Thousands of Palestinian Americans from across the country gathered in the Bay Area this week for the annual Ramallah Convention, a four-day cultural celebration that brings together families with roots in Ramallah, many of them part of the Palestinian Christian diaspora.

Organized by the American Federation of Ramallah, Palestine (AFRP), the convention celebrates heritage, community, and identity while welcoming people of all faiths.

"This gathering is a testament of the existence of the people, of the Christians of Palestine," said Nader Musleh, chairman of the convention. "There's a lot of Christians there, along with Jews, and Quakers and all different kinds of backgrounds, but this particular group, a lot of Orthodox, Greek, and Catholics, have moved to this country. This convention keeps the bond going together. It shows the younger generation where their heritage comes from."

The event, which rotates annually across cities in the U.S., serves as both a reunion and a reminder of Palestine's historic diversity — especially as many Americans are unfamiliar with the Christian presence in the region.

"Nowadays, it's natural for people to ask where I'm from. I say I'm Palestinian heritage. And they 100 percent automatically assume I'm Muslim," Musleh shared. "Which doesn't bother me much, but I remind them I'm actually Christian, and they get very surprised. And I'm like, you know, Jesus Christ came from Jerusalem, so I don't understand how you assume there's no Christians over there. So I don't know what to think of it, but we keep reminding people who we are, because we coexist with everyone else, but it's good to know we can exist together."

The sound of the bagpipe echoed throughout the convention hall, a nostalgic tradition for many families, which, along with traditional food, music, and dancing, offered guests a taste of home.

California Assemblymember Matt Haney attended the convention to show support for the local Palestinian American community, particularly in light of the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

"I represent a very longstanding and dynamic Palestinian American community in San Francisco" Haney said. "They are trying to make contributions in our country, and build support for their community in the face of tremendous ignorance and discrimination in many cases, and many have also lost family members in the war in Gaza. And so, they need the support of our elected officials. And we need to stand with them. And I'm here to welcome them, support them in solidarity, and learn from them as well."

While the convention is cultural, and not political in nature, attendees took time to acknowledge the pain and suffering currently taking place in Gaza.

"Well, we pray for peace. And we live our lives here. And we support as much as we can. And we've been here for 120 years, so we're a big part of what happens here. And we are very affected by what happens back in Palestine as well. It's a part of our daily life. So we deal with it, each in our own way," Musleh said.

Coming together to share life's highs and lows, attendees say, is what has kept the Ramallah Convention going strong for more than 60 years.

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• San Francisco