One Identity, Multiple Belongings

Facing History and Ourselves is a nonprofit international educational and professional development organization. Their mission is to engage students of diverse backgrounds in an examination of racism, prejudice, and antisemitism in order to promote the development of a more humane and informed citizenry. By studying the historical development of the Holocaust and other examples of genocide, students make the essential connection between history and the moral choices they confront in their own lives.

In this activity, Facing History and Ourselves invites to read a short piece from Amin Maalouf, a writer who was born in Lebanon and immigrated to France, who resists other people’s attempts to oversimplify his identity. Following the reading, educators are given a few connecting questions in order to have a discussion with the group.