Arab minorities in America
The Arab and Muslim minority in the United States seems to be a bit neglected by scholars. Even basic statistical data concerning the number of them living in America is hard to obtain. If we tried to find out how many Arab-Americans live in the United States nowadays, the numbers would vary from 2 to 6 millions. The atmosphere of mystery and neglect has changed significantly since September 11, yet much information about this particular group is still missing, and many questions remain unanswered. One of the reasons that account for numerous misunderstandings concerning Arab-Americans is perhaps the fact that, as Shibley Telhami puts it in his article, "most Arabs in America are not Muslim, and most Muslims are not Arabs." Americans got used to associate all the Arabs with the same religion, while the situation is much more complicated. Telhami writes about this misconception and explains, "Most Arab Americans came from Lebanon and Syria, in several waves of immigration beginning at the outset of the 20th century. Most Muslim Americans are African American or from South Asia.". Telhami observes that the Arab community is one of the most diverse ethnic communities in the United States. The Arabs differ not only in their re
Also, contrary to common beliefs, President Bush enjoyed the support of 69 percent of all Arab-Americans when he declared war against terrorism. Yossi Shain is also aware of the many differences within the Arab community. Left-leaning isolationists, as he calls them, is a group that strongly opposes the idea of assimilation, and the concept of a secular, democratic and pluralistic state as such. "At stake were the civil liberties of all Americans", he writes. " According to Telhami, the role of this issue in the collective consciousness of many Arabs and Muslims worldwide is similar to the role that Israel has come to play in contemporary Jewish identity. The third group, called by Shain "Arab-American Integrationists", is the one that tries to promote a single Arab-American identity that would forge solidarity among members of different political views and religions. The events of September 11, however tragic and dangerous, provide hope that this group will receive more attention from sociologists, and perhaps some of the misunderstandings and misconceptions will be cleared up. It is also a step towards better assimilation into American politics, culture and life. "Like other ethnic groups in America, Arabs and Muslims have produced many successful Americans whose ethnic background is merely an afterthought. Members of this group set up their own organizations too, such as the Islamic Society of Northern America or the Muslim Arab Youth Association. As a logical consequence of their beliefs, they perceive full assimilation as impossible, and their goal is to establish a religious community detached from the mainstream American society. But in his opinion America managed to handle the situtation well. Telhami observes that actually all Arab-American organizations highlight such foreign policy issues as Jerusalem, Iraq, and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Nevertheless, Telhami's view is optimistic. As one of the leaders of the Islamic Society of North America put it, they will never be able to understand a "system organized by design to elevate the will of man above the will of God".
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Acceptance Essays
