Arab American Sociology

Arab Americans are among the many ethnic groups that make up the population of the United States. They trace their roots to the Arab World, which stretches from the Morocco to Northern Africa towards the Persian Gulf and Western Asia. Arab Americans have been an integral part of American society since America was recognized as a country. The first recorded Arab came in 1528 from the Arab African country of Morocco. Many other Arabs came as slaves from Arab African countries. With an estimated population of 4.2 million, Arab Americans live in every state of the union with many concentrated communities in large metropolitan areas. Arab Americans practice different religions, work in a variety of fields, and have a range of educational backgrounds

Early Arab immigrants, mostly single men, came to the U.S. in order to support and maintain their families whom they had temporarily left behind. They worked hard and walked miles upon miles peddling in order to save and send money back to their family members. Once financially secure, they started patterns of chain migration, bringing parents, siblings, spouses, uncles, aunts and cousins, until the whole extended family was reunited in their new home. Earlier immigrants helped newcomers start their lives. They provided a support system, which helped new immigrants adjust and acclimate to a culture very different from their own. They helped them find employment and provided a place to live until the newly arrived could stand on their own. Also, they introduced them to the area’s social and religious institutions established by earlier immigrants in order to preserve Arab identity and culture. Relatives live together in the same neighborhood and sometimes in the same household. They often work and socialize together, making it easier to preserve the culture and traditions that are so important to them. As a result, the wellbeing of the community and that of the family are stressed over that of the individual. As second- and third-generation Arab Americans adopt the nuclear-family lifestyle, newer immigrants arrive with strong family ties binding generations together and keeping the extended Arab family structure alive. This structure has helped thousands of Arab immigrants adjust, succeed and thrive. There is a strong respect for elders in Arab culture; individuals gain status as they age and their advice and opinions become more valued and respected. Grown children are expected to take care of their parents and often, elderly parents live with their married children. Rarely is an Arab American placed in a nursing home, unless the individual requires serious medical care. While