Arab-Americans

Samantha LombardKaterina PappasAnna Massefski

When did the first wave of Arabs come to the US? Why did they come?

1857 – 1920 Left behind food shortages,

stagnant economies, as well as political and religious repression – Ottoman Empire

Attracted to educational opportunities; colleges and universities

Where did they go?Birmingham, AlabamaBoston, MassachusettsBrooklyn, New YorkDetroit, MichiganJacksonville, Florida

What type of work did the Arab-Americans do upon coming to the US?

Stitchers, cutters, pressersAvoided factory working and

instead opened up neighborhood retail stores, grocery stores, confectionary shops, bakeries, coffee houses, and dry goods stores

What were the differences in Arab immigration from 1920-1960?The first wave in 1920economic

competition from Japan forced poor, uneducated Arabs to come to the US

During early 1900s, 95,000 Greater Syrians came◦By 1924, about 200,000 Arabs had

immigratedThen the US passed anti-

immigration lawsThe stream of immigrants slowed

What were the differences in Arab immigration from 1920-1960? cont.When the Immigration Act was

repealed in 1940, the numbers increased

The second wave was mainly students seeking to avoid the conflicts in the Middle East◦More financially secure than the first

wave◦More Muslims

What was the Eugenics attitude toward Arabs?The 1924 Immigration Act limited

the number of immigrants from the Middle East to 400 a year◦Over 50,000 German immigrants

were coming in at this point◦Indicates that Eugenics disliked

ArabsJoseph Howar, an Arab

immigrant, was told by fellow passengers to change his name before reaching America

“No immigration officer,” they told him, “would allow a Muslim to enter the United States.”

What was the social reception for Arab immigrants?Immigrants came over

uneducated, not knowing English or America’s customs◦There were no consuls to help them

Many became peddlers (travelling salesmen)

People trying to end immigration succeeded in slowing down immigration ◦They claimed that Arabs were:

“Un-American, had cultures that did not fit with American culture, were more likely to be criminal and poor, and did not understand the American political system.”

Can they practice their religion freely?Official policy is freedom of

religion, but since 9/11, and even before, Muslims have had stereotypes and discrimination against them

Americans misunderstand many Muslim customs◦Head coverings of women

Some say they denigrate women The reality is that they are supposed to

free them

Can they practice their religion freely? cont.Muslim children stand out for

being different◦Islam forbids hanging out at malls

and dating, so not doing these normal teenage activities makes Muslims conspicuous

◦Sticking out in high school is always dangerous, and add the impact of 9/11 to that; Muslim children are sometimes bullied and pressured by their peers

“Most Muslims either accept the restrictions or stop practicing Islam.”

What are examples of institutionalized discrimination?Airport security racial profilingPatriot Act Not specifically

against Arabs, but ends up being that way

Popular movies, such a Aladdin contain stereotypes and generalizations about Arabs

Sometimes these biases infect schools and teachers, too◦Some teachers are openly hostile

“Your people are enemies of the United States.”

Malal Omar remembers: We were both good starters. But we didn’t wear the usual basketball shorts and short sleeves that the other players wore when we played…When we went out on the court, [the coach] said, ‘Come to the sidelines, what are you doing there?’ At first he didn’t play us.”

Where do Arab-Americans primarily live in the US now?

• Urban areas• Currently live in all fifty states • 1/3 of Arab-Americans live in

California, Michigan, and New York• 1/3 live in Illinois, Maryland,

Massachusetts, New Jersey, Ohio, Texas, and Virginia

• Highest populated Arab-American cities are Los Angeles, Detroit, Manhattan, Chicago, and Washington DC

After 9/11 what social challenges did Arab-Americans face?

• Many Muslims are afraid of being harassed, hurt, and discriminated against because they share the religion of Islam with terrorist organizations led by Osama bin Laden

• 56% of Muslims think most other Muslims want to adopt the American way of life; 33% of the general public agrees

• Kicked off airplanes because of how they look

• Mosques, places of worship have been vandalized around the world

• After hate crimes spiked in the months following 9/11, they’ve dropped by thirty-one percent from 2002 through 2009

Attractions in America-Seeking opportunity, like many groups of people who have immigrated to America

First Generation of Arab Immigration:-Japanese competition hurt Lebanese silk market

-Widespread disease was negatively affecting Lebanese vineyards

Second Generation of Arabs Immigration: -Many were looking for an escape out of the Arab-Israeli conflict

-Civil War in Middle East negatively affecting many

Have Arabs Assimilated? Which aspects of their culture have they held onto? Which have they let go of?

-Many Arabs feel pressure just as many other minority groups in America do to assimilate, however there are many aspects of the culture that are still held onto by many.

-Often a younger generation of Arabs can feel the most pressure, as many are surrounded in school environments by others dissimilar to them.

-Many Arab Americans are conflicted with assimilation because there are many aspects of the Muslim religion as well as Arab culture that oppose some aspects of American culture.

-Many are torn about religious headpieces, as some want to keep religious pride and others want to assimilate as much as possible into American society.

Yasmin Hai- An Arab American teenager who had grown up in England

“I was struck, when I visited Pakistan, by the confidence of the people, who seemed comfortable in their own skins in a way that my friends and I were not”

Legacy

-Yassser Seirawan became the United States’ Women’s National Chess Champion. -Doctor Ellias Ghanem, was the chairman of the Nevada Athletic Commission and Las Vegas’ physician to many celebrities.

-Many Arab Americans have had a lasting mark on and have influenced American society.

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