Arab Americans

Citizens and permanent residents of the United States who trace their ancestry to or immigrated from Arabic-speaking countries in the Middle East. Although it is estimated that three million Arab Americans live in the United States, the exact numbers are unclear because some Arab Americans identify themselves as Middle Eastern, others identify themselves as having more than one ethnicity, and still others did not participate in recent censuses.

[Page 32]The first wave of Arab immigration to the United States took place between 1875 and 1920 after an economic downturn in Lebanon and Syria. Early immigrants hailed mainly from those nations and were predominantly Christian. Another wave began after 1940, influenced by the Arab-Israeli conflict over Palestine and civil war in parts of the Middle East. Many of these immigrants were Muslims and brought to America a religion still unknown throughout much of the United States.

Most Arab Americans today are native born, and approximately 90% live in cities. Although they are spread throughout the country, roughly one-third of all Arab Americans live in three states: California, Michigan, and New York. Although Arab Americans speak Arabic as a common language (excluding descendents of original immigrants and others who may no longer speak the language) and often share a common culture, they do not all practice the same religion. Current stereotypes paint all Arab Americans as Muslims; however, most are actually Catholic or Orthodox Christians. Similarly, only approximately 12% of Muslims worldwide are Arabs. Another source of confusion has been the status of Iranian Americans, who are not Arab Americans. Iran, once part of the Persian Empire, differs in language (Farsi instead of Arabic) and culture from Arabic countries in the Middle East.