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Lost in translation between Levant Arabs in the Gulf who registered
Iranian families in the 1950s, our family name was Arabisized to Marwan, which is typically Lebanese or Syrian, and a very Sunni name. It makes me feel even more stigmatized in Kuwait. It feels so far from my family history, in a
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ethnic group. In the 1950s, her family name was lost in translation during census registration. Her mother has
Kuwaiti citizenship. Her father was born stateless despite having Kuwaiti family members. She immigrated to
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in
Languages and Literature, with a minor in Flamenco Dance and History as well as a minor in Philosophy. She also studied the visual arts in
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500:"Immigration, Family and Finding Home: Interview with debut picture book author/illustrator Zahra Marwan"
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81:. She has won various international awards and fellowships. Her debut book received critical acclaim.
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for creating art that brings visibility to statelessness, indigenous groups, and minority rights.
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place where people often earn respect, class, mobility, and social status from family kin.
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299:"Between Two Deserts: Visual Vignettes from an Iranian-Kuwaiti Bidoon in New Mexico"
518:"The 2022 New York Times/New York Public Library Best Illustrated Children's Books"
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is an
American artist and writer. Her work mainly focuses on her early life as a
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342:"EVENT: Statelessness, watercolours & ink – Zahra Marwan – An MRG Sofa Talk"
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379:"Watercolors in the Desert: Artist Zahra Marwan on painting her own story"
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324:"Stateless at Home: The Kuwaiti-American Artist Zahra Marwan"
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432:"Zahra Marwan brings watercolors, whimsy to her art"
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393:"Always Leaving: A Photo Essay by Zahra Marwan"
485:"Art at a Distance: Stories with Zahra Marwan"
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221:written by Jamal Saeed and Jordan Scott, 2025
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150:and a Dilys Evans Founders Award from the
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146:'s Best Books of 2022. She also won the
142:'s 10 Best Illustrated Books as well as
110:. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from the
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148:Ezra Jack Keats Honor for Illustration
604:American children's book illustrators
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157:She was honored with an award by the
106:at the age of 16. She graduated from
614:Writers from Albuquerque, New Mexico
609:Artists from Albuquerque, New Mexico
498:Debbie Ridpath Ohi (29 March 2022).
102:as a child and eventually became an
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338:Minority Rights Group International
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599:American people of Iranian descent
594:American people of Kuwaiti descent
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589:Kuwaiti people of Iranian descent
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215:written by Katherine Arden, 2024
629:University of New Mexico alumni
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411:"Zahra Marwan Shares Her Story"
305:from the original on 2021-02-25
194:Sakina and the Uninvited Guests
134:in March 2022 and named one of
89:Marwan was born in Kuwait to a
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297:Ajam Media Collective (2018).
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227:written by Zeshan Akhter, 2025
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176:Where Butterflies Fill the Sky
128:Where Butterflies Fill the Sky
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359:Zahra Marwan (24 June 2020).
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284:"Like Orcas and Tangerines"
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52:Artist, illustrator, writer
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159:UN Human Rights Commission
16:American artist and writer
200:Soft Sea Rain and Spirits
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219:My Sister the Apple Tree
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126:Her debut picture book,
112:University of New Mexico
361:"Circumstantially Free"
225:Haniya's Ramadan Garden
152:Society of Illustrators
140:New York Public Library
450:Bright Agency (2022).
170:Author and illustrator
108:Rio Rancho High School
564:Her Instagram account
93:Shia family from the
559:Her official website
538:Macmillan Publishers
483:Harwood Art Center.
340:(23 November 2023).
77:and an immigrant in
428:Albuquerque Journal
409:(1 February 2023).
407:New Mexico Magazine
188:Fishermans New Year
130:, was published by
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514:The New York Times
466:Tamarind Institute
136:The New York Times
282:(27 March 2022).
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71:stateless person
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381:. 26 June 2021.
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67:Zahra Marwan
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60:2015–present
23:Zahra Marwan
207:Illustrator
39:Citizenship
573:Categories
309:2021-02-28
249:References
100:New Mexico
85:Early life
79:New Mexico
91:stateless
516:(2022).
303:Archived
232:See also
238:Bedoon
202:, 2025
196:, 2025
190:, 2025
184:, 2024
178:, 2022
122:Career
116:France
75:Kuwait
33:Kuwait
346:Event
165:Works
95:Ajam
29:Born
144:NPR
73:in
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.