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Arab American Month: April 2023
Posted On Friday March 31, 2023
Contributor: I.D.E.A Committee
April is nationally recognized as Arab American month. We celebrate the culture, contributions, and history of the 3-4 million Americans who have lineage tracing back to one of twenty-two Arab countries.
A Few Interesting Facts: Did you know that ….
- Arab culture centers on three pillars: faith, family and community. While many think that all Arab Americans practice the Muslim faith, it is only one of three primary faiths practiced in Arab culture. (Christianity and Judaism are the other two)
- Middle Eastern American and Arab American are not the same. While geographically the regions are close, they differ linguistically and culturally.
- Arab Americans came to the United States in three immigration waves
- 1800s-1940s- Primarily Christians from rural areas who came in search of the “American Dream”
- 1940s-1960s- Primarily Muslims from urban areas who were educated. They settled into professional jobs in the US and continued their education. This led to a “Brain Drain” in Arab countries, where the best educated citizens emigrated leaving a hole in professions like doctors, lawyers, and business owners.
- 1970s-Today- Due to war and poverty in many Arab countries, many come due to displacement as refugees.
Arab Americans and Discrimination.
- Media. Think about the portrayal of Arabs in the media- TV, movies, and video games. They are often portrayed as the enemy, as terrorists and as a threat to the American way of life. Following the release of the movie “Sniper”, the number of hate crimes against the Arab American community spiked. Video games based on war often have Arabs cast as the enemy or targets of the game. Have you noticed this in the media you consume? These portrayals lead to discrimination and hate towards the Arab American community.
- Policy. US policy has also harmed the Arabs and Arab Americans. In 1924 a new immigration policy was issued setting a low limit on the number of non-western (non-white) Europeans who could come to the US, leaving many Arabs unable to take part in the boom in US growth and economy. In 1965, this limit was lifted, but only for certain professions which help facilitate the “brain drain” felt in the Arab countries. In 1996, the Anti-terrorism and Death Penalty Act established laws for the unlimited detention of immigrants with a lack of due process or expediency of trial. While this law technically applied to all immigrants, Arab immigrants were profiled and detained at a disproportionate rate.
Famous Arab Americans
- Ami Malek, actor
- Hoda Kotb, news anchor
- Gigi Hadid, model
- Christa McAuliffe, astronaut
- Danny Thomas-founder of St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital
A few resources
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