Tatreez: Origins and Evolution as Form of Identity: This research paper traces the evolution of Tatreez, or Palestinian embroidery, as a form of identity. While scholarship on tatreez has examined elements of identity and communication, a full understanding and conceptualization of tatreez as a form of identity cannot be realized without first examining its evolution. Using ethnography and the communication theory of identity (CTI), this study examines tatreez within four layers: the personal, the enactment, the relational, and the communal, exploring the evolution of tatreez as a form of identity within these layers. This study finds that Tatreez has, through its evolution, transformed to meet practitioners’ needs, thereby strengthening its importance as a means of conveying identity. At its simplest, it reflects material culture, and at its most complex, it represents the personal, communal, and national expressions of identity.

Kaylee Homer earned a Bachelor’s in Business Administration from Temple University’s Fox School of Business in 2016, before exploring a career as an archivist. This spring, she begins her final semester in the iSchool’s MLIS program, aiming for a long career in archives and special collections. She currently works at Baker Tilly US as a business services administrative coordinator.