#Lost judgment fleeing overnight skin
#Lost judgment fleeing overnight series

You speak Spanish pretty fluently to me and at least a couple of three dialects of English, too, right?ĪMER: Absolutely.

#Lost judgment fleeing overnight series

And I can tell from the series that you speak obviously Arabic.

#Lost judgment fleeing overnight skin

And when people first met you, I mean, given your skin color, they probably assumed you were Mexican American. I mean, I know this feels like a juxtaposition and kind of, like, two worlds that should be colliding, but I feel very much at home with those two worlds.ĭAVIES: Right. But, yeah, I definitely identify as a Texan Palestinian. It's very interesting how that works, that naturally and organically it just comes together that way. And you really start putting yourself in other people's shoes almost immediately to be, like, more relatable and understood. I mean, I definitely identify as Palestinian American, but I - you know, it's one of those things that as a refugee-asylee in America, someone that's trying to fit in and feel like - have some kind of sense of belonging, you kind of become a chameleon. You kind of have more than one identity, don't you?ĪMER: That's really interesting you say that. Mo Amer, welcome to FRESH AIR.ĭAVIES: I got to tell you, I struggled a little bit when I was writing your introduction because I feel like if I describe you as Palestinian, that doesn't quite capture the Mo Amer I see in your stuff. It's called 'Mo,' and it premieres tomorrow on Netflix. He's performed in 27 countries on five continents, had two Netflix comedy specials, co-starred in the Hulu series 'Ramy,' and he stars in a new TV series based on his own life, which he co-created, co-produced and co-wrote. He's like, you're weird, dude.ĪMER: Why do you talk like that? And that was my teacher, you know? It was a very, very.ĭAVIES: Mo Amer grew up in Houston, got into comedy, and, well, it's worked out. What language are you speaking? All of a sudden, this other dude just rolls up out of nowhere. I'm like - I had a hint of a British accent? I'm like, sorry. And they put me in ESL class, which is English as a second language class, and I was the only guy that spoke English in the class.ĪMER: I walk in, all the kids are like, (speaking Spanish). MO AMER: I went to a really nice, private British English school in Kuwait, and then we migrated to Houston, Texas. (SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, 'THE DAILY SHOW WITH TREVOR NOAH') There, as he explained to Trevor Noah on 'The Daily Show,' things were different. He's Palestinian, but he grew up in Kuwait, where his family enjoyed a comfortable life until he was 9, when the first Gulf War forced his family to flee to the United States in 1991. My guest, Mo Amer, is a comedian who brings a unique voice to his performances, rooted in his unusual background. I'm Dave Davies, in for Terry Gross, who's off this week.