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Who are the Arabs?
An Arab is anyone whose mother tongue is Arabic and who identifies himself
or herself as Arab.
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What is the Arab World?
The Arab World consists of 22 countries in the Middle East and North Africa:
Algeria, Bahrain, the Comoros Islands, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait,
Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Mauritania, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia,
Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.
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Does "Arab" denote a race?
The term Arab does not refer to a race, a lineage, or a religion, but rather
to a language and a culture. Arabs may be Muslim, Christian, or Jewish,
dark skinned or light skinned, city dwellers or farmers. Despite this
diversity, Arabs share a common cultural identity.
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Is the Arab World the same as the Muslim World?
The Arab World is not the same as the Muslim World. 80% of all Muslims are
NOT Arabs. The terms "Arab" and "Muslim" are never interchangeable. Arab is a
cultural/linguistic term, while Muslim is a religious term. The following
countries for example are NON-Arab Muslim countries: Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan,
Pakistan, and Indonesia. Indonesia has more Muslims than any other country.
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Do Arabs have a shared religion?
No. Arabs belong to many religions, including Islam, Christianity, Druze,
Judaism and others. Within each of these religions there are additional
distinctions.
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Do Arabs have a shared language?
The Arabic language is the glue that binds the Arab World. Arabic has played a
significant role in the shared history of all Arabs, and it continues to provide
Arab society with a cohesiveness and strong sense of identity. The contemporary
"Modern Standard Arabic" is based on the classical form of the language, and is
used in literature, print media, television and radio, and in conversation
between educated Arabs from different countries (for example international
conferences; thus allowing Arabic speakers from countries as far apart as
Lebanon and Morocco to understand one another). "Colloquial Arabic," or the
locally spoken dialect, varies greatly from country to country and region to
region throughout the Arab World.
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Who are the Arab-Americans?
Arab Americans trace their roots to 22 countries in North Africa and the Middle
East and share a common language and heritage. Arab immigrants have been in the
United States for more than a century.
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How many Arab-Americans are there?
This is the subject of some debate. Current estimates of the number of Arab
Americans living in the United States are about 3 million. Estimates vary
because the U.S. Census Bureau does not use Arab American as a classification
and because people identify themselves in various ways. Some Arab Americans
identify themselves as Middle Eastern, for example, and many surveys include
Arab in the category of "Caucasian". Recent immigrants from many countries are
reluctant to give personal and confidential information to the government, and
an increasing number of people have more than one ethnicity.
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Where do Arab-Americans live?
Arab Americans live in all 50 states, but the largest concentrations of Arab
Americans are in Detroit, New York, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and Chicago.
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Are Arab-Americans all of the same religion?
Arab Americans are of many religions. The majority of Arab Americans are
Christian -- Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Protestant -- but Muslims are
the fastest growing segment of the community.
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What is the education
level of Arab-Americans?
In general, Arab Americans are better educated than the average American.
According to the Arab American Institute: "Arab Americans with at least a high
school diploma number 85 percent. More than four out of ten Americans of Arab
decent have a bachelor's degree or higher, compared to 24% of Americans at
large. Seventeen percent of Arab Americans have a post-graduate degree, which is
nearly twice the American average (9%)."
Because a larger-than-average share of Arab Americans are highly educated people
of working age, their work force rates are high. According to the Arab American
Institute: "The median income for Arab American households in 1999 was $47,000
compared with $42,000 for all households in the United States. Close to 30% of
Americans of Arab heritage have an annual household income of more than $75,000,
while 22% of all Americans reported the same level of income. Mean income
measured at 8% higher than that national average of $56,644."
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What about the Arab-Americans in Illinois?
Illinois is the sixth largest Arab American community in the U.S. (approximately
245,000). It is one of the most diversified by ancestry sub-group: the
largest community is the Palestinian community, followed by the Jordanian,
Egyptian, Iraqi, Syrian, Lebanese, and Yemeni. We can also find Arab immigrants
from the following countries: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United
Arab Emirates, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya. Most of Arab Americans
residing in Illinois live in the metropolitan counties of both Cook and DuPage.
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Are Arab Americans active in U.S. politics?
Yes. For decades, Arab Americans have voted, run for office and been elected.
According to John L. Zogby, a pollster who is Arab American, 86 percent of
voting-age Arab Americans in early 2000 were registered to vote. In 1996, exit
polls said 54 percent of the Arab-American vote was for Bill Clinton, 38 percent
went for Bob Dole and 7.7 percent went for independent candidate H. Ross Perot.
The 2000 campaign was the first in which both major presidential candidates
addressed Arab Americans.
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Who are some prominent Arab-American politicians?
They have included U.S. Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell, D-Maine; Energy
Secretary Spencer Abraham; former Secretary of Health and Human Services Donna
Shalala; former New Hampshire Governor and White House Chief of Staff John
Sununu; former South Dakota Senators James Abourezk and James Abdnor; former
Ohio Congresswoman Mary Rose Oakar; former popular governor of Oregon Victor
Atiyeh,
and 2000 presidential candidate Ralph Nader.
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Are there other famous Arab-Americans?
Khalil Gibran Author of the "The Prophet."
Paula Abdul Singer/dancer
Elias Corey 1990 Nobel Prize Winner in Chemistry
Shannon Elizabeth Actress in "American Pie"
Doug Flutie 1984 Heisman Trophy Winner
Jeff George First overall pick of the 1990 NFL draft by the Indianapolis
Colts. Also played for the Atlanta Falcons, Oakland Raiders, Minnesota Vikings,
Washington Redskins, Seattle Seahawks and Chicago Bears.
Dr. Michael De Bakey Pioneer heart surgeon
Danny Thomas Actor and founder of St. Jude Hospital
Marlo Thomas Actress
Helen Thomas Former Dean of White House Press Corps
Bobby Rahal Indy 500 Race Car Champion
Darrell Issa and Nick Rahall United States Congressmen
Casey Kasem Radio personality
Lucie Salhany First woman to head a TV Network (FOX)
Jaime Farr Actor from M*A*S*H
Kathy Najimy Award winning actress
Christa McAuliffe Teacher & space shuttle astronaut
Joseph Abboud Fashion/Clothing Designer
Reem Acra Bridal designer
Karim Rashid designer
Shakira singer
Selma Hayek actor
Tony Shalhoub actor
Frederic Fekkai hairstylist
Norma Kamali designer
F. Murray Abraham Academy Award for Best Actor for Amadeus (1984)
Michael Nouri Movie and Television Actor with dozens of credits, including
The young and the Restless and Flashdance
Bill George Former linebacker for the Chicago Bears and who was elected to
the NFL Hall of Fame
Joe Robbie Former owner of the Miami Dolphins
Candy Lightner Founder of MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving)
Paul Orfalea Founder of Kinko's
Waleed & Malik Ali Founders of MPI, the world's largest home-video
distributor of documentaries
Paul Anka One of America's first pop teen idols
Farouk El-Baz A scientist who worked with NASA training astronauts in lunar
observations. He also helped plan all the Apollo landings and later pioneered
the use of space photography to study the earth.
Edward Said Well-known intellectual, highly respected for his work in literary
and post-colonial theory
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