End of the Year Issue
By Lilith Springer
October 31, 2022
“Us Palestinians, we carry on.” Yusra’s eyes sparkle and in her tears, Mo can see the trauma that his mother has lived through since she fled Palestine and, later, Kuwait. But he also sees defiance and resilience. He sees endless love for her family and their homeland. Her tears are burning her cheeks, hot like the pride that ignites in her heart when she talks about their identity. "It is who we are."
The new Netflix special “Mo” is one of the first American television shows to portray a Palestinian-American refugee as the protagonist. Its debut season will make you cry tears of joy, but its profundity may also provoke some tears of empathy as the main character, Mo, and his family navigate the American immigration system. “Mo” is a semi-autobiographical dramedy, which may sound like a paradox. The show includes countless punchlines while also treating topics such as asylum, torture, PTSD, war, drug abuse and discrimination, all with taste and authenticity.
Mo loves his family. He loves his country, his religion and his hummus. His family was displaced from Palestine to Kuwait, where Mo was born, and was later forced to flee to America during the Gulf War. They have been waiting for a hearing to receive asylum in the United States for 20 years. The show follows Mo in his efforts to sustain his family through small, illegal jobs whenever someone is willing to employ him despite not having a work permit, which is unobtainable for foreigners without permanent resident status in the United States. Besides brilliantly sarcastic and hilarious dialogues, “Mo” features inner struggles of belonging, frustration and the feeling of frailty. “Whenever something emotional happens, we’re going to sit in it and we’re going to embrace it and we’re going to go through it. It’s very important to have those moments and let it breathe,” explains Mo Amer, creator and executive producer who plays the protagonist.
“I love Jesus, I believe in Jesus, Jesus was Palestinian.”
“Mo” highlights the role of religion in the quest for belonging, something that many of the 400,000 to 450,000 Palestinians displaced during the exodus from Kuwait during the Gulf War struggle with. The characters seek reassurance in God, may it be at home, in a Christian church or at the mosque.
“I get grazed by a bullet and I am addicted to lean. It’s a joke.”
A study carried out by the University Michigan School of Health among Arab refugees and immigrants highlights that Arab Americans reported high levels of depression and anxiety symptoms. Another British study confirms these findings, finding that up to 50% of the Palestinian refugees questioned struggle with mental health, an observation confirmed by the UNRWA.
“Mo” pays long overdue attention to this circumstance, going into the complexity of addiction and its relation to stress and mental health.
“No, not Palestine, Texas. Palestine. You know, the land of milk and honey?”
There are multiple references to the conflict, but “Mo” refrains from bringing up these political elements in a patronizing way that might alienate the audience. Rather, the sarcastic comments on the occupation, belonging and daily discrimination are conveyed in the form of jokes or witty dialogues that make you think just the right amount. The short show took a vital step towards a more authentic representation of Palestinians on Netflix and is definitely worth the watch.