Iraqi American, Yasmin Younis, Reaffirms Her Arab Identity at Boston University Commencement
Boston University commencement speaker, Yasmin Younis
Compiled by Arab America
At the 145th Commencement of Boston University on May 20th, Iraqi American, Yasmin Younis, 22, proudly spoke to over 27,000 graduates and guests about her Arab identity.
In an interview with BU Today, Younis spoke about growing up in Missouri and being referred to as “that Arab girl,” and being mocked by classmates who commonly referred to her as a terrorist.
“It kind of made me hate myself,” Younis told BU Today, recalling her humiliation regarding her family’s Muslim religion and skin color. “The person I am now is very different. I’m very comfortable with who I am.”
Regarding her experiences at Boston University to re-explore who she was and to re-examine her Arab identity, Younis told BU Today, “I was getting to meet a lot of other people who are like-minded, people who might not be Muslim or Arab, but who were part of a first-generation family or persons of color,” she stated. “That really helped me.”
Younis said she will continue to seek ways to help people understand Arab culture, “Now all I really ever talk about is being Iraqi and being Muslim,” Younis told BU Today. “I can’t even imagine being ashamed anymore.”
She became an activist with the Black Lives Matter movement when she was a student in her hometown of St. Louis, Missouri. It was during that period Younis realized that an Arab or Muslim of any color could face similar treatment by the police.
At the conclusion of her speech, Younis enthusiastically repeated that “Black Lives Matter” and “Free Palestine.”
See her commencement speech here: