Bridgeview, Illinois – Robhi Gharallah stands outside his local mosque in a suburb of Chicago, noting that Israel’s war in Gaza is on everyone’s mind in the neighborhood. “We pray. We protest. We raise funds. We do everything we can for Gaza,” said Gharallah after Friday prayers. However, he and his neighbors face uncertainty in the upcoming presidential election process. “We are American citizens, and we want to vote, but we don’t know for whom. Whether you vote for one or the other, it’s the same,” he added.

Gharallah lives in Bridgeview, which is part of Cook County and known as Chicago’s “Little Palestine,” where approximately 22,518 Palestinian Americans reside. The community boasts a strong cultural and business presence in the area, yet many feel politically marginalized.

At the recently held Democratic National Convention in Chicago, there was a palpable sense of frustration over the apparent neglect of Palestinian rights. Kamala Harris, who accepted the nomination for the presidential position, promised in her speech to continue military support for Israel, which led some local community activists to criticize the absence of Palestinian voices on stage.

Jinan Chehade, a 26-year-old attorney and protest organizer, expressed her concern regarding the “moral apathy” among Democrats as they celebrated Harris, despite ongoing bombings affecting Palestinian civilians. “It’s important that we bring people together and remind them that this is not normal,” she stated from a café in Bridgeview.

The area is rich in Palestinian culture. At the café, paintings of Palestinian victims hang on the walls, and there is even a map made of coffee beans representing historic Palestine. For many in Bridgeview, being Palestinian is more than just an identity; it is a constant political state where they strive to raise awareness about the situation in Gaza.

Mohammad Numan, who works in digital media, expressed: “These are people. They have dreams. They want to live. So we stand with them until the end.” Many Palestinian Americans in the area have vowed not to support any politicians who do not uphold Palestinian human rights.

It is noted that while Chicago is a Democratic stronghold, the influence of the Palestinian diaspora feels limited compared to Arab Americans in Michigan, who have a larger ability to sway election outcomes.

With political tensions rising as the election approaches, there is increasing concern among Palestinian Americans in Chicago. What was once a quiet support for their culture has transformed into an active resistance against the violence and injustice in their homeland.

“These coming months I see as a political dark period,” concluded Nader Ihmoud, editor of Palestine in America. As protests continue both locally and nationally, it is clear that the Palestinian community in Chicago is determined to fight for their rights and visibility in the political landscape.