Arab Americans
Arab Americans have been referred to as the "invisible" culture to most
Americans. Negative stereotypes have increased since 9/11, such as
terrorists, belly dancers and oil sheiks. They have been targeted and
have found it difficult to live in the United States since 9/11,
especially for Arab Muslims. They have endured racism and discrimination
due to misinformation about their history and culture.
An Arab American is a person whose mother tongue is Arabic or who descends from such a person. Incorrectly, the terms Arab and Muslim are used interchangeably. Muslim is a religious descriptor and does not apply to all Arabs. The majority of Arabs that immigrated to the United States were Arab Christian but the number of Arab Muslims is increasing. Arabs come from countries in Africa, Asia and the Palestinian people.
In 2000, the U.S. census reported around 1.5 million Arab Americans, and the numbers are increasing. However, there are arguments as to this number due to the reluctance of individuals to claim their culture. A major deterrent to immigration in the United States was the individualistic and materialistic lifestyle of Americans. They worry their children will abandon their family and spiritual values of Arab for the conflicting values displayed by the United States. Arab Americans have a strong commitment to family as well as economic and educational achievements. Many feel as though the one way to keep their culture is by reviving their Arabic language in the United States, which defines them as Arab.
An Arab American is a person whose mother tongue is Arabic or who descends from such a person. Incorrectly, the terms Arab and Muslim are used interchangeably. Muslim is a religious descriptor and does not apply to all Arabs. The majority of Arabs that immigrated to the United States were Arab Christian but the number of Arab Muslims is increasing. Arabs come from countries in Africa, Asia and the Palestinian people.
In 2000, the U.S. census reported around 1.5 million Arab Americans, and the numbers are increasing. However, there are arguments as to this number due to the reluctance of individuals to claim their culture. A major deterrent to immigration in the United States was the individualistic and materialistic lifestyle of Americans. They worry their children will abandon their family and spiritual values of Arab for the conflicting values displayed by the United States. Arab Americans have a strong commitment to family as well as economic and educational achievements. Many feel as though the one way to keep their culture is by reviving their Arabic language in the United States, which defines them as Arab.
