Arab Americans constitute an ethnicity made up of several waves of immigrants from 22 Arab countries, stretching from Morocco in the west to Oman in the east. Although a highly diverse ethnic group, Arab-Americans descend from a heritage that represents common linguistic, cultural, and political traditions.
A majority of Arab-Americans, around 62 per cent, originate from the region of the Levant, comprising Syria, Lebanon, Palestine and Jordan. Arab-Americans of Egyptian origin form the next largest contingent and constitute around 11%. The remainder is made up of those from Iraq, Morocco and other Arab nations, which although are small in numbers, are present nonetheless. The largest Arab-American populations are found in California, Michigan, and New York.
In contrast to the religious composition of Arabs in Arab countries, the overwhelming majority of Arab-Americans are Christian, not Muslim. Christians account for 77% of the Arab-American population, while Muslims account for the remaining 23%. The largest Arab-American religious tradition is comprised by Maronites (Eastern Rite Roman Catholics) who account for 42%, followed by Orthodox Christians and Muslims, each accounting for 23% of the Arab-American population. Protestant Christians are the smallest religious grouping, accounting for 12% of all Arab-Americans.
Arab Americans in the United States are categorised as white/caucasian by all government agencies and for statistical compiling by the US census. However, the American understanding of the terms "White" and “Caucasoid” may not always be synonymous, and can change in meaning depending on context. "White" is a somewhat flexible social concept that has had differing meaning throughout history, and has both included and excluded various Caucasoid peoples at one time or another, and acknowledging "honorary whites" at others. "Caucasoid", on the other hand, is a fixed racial category for the peoples original to Europe, the Middle East and North Africa and their descendants.
While Arabs are indeed Caucasoid in a racial understanding, the former social understanding of "White" as used in America is seldom applied for most Arab-Americans. Many are often excluded from the general structural concepts of white-American society. It is for this reason many Arab Americans are not completely comfortable with this label. It is viewed by some as a means to assimilate and drown out their ethnicity.
Famous Arab-Americans include Ralph Nader, Paula Abdul, Casey Kasem, Frank Zappa, James Abourezk, and John Abizaid among others.
See also Arab diaspora
External links
Arab-American Organizations