Palestinian Americans
Where Were They From: Initially most Palestinian immigrants were Christians from the Syrian province of the Ottoman Empire that included the semiautonomous administrative district of Mt. Lebanon, the coastal mountain range between the Syrian port cities of Beirut and Tripoli.
The current number of immigrants from Palestine range between 100,000 and 400,000, with most scholars estimating it at about 200,000. According to Ken Kurson, “The difficulty in determining a more precise number results in part from the fact that there has never been an actual state of Palestine that immigrants could call their country of origin. In U.S. immigration and census records up to 1920 all Arabs, Turks, Armenians, and more were classified as coming from "Turkey in Asia," and not until recently did the Immigration and Naturalization Service recognize "Palestinian" as a nationality. Palestinian immigrants may have come from within Israel or the occupied territories; one of the Arab countries that received refugees from the Arab-Israeli wars, especially Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria; or a country to which Palestinians immigrated in search of economic opportunity.”
(http://www.everyculture.com/multi/Pa-Sp/Palestinian-Americans.html)
When: Muslim Arabs have come to the United States since 1948. A big wave of immigrants arrived after the Six Day War in 1967, with an increase in the 1980s.
What region of the US did they settle: They settled originally in the East Coast, Manhattan and Brooklyn, Boston, and Greater Detroit.
What occupations did they take part in: Similar to the national average, about 66% of Arab American adults are in the labor force; with 5% unemployed. 73% percent of working Arab Americans are employed in managerial, professional, sales or administrative fields. Most Arab Americans work in the private sector (79%), while 12% are government employees
What are the family patterns, rituals: The Arabs believe God is the originator of the family. It was established by God in His inaugural act of the marriage between a man and a woman. They believe the purpose of the family is to glorify and honor God by forming the spiritual, emotional, physical, and economic foundation for individuals, the church, and any society.
Are they a group that appreciates schooling: Arab Americans with at least a high school diploma number 89%. More 46% of Americans of Arab descent have a bachelor’s degree or higher, compared to 28% of Americans at large. 19% of Arab Americans have a post-graduate degree, which is nearly twice the American average (10%). Of the population currently enrolled in school, 13% are in pre-school, 57% are in elementary or high school, 22% are enrolled in college, and 7% are conducting graduate studies.
What are the basic demographics today? At least 3.5 million Americans are of Arab descent
About 94% of Arab Americans live in metropolitan areas. Los Angeles, Detroit, New York/New Jersey, Chicago and Washington, D.C. are the top five metropolitan areas for Arab American concentration.
While the largest Palestinian population is in California, the greatest concentration of Palestinians can be found in Illinois.
Fun Facts:
Who is an Arab?
"Arab" is a cultural and linguistic term. It refers to those who speak Arabic as their first language. Arabs are united by culture and by history. Arabs are not a race. Some have blue eyes and red hair; others are dark skinned; many are somewhere in between. Most Arabs are Muslims but there are also millions of Christian Arabs and thousands of Jewish Arabs, just as there are Muslim, Christian, and Jewish Americans.
Who is a Muslim?
A Muslim is a follower of Islam. Read more about Islam on the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) website.
Resources and Additional Readings
American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC)
http://www.adc.org/education/facts-about-islam/
Arab American Institute on Palestine
http://www.aaiusa.org/issues/palestine/
Aslan, Reza., Tapper, Aaron J. Hahn (Editors). Muslims and Jews in America: Commonalities, Contentions, and Complexities. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2011.
Christison, Kathleen. "The American Experience: Palestinians in the U.S.," Journal of Palestine Studies, Autumn 1989; pp. 18-36.
Clines, Francis X. "A West Bank Village's Sons Return," New York Times, February 15, 1988; p. A6.
Harvard Encyclopedia of American Ethnic Groups
http://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674375123
Institute for Middle East Understanding (IMEU)
http://imeu.net/news/palestinian-americans.shtml
Palestinian Americans - History, Israel, Modern Era, Significant Immigration Waves, Settlement Patterns, Acculturation and Assimilation, Traditional Clothing
http://www.everyculture.com/multi/Pa-Sp/Palestinian-Americans.html
Palestinian Culture and Identity and the Role of Palestinian Women
http://www.mideastweb.org/palestinianwomen.htm
Labor for Palestine (U.S.)
http://www.laborforpalestine.net/2011/07/14/u-s-trade-union-statement-in-support-of-palestinian-call-for-full-and-immediate-arms-embargo-against-apartheid-israel/
Said, Edward. Out of Place: A Memoir. New York: Knopf, 1999.
Turki, Fawaz. Exile's Return: The Making of a Palestinian American, New York: Free Press, 1994.
The Arab Population: 2000
http://www.scribd.com/doc/55069190/The-Arab-population-brief-2000-census