Lecture 25: Arab Americans

 

I. Immigration

            A. First period: late 1870s to passage of Immigration Quota Act of 1924

                        1. identity:refer “Syrians” regardless origin;later accept Syrian-American

                        2. religion/race: mainly Christian, Caucasian

                        3. naturalization: not ineligible in 1880s because “Caucasian”

                        4. undesirables: seen as due to part 2nd immigration stream

                        5. threat: seen enemies Christianity despite most were Christian

                        6. Dow vs. U.S. 1915: denial citizen due “not white” reversed on appeal

                        7. large Syrian Communities: 1st New York, 2nd Boston

                        8. Peddler Networks: establish dif locations, enlarged into small stores

                        9. quotas: few admitted 1924-1948

            B. Second Period 1948-1965:  some differences

                        1. origin: 1st per:Mt Lebanon; 2nd per:all Arab countries mid-east, N. Af.

                        2. SES: 1st: poor, uneducated; 2nd: large proportion high ed, professional

                        3. religion: 1st predom Christians; 2nd high proportion of Musliam

                        4.destination: 1st favored towns villages, 2nd favored lg urban centers

                        5. Palestinians: may have been largest component, because of Israel

            C. 3rd Period: post-1965 larger immigration due Arab-Israeli, inter-Arab conflict

                        1. wars: Arab-Israeli 1967, Lebanese Civil 1975,Israel invade Lebanon‘82

                        2. SES: like second period, disproportionately highly educated

                        3. Different from 1st per: from >variety countries, >Muslim, >prejudice

II. Size and Assimilation

A.     1980-1990: increased 42 % to more than 1 million

B.     Ancestry:1990,>80%from Lebanon, Syria, Egypt, Palestine, Morocco, Jordan

C.     Lebanese and Syrians: predominantly native born comprise @ 60% of total

D.    >1/2 in 5 states:+@ 1/3 in 3 cities:Detroit/Dearborn8%, NY 7%, Chicago 4%

E.     Los Angeles: Arab-Am pop may have surpassed Detroit/Dearborn

F.      Cultural assimilation: some claim has reached hi level, esp. native born

a.       Use of foreign language at home: only 16 percent of native born

G.    2ndary:% receive ed beyond batchelors deg: >than Am average, 1&2 gen

a.       income:  native-born much>than American average, foreign-b little>

b.      poverty: native-born, but not foreign born, less likely to be in poverty

c.       Manag/prof jobs: both native & foreign >likely to have than avg Am

H.    Exogamy: among native-born, over 80% have married outside group

I.       Post-1965 Muslim mig: may enter Muslim commun & resist assim

 

III. Discrimin: 1st 3 mos after 9/11 rate hate crimes against Asian/Pac Is people doubled