The long hard journey of Arabs in America

Opinion editor's note: Star Tribune Opinion publishes a mix of national and local commentaries online and in print each day. To contribute, click here.

•••

The first Arabs landed in the United States in 1527, founding population groups now known as either Arabs in America (immigrants who did not naturalize as citizens) and Arab Americans (who are either native-born or naturalized U.S. citizens).

The major wave of immigration of Arabs to the U.S. occurred in the 1880s. Ever since then, Arabs have been coming to the U.S., either pulled by the attractions of the American dream or pushed to escape abject conditions at home.

When they first arrived, Arabs were difficult to classify by race, because they hail from both Africa and Asia. Arabs have varied skin color and hair texture. Until 1899, Arabs were considered Greek, Armenian, Ottoman, African or Asian. However, currently Arabs — and anyone from the Middle East — are considered white, a racial category that generally includes both Europeans and Middle Easterners.

Part of a central story in America's history, Arab Americans immigrated to find better opportunities. Like most immigrants, Arab Americans at first worked all sorts of manual jobs, lived in different areas and achieved varied success. Arabs are concentrated in Michigan and New York.

Arabs in America are recent immigrants who speak English as a second language, and often with a heavy accent. Conversely, Arab Americans are born, raised and educated in the United States. They speak English natively and may have only limited knowledge of the Arabic language.

Many Arab women choose to stay at home to raise their children and take care of their families, which is consistent with the traditional Arabic and Islamic values of families. However, some Arab American women have abandoned traditional ways and work as lawyers, doctors or business executives.

Although Arabs in America and Arab Americans made a substantial impact on the history of the United States, they nonetheless endure many negative stereotypes and discrimination. Scholar Edward Said called such depiction Orientalism — the process by which Americans portray Middle Eastern culture as inferior.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, Orientalist artists and scholars presented the Arab world as heathen, savage and exotic, neglecting its contributions to human civilizations. Arabic scholars had translated seminal books of philosophy from Greek to Arabic, which were only later translated to English. During the Islamic Golden Age, which lasted for 800 years, Arab scholars in science and art paved the way for later European thinkers. Giving due credit is part and parcel of academic integrity.

In the 20th century, stereotypes of Arabs in America and Arab Americans transferred from the intelligentsia to the laity. Negative portrayals of Arabs have been sustained in songs, TV programs, films, newspapers and social media. Since most people are glued to the news nowadays, many Americans are only hearing the negative sides of the Arab story.

Jack Shaheen, a media analyst, reviewed over 1,000 movies, of which only 12 portrayed Arabs in positive depictions. Hollywood and media have perpetuated images of Arabs as barbarians, villains, seducers, sheikhs and terrorists. Omitted are all the Arabs who made significant impact in American history and society as teachers, writers, scholars, artists and advocates.

After Sept. 11, 2001, many Arabs and Muslims came under serious scrutiny and investigations. And amid recent events in Israel and Gaza, Arabs are once again in the news. It is not a good time to be Arab in America.

But by remembering the remarkable history of Arabs in America and Arab Americans, we can appreciate their positive impact on American society. Instead of looking only at the bad apples, it is time to assess this group comprehensively. Arabs in America and Arab Americans are doing good work in the United States. Indeed, they constitute an essential part of the fabric of modern American society.

Abdulrahman Bindamnan is a Ph.D. student at the University of Minnesota.