Comedian Adam Hmada’s sitcom The Sultans of Queens redefines Arab-American life with fresh humour

In a world where Islamophobia and racism are on the rise, audiences are in need of a good laugh.

Enter stand-up comedian Adam Hmada, who has created a new sitcom in hopes of changing the way we see the Arab-American communities around us.

Sometimes, in the face of so much grief and hardship, comedy can be the thing to get you through it. Such was the experience of Adam, who entered stand-up comedy shortly after suddenly losing both of his parents at the young age of 17.

A Brooklyn native, Adam had early memories of watching sitcoms with his parents, and now he’s on a mission to create one that will help other Arab-Americans like him feel seen.

Titled The Sultans of Queens, the sitcom follows an Arab-American family, the Sultans, as they “navigate the absurdities and misadventures of everyday life in Queens, New York,” according to the series’ logline.

From the materials we have seen, the series is part Ramy, part King of Queens, providing audiences with a much-needed sitcom-style show about Arabs that isn’t soaked in stereotypes or racist caricatures, which was important for Adam.

Like many in his community, he grew up on television which made him not want to identify with his own culture.

“I didn't feel like I wanted to be Arab, because a lot of what I was seeing when it pertained to our culture or our people was so negative and so detrimental to our social image," Adam tells The New Arab.

"I remember the impact it had on me — I remember how sensitive I was to bullying, about being Arab and Muslim. And this was growing up in Brooklyn, New York, one of the most diverse cities in America.”

So, he sought to create a piece of art that was more representative of his own community. 

For those wondering what cultures they can expect to be represented in The Sultans of Queens, Adam himself is half Algerian, half Egyptian, but the cultural heritage of his fictional family has yet to be hammered down in this work-in-progress.

“[They’re] definitely North African. I was thinking Egyptian or Moroccan,” he explains.

While the show is very loosely based on his own life, Adam wanted to create a show that could represent a broader set of experiences in the Arab-American community.

“There's a Palestinian character in the first episode, and there are various other nationalities also represented. I didn't want to get too caught up in distinguishing a certain region," he explains. 

“Obviously there are very distinct cultural differences when it comes to various regions within the MENA world, but I think with the current state of the world, our unification is so important."

Adam adds, "I didn't want to get too caught up on whether they're this or that, I really wanted anybody to watch this show and feel like they were being represented directly.” 

In the end, The Sultans of Queens aims to help bring communities together and make people laugh during one of the worst election periods in recent history.

“I wanted to make an entertaining piece of art that you could sit down with, and enjoy and laugh until your sides hurt. And I think that I did accomplish that," he says.

"As much as I want to make meaningful work, I also want to do my job as a comedian and entertainer and entertain and make people laugh. And this project does just that. I think if people watch that, that will be apparent.”

The project is currently raising funds for filming, which you can support on their Kickstarter page here.

Tariq Raouf is a Palestinian-American Muslim writer, based in Seattle

Follow them on X: @tariq_raouf