Self-censorship is the act of suppressing one’s identity, often out of fear of prejudice, ostracism, or punishment. It is an intimate and familiar component of the Palestinian experience.
For decades, Palestinians in the diaspora have learned to strategize how and to whom they identify to limit abuse and to preserve personal, academic, and professional prospects.
Predictably, this phenomenon leads to devastating and long-lasting consequences.
Palestinians may feel safer withholding valuable skills, leadership experiences, and important qualifications related to Palestine.
This causes them to appear underqualified, unaccomplished, and less remarkable than they truly are.
Palestinians who face ridicule or retribution for expressing their heritage may feel compelled to self-censor in the future.
This discourages celebration of Palestine’s rich culture and history, and allows discrimination towards Palestinians to continue unchecked.
Although self-censorship can be a form of self-preservation, it reflects the deep-rooted discrimination and barriers to success faced by Palestinians.
This phenomenon remains largely unreported and underexplored – for many of the same reasons Palestinians feel compelled to self-censor.
