Arwa Mahdawi, a columnist for The Guardian, has revisited the complexities of her identity and relationship in a recent article published during Pride Month. In her piece, she reflects on her marriage to her wife, who she humorously referred to as her “pre-wife” in an earlier 2018 article. Mahdawi shed light on her personal life as a Palestinian woman married to an Ashkenazi Jew from Boston. Her observations illuminate the realities of their cross-cultural, interracial marriage.
Since her first op-ed, Mahdawi and her wife have welcomed their daughter, celebrated their marriage, and lived happily ever after. They married and she was born into their family. Charting the course of their alliance has been without bumps. Dealing with the fact that you’ve had very specific 9,742 fights about how to load the dishwasher. This beautifully produced scene portrays the seemingly mundane struggles that all married couples face.
Mahdawi’s personal journey from New York to Philadelphia has led her to explore a different cultural sea. She says that Philadelphians have a wonderful lack of fuckery, which might get you into some surprising exchanges. One such incident occurred when a crossing guard, often referred to as a “lollipop lady” in Britain, yelled at Mahdawi’s wife, flippantly questioning their relationship with the exclamation:
“HEY! ARE YOU AND THE OTHER ONE TWINS?” – The crossing guard
This candid back-and-forth is a great illustration of how powerful public perception can oversimplify relationships and paint them in black-and-white terms. Mahdawi considers this enemy, yet challenges it by proclaiming the power of her love for her spouse. She wrote,
“She is an Ashkenazi Jew from Boston; I am a Palestinian from Brixton. I am not sure if our relationship is kosher or halal, but it is 100% incest-free.” – Arwa Mahdawi
Mahdawi’s honest, often incendiary prose invites, educates, humors, and inspires readers. It encourages them to investigate the overlaps of identity, culture, and romance, especially in the context of Pride Month. Her stories are an example of how love can cross cultural barriers while shedding light on cultural undertones that accompany biracial relationships.