Growing up as an Arab-American around the holidays was particularly confusing; you would be surprised at how well tabbouleh and turkey go together and pumpkin baklawa was a family favorite. We never got a tree or presents, but were allowed to decorate inside the house. Dad was always quick to remind us that Santa didn’t exist. As crushing as this should have been to a seven year-old child, it was pretty standard in our a-typical multi-cultural household.
I grew up with a global perspective on several things: language, religion, culture, politics and justice systems. My dad’s brother was shot in Israel for participating in a demonstration while my mom’s brother was put in jail in California for tax evasion. I always wondered, where is the balance?
That is why theme of the 2015 Justice Conference really hits home for me; it is complex, provocative and explores the fragile relationship between incarceration, rehabilitation, and psychological services in our justice system. I plan to use the things I learn from the conference to start a dialogue in my local community about the efficiency of our justice system and how architecture informs it. After all, I’m always up for challenging the status quo.