My father is Lebanese and my mother is Moroccan, and I resonated more with the latter identity. In fact, I nearly erased my Lebanese roots, only introducing myself as Moroccan when needed. My relationship with my absent father consequently affected my perception of my name. As such, I attempted to distance myself from anything that connected me to that part of my heritage. When speaking Arabic, I exclusively used Moroccan dialect. During cultural events, I only wore Moroccan attire. When introducing myself, I was only Moroccan. 

This worked within my American communities, no one knew the meaning of my name. However, amongst North Africans, my Middle Eastern surname stuck out like a sore thumb. “So then why is your last name Jomaa?” I was commonly asked by fellow Moroccans, after I conveniently omitted my Middle Eastern heritage. Every time, I wished I carried my mother’s surname, one so unmistakably North African no one could question it. But no matter how much I disliked it, I was stuck with Jomaa and despite my efforts to cast away an entire part of my identity, it continued to follow me (spoiler alert: it’s pretty hard to run away from yourself). And so, the inevitable, “Well, I’m actually half Lebanese,” explanation would ensue. 

It wasn’t until much later in life, only recently really, that I truly embraced my name, and, with it, my Lebanese identity. For so long, I let my relationship with my father dictate how I felt about my heritage,

wanting to cast it away as he did to me. Over time, I came to learn of how much of a disservice hiding my name was to my community, how many connections and experiences I tossed aside out of resentment, and most importantly, the disservice I did to myself.  I never realized how much of a privilege it is to carry a name so rich in cultural significance and to have that instant sense of community when recognizing someone else of similar culture. 

Today, I couldn’t imagine not being a Jomaa. Though it took time, I take pride in my surname, as was intended from the beginning. Being Middle Eastern is a huge part of my identity, one I no longer hide. I claim my last name as uniquely mine, and for that, I am grateful.

Works Cited: 

“Jomaa Surname Origin, Meaning & Last Name History.” Forebears, Forebears, forebears.io/surnames/jomaa. Accessed 10 Feb. 2025. 

“Jomaa - Islam Boy Name Meaning and Pronunciation” Ask Oracle, https://www.ask-oracle.com/baby-name/jomaa/. Accessed 16 Feb. 2025. 

“Top 10 Baby Names of 2023.” U.S. SSA Baby Name Database, U.S. Social Security Administration, 2023,.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/. Accessed 16 Feb. 2025.