background. Bayoumi spur readers to perceive people of Arab descent as just law-abiding citizens rather than viewing them as a problem.
