Learning more about Arab Americans

The region called the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) (aka, “SWANA”, Southwest Asian and North Africa) spans two continents — Asia and Africa. This geographic territory is largely made up of ethnic Arabs but is by no means limited to Arabs. Other ethnic groups in the MENA region include Persians (primarily from Iran), Kurds, Assyrians and many others. Those who identify as Arabs largely practice Islam, Christianity and even Judaism. Around 45% of the state of Israel is made up of Arab-Jews (aka Mizrahi Jews) who originate from Arab countries like Morocco, Iraq, Yemen and others after Israel was created in 1948. The Arab world is truly vast and diverse. The main feature that ties this group together is the Arabic language (which comes in several dialects). Arabic is also a Semitic language (as is Hebrew and Aramaic), which classifies Arabs as Semites.

The Bay Area is home to sizable Arab communities made up of Palestinians, Syrians, Lebanese Jordanians, Egyptians, Iraqis Yemenis, Somalis, Morrocans and more. The first Arab immigrants to the United States came during the late 1800s and were primarily Christian Arabs from the Ottoman territory called “Greater Syria” (the territory that makes up modern-day Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Palestine/Israel). Subsequently, Arabs began to migrate from all over the Arab world and many came to the United States for the same reasons as other migrants — a better life, more opportunity. I’ll use my parents as an example. My father left his homeland in Palestine in 1969, two years after the Israeli occupation began. Unfortunately, because he is Palestinian, he is not allowed to move back to his homeland. He settled here, earned a Ph.D. in theology from the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, and eventually spent decades teaching Spanish, French, German and Arabic at the high school and college level in San Mateo County. My mother was a very bright student from Jordan offered a full scholarship by Pennsylvania State to get her Ph.D. in chemistry in 1979. Before returning to Jordan, she was offered a position at UCSF, where she ended up working as a school of medicine research scientist for 35 years. The fates eventually brought my parents together. They married and raised three girls in the Bay Area where we continue to live full and blessed lives.

My family is one of thousands of Arab immigrants who settled in the Bay Area and became an integral part of its societal fabric. We are teachers, restaurant owners, city councilmembers, students, lawyers, taxi drivers and much more. Some examples of famous Arab Americans include Salma Hayek (Lebanese-Mexican), Shakira (Lebanese-Colombian), Rashida Tlaib (Palestinian), Rami Malek (Egyptian), Bella and Gigi Hadid (Palestinian-Dutch), Ralph Nader (Lebanese), Steve Jobs (half Syrian). Arabs can easily be found in every sector of society. 

Unfortunately, the lack of a census category to collect data on Arab demographics leaves the needs of these communities unknown and unaddressed, particularly in working-class communities. For decades, Arabs have been classified as “white” despite lived experiences far from it. Early migrants pushed to be classified as “white” because that was originally the only citizenship path. However, times have changed and not having a distinct category is a detriment. Scholar Nadine Naber refers to this phenomenon as “white but not quite” and points to resulting Arab “invisibility” in her book, “Arab America.” There has been a move to correct this “data desert” with the inclusion of the MENA census category that would include Arabs. This year, the White House announced MENA category will be included in the next federal census. States with large Arab populations, like Illinois, have successfully added the category to their censuses. The California Legislature is currently in the process of considering a similar bill that would require all state agencies to include a MENA category on demographic forms.

In the footsteps of the federal government, local city councils are also acknowledging April as Arab American Heritage Month. San Bruno, Millbrae and Foster City issued proclamations to honor their Arab communities. San Mateo is currently considering one. These proclamations and the movement for creating a MENA category are the beginnings of a long overdue movement toward Arab “visibility” and ultimately increased humanization in American consciousness. As someone who grew up an Arab American in the Bay Area, I welcome these local governments’ acknowledgment and celebration of our communities as well as our contributions to society. Visibility, recognition and acknowledgment matter. These actions make Arab Americans feel seen by their leadership and larger community. It instills a sense of pride necessary for Arab American youth to thrive especially in the American context when for decades Arabs have often been viewed with suspicion and fear.

Linda Khoury-Umili is a Palestinian-Jordanian American community member and human rights activist. She currently works as an Advisor at Tides Foundation. She holds a BA in Middle Eastern and North African Studies from UCLA and an MA in Global and International Studies from UCSB.