Making Home with Olive Oil: Palestinian Food in Mo

This essay explores the humanizing role of food, particularly olive oil, in the Palestinian Netflix comedy series, Mo. Through a discussion of different scenes depicting olive oil throughout the series, the article argues that food serves to render Palestinians more legible to Western audiences, while also highlighting realities about life in the diaspora for Palestinians. Through wit and olive oil, the audience is drawn to engage with the tribulations of diaspora Palestinians trying to make a living, to seek asylum, and to remain connected to the Palestinian homeland.