Arab Americans constitute an ethnicity made up of several waves of immigrants from 22 Arab countries, stretching from Morocco in the west to Oman in the east. Although a highly diverse ethnic group, Arab-Americans descend from a heritage that represents common linguistic, cultural, and political traditions.
A majority of Arab-Americans, around 62 per cent, originate from the region of the Levant, comprised of Syria, Lebanon, Palestine and Jordan. Arab-Americans of Egyptian origin form the next largest contingent and constituting around 11%. Those from Iraq, Morocco and other Arab nations are small in numbers, but are present nonetheless. The largest Arab-American population is found in California.
In contrast to the relgious composition of Arabs in Arab countries, most Arab-Americans are Christian, not Muslim. The largest Arab-American religious tradition is comprised by Maronites (Eastern Rite Roman Catholicism), followed by an equal number of Muslims (Shi'a and Sunni Islam) and Orthodox Christian Arab-Americans. Protestant Christian Arab-Americans are the smallest group.
For the purposes of US government agencies and census, individuals who identify as "Arab" are categorised as white. This racial classification, however, is seldom the case for most Arab-Americans who see themselves excluded from the general structures of white-American society.
Famous Arab-Americans include Ralph Nader, Paula Abdul, Casey Kasem, Frank Zappa, and James Abourezk, among others.
See also Arab diaspora
External links
Arab-American Organizations