Najla Said grew up in New York City, confused and conflicted about her cultural background and identity. The fact that her father was the famous intellectual and outspoken Palestinian advocate Edward Said only made things more complicated. Born a Palestinian Lebanese American, she grew up first as a WASP, then a teenage Jew, essentially denying her true roots. However, the attacks on the World Trade Center, and some of the ways in which Americans responded, finally forced Said her to see herself and her passions more clearly.