THE MIX ISSUE STARRING SIMI & HAZE

WB: Tell us about your Palestinian heritage and how that has influenced your life and what you do?

HAZE: Being Palestinian, I feel like, from a very young age, gave us a profound sense of identity and connection to justice struggles around the world and the fight against colonialism and oppression. And when you’re aware of that from a very young age, you kind of grow up knowing that you can’t just stand by when you see injustice. And it kind of shapes how you see the world, because you learn that every struggle against oppression is connected to your own, and you feel more of a responsibility to stay awake and an urgency to do something about it.

SIMI: Edward Said had a word for seeing the world from two different awarenesses — as an exile, as someone who’s Palestinian — and I really connected with that, that most people are principally aware of one culture and one setting, one home, while exiles are aware of at least two. So there’s this sort of plurality of vision, where you’re seeing from more than one place at once, which inherently gives you a deeper understanding of truth and the distortion of it. And the truth is that Palestinians, just like any other people, deserve freedom, dignity, and full recognition of their humanity. And I just know for sure that that’s not a radical position.

WB: You’ve been outspoken in your advocacy for Palestine, meanwhile the climate for pro-Palestinians in the U.S. right now sounds terrifying. How are you feeling about that? How are you navigating?

SIMI: It’s definitely a heightened moment we’re living in. Although none of this is new, it’s just happening at a much more magnified and accelerated rate. And what has been beautiful, though, is seeing so many people really do their due diligence, their research, learn about what’s happening through literature and through primary sources, instead of listening to just what’s on the news. And I think there’s just so much hope in mine and the younger generation as well. So I find that really uplifting and encouraging.

WB: It seems like the majority of people in the U.S. are opposed to what’s happening in Palestine, but the administration is silencing people. Social media seems to be silencing people also. In a world where social media is such an integral part of life, how are you navigating that?

HAZE: We used to speak out about human rights every day online, but over time, I feel like it became overwhelming, kind of like managing another full-time job, emotionally and mentally. So eventually, and sort of naturally, we decided to redirect that energy into something tangible: helping children coming out of conflict zones access trauma-sensitive education. And it felt like the most grounded and fulfilling way to make an impact.

WB: I know you mentioned the Starbucks boycott. Do you feel like people are getting behind those movements in the U.S.?

SIMI: I think the BDS movement is really important because it represents a refusal to be complicit in injustice. And I think it’s just empowering to be able to connect your daily choices to a broader fight for justice. And historically, like in South Africa, the BDS movement helped isolate the apartheid regime internationally, while in the beginning, people dismissed it and said it was ineffective.

HAZE: We also get that it’s hard to boycott everything that is connected, but where you can make those concessions, I feel like it’s always worth it.

WB: LA is such a focal place for the world, through cinema, music, culture. Do you think pro-Palestinian voices in LA are being heard?

HAZE: LA might be the furthest place from the reality of the situation in Palestine. So the fact that people who may have never heard of Palestine before are now doing research and asking questions is not only progress but a sign of just awakening and a major shift.

SIMI: It shows that people are confronted with a huge amount of undeniable evidence, they’re also being forced to question the stereotypes of Arabs that have been perpetuated by Hollywood and media. And for the first time, they’re moving beyond those superficial narratives and really just beginning to engage with a more objective and truthful deeper understanding.