America doesn’t recognize that I exist. Let me explain.

"Kouther" is a common name amongst Muslim girls, primarily Arabs, with a multitude of spellings depending on the region. Kawthar is the name of a river in Heaven in the Quran. ‘K-o-u-t-h-e-r’ is the unique way my parents chose to spell the name. It was my grandmother's, chosen by my father and cherished by my mother, as it was her mother’s name he chose.

Not Koko, Kosher, or Kroger. Kouther. My name is an abundant proportion of my identity; I am an Arab, Muslim, Palestinian girl. Four of my identities, and the major ones at that, are known, just by etymology. 

The name Kawthar (from Al-Kawthar) is derived from the Quran (the Holy Book of Islam). Kawthar is a river in Heaven symbolizing an abundance of blessings and goodness, aligning with a central theme in the Quran, emphasizing God's limitless blessings for the faithful (Quran, 108:1). Al-Kawthar means The Abundance, the title of a chapter in the Quran, and despite its name, it is the shortest chapter (Quran 108:1). This brevity serves as a reminder that abundance is achieved through the accumulation of the little things we do daily. I’d like to think I live this way, prioritizing long-term success through daily habits over permanent regret for temporary ease.

In the American context, my name, Kouther, is not popular at all, and its pronunciation is a despised miscreant receiving a life sentence for existing. Even attempts at the "proper" (American) pronunciation can mangle the name, but it is what I grew up with, and well, this is America. Toleration and equality are synonymous. 

Toleration is not acceptable. You see, when you take away the name of the land, you take away the identity of not only those living there but the hundreds of thousands living everywhere else. 

America doesn’t recognize Palestine exists. And therefore, America doesn’t recognize that I exist.