Afrah Abdulkader is an Arab-American woman who was born in Baghdad, Iraq. Raised by political activists, her family moved to Kuwait when she was only three months old. At 30 years old, she emigrated to the United States. She discusses her work as a survivor advocate and the many lessons she’s learned doing that work. Afrah emphasizes the importance of caring for others, remembering your culture, and treating people with kindness. This interview discusses topics such as Arab immigration, culture, domestic violence, abuse survivors, and advocacy.
Afrah and Hannah met through Ramah of the Majdal Center. Although not affiliated with the center, Ramah knew Afrah because of her work for the Arab community in El Cajon where the Majdal Center is located. Due to conflicting schedules, the oral history had to be conducted virtually.
This interview is conducted by via Zoom by Hannah Drake, a first year History & Ethnic Studies double major at UCSD who is interested in social justice and becoming an educator in the future.
