About Me

Michel Shehadeh is a Palestinian American writer, activist, and former civil rights defendant in one of the longest political deportation cases in U.S. history. He grew up in Palestine and immigrated to the United States in 1975. He earned a B.A. in Journalism and a Master’s degree in Public Administration from California State University, Long Beach.

Michel was one of the Los Angeles Eight (LA8), a group of Palestinian students and community activists arrested and imprisoned for their pro-Palestinian political views. Targeted for deportation, he endured a 20-year legal battle that culminated in a landmark civil rights victory against the U.S. government. In 2007, the presiding judge dismissed the charges against Shehadeh and another LA8 member, describing the prolonged proceedings as “an embarrassment to the rule of law.”

Following the case, Michel served as Western Regional Director of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) and later as Executive Director of the Arab Film Festival in San Francisco.

A prolific writer in both English and Arabic, his work has appeared in major publications including The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle, The Bend Bulletin, Middle East Eye, Rai Al-Youm, Al Mayadeen Net, and Al-Adab Magazine.

Michel lives in Bend, Central Oregon. He is married and has two sons and three grandchildren.