Amreeka is a 2009 indie film directed by Cherien Dabis in her feature directorial debut.
In 2003, Muna (Nisreen Faour), a Palestinian Christian single mom, moves her son Fadi (Melkar Muallem) to Illinois to live with her sister Raghda (Hiam Abbass) and her family. The film chronicles Muna's struggle to provide for herself and her son, as well as the whole family's difficulties in navigating a post-9/11 America as Arab-Americans.
Not to be confused with Umrika.
Tropes in this film:
- All Muslims Are Arab: Inverted. It is assumed that Fadi and Muna are Muslim because they are Arab (specifically Palestinian). Muna has to clarify that they are Palestinian Christians, which is a Commonality Connection with Mr. Novatski, who is also from a religious minority (Jewish-American).
- Grammar Correction Gag: Fadi, a recent immigrant from the Middle East, leaves school with his cousin and finds out that someone has graffitied their car with "Al-Kada". One of them points out they didn't even spell it right.
- An Immigrant's Tale: Focuses on recent immigrants Muna and Fadi, a mother-son pair, as they adjust to moving to post-9/11 America.
- Politically Incorrect Villain: Muna and Fadi have to deal with a white high school student that refers to Fadi and his extended family as "terrorists," simply because they are Arab. Things come to a head when the Bully goes to Muna's workplace, and after making fun of them, she chases him and his friends away, which causes her to slip and fall while they walk away laughing. Later, when Fadi goes to confront the bully, they tussle on the ground with the bully yelling out: "terrorist!" Which causes the police to arrest Fadi, and hold him for questioning. It's only with the intervention of the Jewish high school principal that Fadi is let go with a warning, and the police stop any investigation for a possible terrorist connection.
- Unconfessed Unemployment: Muna pretends to work in a bank when she's actually working in the fast-food joint next door.
- Worthless Foreign Degree: No one will hire Muna despite being a highly educated woman with a lot of experience because she is a recent Palestinian immigrant. She resorts to getting a job at a fast food place.
