The 12 Most Common Questions About Arab Americans

posted on: Sep 20, 2017

By: Ani Karapetyan/Contributing Writer

The term Arab American describes Arabs who are citizens or permanent residents in the U.S.

Although Arab Americans are an integral part of American society, many in the mainstream are still confused about the Arab culture and their identity.  In fact, there are  numerous misunderstandings and misconceptions about Arab Americans.

Below is a list of the most commonly asked questions regarding Arab Americans.

1. Do Arabs have a shared language?

The literary Arabic is the unifying characteristic of Arab people. It is the formal language in all Arab countries. However, colloquial Arabic differs from place to place. There are several categories of colloquial Arabic. The differences among the dialects can be drastic. For example, Syrian Arabs may have a hard time understanding Moroccan Arabs. As a result, second, third, and fourth generation Arab Americans are frequently discouraged from practicing spoken Arabic, but still are encouraged to learn the classical Arabic or the dialect that their parents practice.

2. Do Arabs have a shared religion?

Arabs belong to many religions, including Islam, Christianity, Druze, Judaism and others. Despite their cultural connections, Arabs can be different by faith. Also, there are numerous branches within Christianity:  Greek Orthodox, Melkite, Maronite, Roman Catholic, Syriac, Copt, Chaldean and more. There are two primary sects of Islam:  Sunni (majority) and Shia.

3. Is Palestine a country?

Historically, Palestine was a country east of the Mediterranean Sea. Like many other Arab and non-Arab countries, Palestine was under Ottoman control followed by British control.   In 1948, Israel occupied a part of the land of Palestine and the other part was given to Jordan. In 1967, Israel took over the part of Palestine that was given to Jordan.  Today, Palestinians share a collective national identity and are struggling and fighting for freedom, independence, self-rule, and human rights. Parts of Palestine are named by the media as Palestinian territories, which refers to the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

4. Is Iran an Arab country?

Iran is not an Arab country, but it is a Muslim country. Although Iran is a Middle Eastern country, it is descended from the Persian empire and has a different language and cultural history. Not all countries in the Middle East are populated primarily by Arabs. Like Iran, Turkey and Israel are not Arab, but still considered Middle Eastern countries. However, the Arab World is larger than Iran and the two other countries mentioned above.   

5. Where do Arab Americans live?

Arab Americans live everywhere across the United States. However, the majority of them live in California, Michigan, New York, and other states as shown in red in the above map.

6. Is there an Arab American lobby?

Since Arabs living in the United States come from various Arab countries, there is no monolithic Arab American lobby. However, there are several advocatory organizations that are working on a variety of concerns, both domestic and international, such as: AAI (Arab American Institute), ADC  (American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee), and CAIR (Council for American Islamic Relations). Despite the fact that Arab American lobby groups advocate for various issues, all of these groups unify around the Palestinian issue.

7. Are Arab-American women subservient to men?

The role of Arab women ranges from leaders of matriarchal societies to independent businesswomen. Their roles are varied and affected by their country of origin. Numerous factors affect the role of Arab women such as the location of their upbringing: urban or rural areas, religion, the degree of assimilation, and their individual characteristics.

8. Do Arab Americans typically get married at a younger age?

In most instances, this is the case. However, this is changing rapidly, especially with women who are traveling,  acquiring education, and seeking higher-level careers.

9.What are the differences among Arab, Arabic and Arabian?

Arab is a noun for a person and is used as an adjective, as in “Arab country” or Arab food. Arabic is the name of the language and should not be used as an adjective. Arabian is an adjective that refers to Saudi Arabia, the Arabian Peninsula, or as in Arabian horse. When ethnicity or nationality is relevant, it is more precise and accurate to specify the country by using Lebanese, Yemeni, Moroccan, or whatever is appropriate.

10. What occupations do Arab Americans pursue?

Arab Americans work in all occupations. Collectively, they are more likely to be self-employed, or to be entrepreneurs, or to work in sales. About 60 percent of working Arab Americans are executives, professionals, and sales staff.

11. Do Arab Americans prefer to marry each other?

As with other minority groups in the United States and any other hosting country, in-group marriage was encouraged as a way to preserve heritage. However, this is not the case now with Arab Americans. In fact, many Arab Americans do frequently marry non-Arabs.

12. Are Arabs oil-rich?

This is a very common stereotype about Arabs. It’s not true. Despite the fact that some Arab countries are oil-rich, most of them are not. The area of the Arab World around the Persian Gulf is not the only oil-producing country in the world, but one of many oil-producing countries in the world.