Transcript for PALFEST 2009: Suheir Hammad Performs in Ramallah

I'm going to do a poem for my mom

My mom and my dad became American citizens in the 80's

And that's how I became an American citizen

And when you get your certification of naturalisation in America

We're so advanced - you know, it's height, eye colour, complexion

So my father's complexion on his paper is 'fair'

Which is not a colour

OK

Think about it

And my mother's complexion was medium

was medium

So this is for my mum, and this is to certify that my mother is now natural

Complexion- medium, certified

Not too sweet, not quite hot

Not too black, not quite white

What was so middle about her?

Hands detangled, parted and quilted thick black waves into braids

Rolled grape leaves with style and speed

Scrubbed ovens, knees and backs of ears, clean with love

Nails always look neat

But on closer inspection chipped and tug tired her voice

singing Um Kalthoum to foreign raised ears

certified citizen, natural

complexion, medium

how will hips be categorised?

childbearing? or nose? semitic?

Would your butt be your African trait?

eyes: indian. hair: mulato. tongue: Arab

Momma, you natural woman of sun, water, air

Given a nation, though no land

Palestinian woman, loss embroidered on your forehead

More than thin ass pieces of paper that could never certify your dreams

Aspirations, heartbreaks,

You can make vegans eat your lamb with relish

Rip your heart out to feed your man

you who makes rhinestone sparkle diamonds

Sequins your daughter's ears with your laugh

Memorise but didn't have dead presidents

Backwards and forwards for citizenship

A place to lay your head

But always told us, take me home when I'm dead

Woman, natural, medium, middle to nothing

Never can they certify what they don't understand