The Portrayal of Egyptians and the American University in Cairo
The release of the Egyptian film a southern Egyptian at the American university not only brought chuckles to may Egyptians by representing the depth of their backward but also portrayed peak of the westernized modernity. The film portrays Egyptians are as dumb but honest, good-natured but naive and noble but quick when it comes to revenge.
Backward, poor, having a heavily accented speech, lack of basic technologies and hustling everywhere in order to survive is the representation of Egyptians in many movies, novels, and television.
On the other hand, the American university in Cairo is a peak of academic excellence representing social responsibility and wealth but also elitism, loss of authenticity and westernization. AUC being a major private university in Egypt its responsibility is to create a place in the global market for the country yet the largest number of student is out of reach.
Khalaf one of the characters in the film plays the role of AUC student where he had to change to fit in he wears imported polo shirts and jeans, talk with girls or women often and enjoy the pleasures of the rich class. Through this, his fellow colleagues accept him but he drops his lifestyle and adopts that of his fellows. In the film, Khalaf is able to cope up with westernization and balance with his authenticity as an Egyptian by clearly defining the limits of cosmopolitanism.
This paper addresses how Egyptians negotiate their identity at the American university in Cairo.
The Role of Indexical Signs in Negotiating Identity
Due to the westernization, many use people indexical signs mapping themselves to communities. As one embraces globalization and modernity through identifying limits of westernization, the process involves daily articulations through dress, narrative, social intercourse, consumption, and other daily practices. People tend to draw these values and symbols from consumer culture and media.
In Cairo, many families invest heavily to acquire social capital becoming members of the global multicultural class by constructing these identities by linking themselves to specific types of persons. This is through indexes such as accents, languages, tastes, and fashions indicate where each category of people is from available in different countries but made possible by globalization. These commodified forms are only for those who can afford them. Those who cannot afford these commodities have no option but to stick with authenticity by learning how to manage multicultural pressures.
The Challenges of Westernized Identities
It is hard to adopt multicultural styles and ways and still claim to be Arab or an Egyptian. May students in AUC find it hard coming up with the pressure where some want to lighten their hair, wear international clothes, wear makeup and tinted contacts. This is to fit in avoiding criticism from others without noting that one is losing their true self in the process.
Most students show mixed feelings when it comes to the westernized identities they have constructed. They are caught in the middle of the American inflected multicultural providing their expensive education, western and the desire to remain authentic. The implementation of Islamic renewal and familial nationalism strategies have turned out to be difficult or not fully successful.
Due to the increase of multicultural in Egypt, most students have opted to find the limits of their westernized multiculturalism not in the country but rather in the modern form of Islam. The only solution in creating a moral modernity is offering a stylish authenticity where every multicultural Muslim can adapt to help one manage the limits of localization and trace back their authenticities rooting their identities.
Due to the transnational veils and limits of authenticity, most women in AUC are managing the balance between the westernization in the university and other new forms of religious from the global Islamic world. The main challenge for the Egyptian cosmopolitans in search of the limits of their authenticity is that one is not even sure of his/her authenticity in the first place.
