Identity, Otherness and Diaspora in Suheir Hammad's Poetics

Objectives: This paper investigates the notions of identity, otherness and diaspora in the Palestinian-American poet Suheir Hammad's poetry. It clarifies how Suheir Hammad is recognized for her influential voice and examination of themes linked with displacement and cultural belonging. Through a close reading of selected poems by Hammad, this study intends to explain the poetics of identity creation and conciliation in her work, showing how she struggles with the multilayered aspects of being an "other" in governing discourses. Methods: The present study employs Frantz Fanon's notions of identity, otherness, and diaspora, as theorized in his two books Black Skin, White Masks (1952) and The Wretched of the Earth (1961), to be the methodological tools for examining Suheir Hammad's poetry. Results: Throughout the study of Suheir Hammad's poetry in the light of Frantz Fanon's notions of identity, otherness, and diaspora, the findings demonstrate that Hammad' poetry gives emphasis to the continuing implication of Palestinians struggle in an inventive and critical engagement with questions of identity and difference. Her poetry depicts the real experiences of Palestinians struggling with exile, cultural displacement, and the effects of war and conflict, which reflect Fanon's examination of the mental and social impacts of colonialism. Conclusions: To conclude, relying on Fanon's notions of identity, otherness, and diaspora, Hammad's poetry provides a rich basis for reviewing how poetry can serve as a tool for discussing multilayered notions of identity. Through her influential and reminiscent poetry, Hammad challenges stereotypes, defies dominant narratives, and describes the realities of demoted communities.