The Assimilation of Arab American Women - Research Paper Example

The Assimilation of Arab American Women America is a country of immigrants. Every day, thousands of people dream about a new, better life inthe United States. Some would like to have the opportunity to apply for citizenship because they need to escape from war or other dangerous conditions, while others are temporary residents attempting to earn diplomas then return to their countries. Clearly, there are many reasons people choose to leave their homelands. As such, more and more researchers have collected data about immigrant groups studying about their experiences. Steven Camarota 2002, reports on “The Mulsim Wave” of immigrants to the United States. Statistics show that over the past thirty years, there has been an eightfold increase in the number of Middle Eastern immigrants, and the Camarota asserts that there will be more growing, faster in the coming year. At the time of the publication, there were 31 million Americans who were not born in the U.S., and almost 150,000 of the 1.5 million Middle Eastern immigrants did not have a legal status to be here. Additionally, Camarota explains how in general, America is still a very popular destination to try to emigrate to. He supports this claim by showing how each year 1.5 million people from other countries enter a lottery to get a visa, and then only 50,000 people actually get a green card. Finally, the projections for new Middle Eastern immigrants were said to be at 1.1 million from 2002-2012. He noted the Middle Eastern wave has a very high education level, close to half of the immigrants have a bachelor’s degree. However, this study also points out that there are still issues with poverty for this immigrant group (24). Many studies about Arab-Americans and how are their experiences make sound like it is very difficult. It seemed that when first Arabs first came, there were problems with discrimination towards them, and they had to face other obstacles (Cainkar 243). It is not clear if all of these problems still occur. The lives of Arab American women are a specific focus of research in 2004 published in the International Migration Review. The article maintained that Arab American women’s employment rate is lower than the rates of all other groups of immigrants in the United States. Interestingly, after one generation, Arab American women have the similar employment rates to white women born in the U.S.. Work, home, and outside of home are three aspects of Arab Americans women’s lives that must change after they make the United States their home. Adapting to social expectation, parenting style and health habits are the most daunting challenges that many Arab American women have face in the U.S.(Read 52). Arab American are not wanting to change in some ways that describe their idea about women and men. Jen’nan Read made a study that was publish for Muslim World in 2002. Read’s research shows how much there were changes in lifestyle. She states that in Arab countries, the women are there to care for their family, and most of the society never sees another way other than women will give all their attention to the home, raise up their children with the values same as the generations before them. A woman’s job with her children is the most significantly expected thing (19). The traditional way is from thousands of years ago, but many new changes are happening fast, and will have probably have strong effects. In the article “Challenging the Myths of Muslim Women,” Read explains how over the time, of thousands of Arab women who are coming to America has broken gender roles and women have stepped from of the every time routines like in the home country. Through the article, Read suggests that in some ways the easy let go of the culture traditional such as the gender roles has happened without much difficult. In fact, she reports that many Arab American women are freer, more educated, have the work and are not have so lot of children. Statistics show that in the Arab world only thirteen percent of the work force is jobs for the women in compare to America where you see half of the workers are women. Read makes a connect between the how the class of the women affects economic participation, meaning that when the woman don’t work, their status is more lowly than if they do. Another part of this study is not as many clearly ideas in these relationships. According to 416 respondents in the study that staying with their traditional and actions is very need for them and it is their identity and looking shame on other Arab women who chose to leave the home. In the other hand, evidence proves that there are many Arab American women who support same thing for men and women like participation outside the home (19). In America there are too many cultures and this push the Arab women to know about staying with their culture. Most people have the picture of the Arab girl wearing hijab, or a veil, and acting in a very shy and quiet way. From stages shows in 2006, play writers chose about this topic to published and show new light on what is happening behind hijab for Arab American women. In this cut from one of shows one woman expresses her frustrated feelings with the stereotyping every day. When Arab American women wear a hijab most of the people who see us want to pay attention and judge this custom. No, Im not bald under the scarf No, Im not from that country where women cant drive cars No, I would not like to defect Im already American But thank you for offering ( Abdurraqib 66). This research indicates there still a big field for all the traditional lifestyle in the Arab American community, and there will be most likely more adapts and issues. Of the many reasons that add on to the arising misunderstandings that revolve around the Arab Americans is, as put by Shibley Telhami in his article, “most Arabs in America are not Muslim, and most Muslims are not Arabs.” It is due to this recurring misconception that Americans got used to associating Arabs with the same religion, whereas the true situation is by far much more complicated. He looks into the depth of the problem and explains to us by pointing out that the basic roots of Arab Americans come from Lebanon and Syria whereas the majority of the Muslim Americans are from South Asia or African American. Another observation by Telhami that further adds on to the already present issues is the basic fact that the Arab community happens to be one of the most diverse ones in all of America. The Arabs are different not just on the bases of their religious orientation, but also due to the difference in their views as far as the pros and cons o assimilation are concerned. However this observation also has a optimistic angle as he points out that due to the diverse constitution of America as far as ethnic groups are concerned, numerous Arabs and Muslims have become successful Americans whose background then falls as a mere shadow as far as their individual American identity is concerned. To back up his opinion an example of a Muslim woman who was interviewed a short while after the September 11 attack strengthened his observation when she stated:"I am so used to thinking about myself as a New Yorker that it took me a few days to begin to see myself as a stranger might: a Muslim woman, an outsider." Using this example he tries to explain how if Muslims have been able to assimilate in the American society despite the current prevalent conditions then it would work just as well for Arab Americans who could develop the tendency to think of themselves as Americans with an Arab background and not just Arabs who merely live in America. Yossi Shain, another writer, also chalks down the assimilation issue being a resulting effect of the number of differences that exist within the Arab community. He disagrees with the simplistic view that Telhami puts forward and instead brings forward the notion that the Arab community itself is so divided into three groups depending on their representative political views and their outlook towards assimilation. The first of these groups he labels as the left-leaning isolationists, individuals who are strongly against the idea of assimilation. Individuals belonging to this group are also against the notion of a secular, autonomous and pluralistic state. They are also politically active when compared to other Arab Americans and perceive American imperialism to be a threat for the Arab culture as well as the religion of Muslims. Shain also highlights certain observable characteristics of such a group as mostly young and zealous believers in pan-Arab ideology who are active participants of organizations like the Association of Arab American University Graduates (AAUG), who refer to themselves as “Palestinian activists”. Shain categorizes the second group as “Islamic-learning Isolationists” who respect greatly the Islamic law which prevents them to build a minority life in a non-Islam state. This is the main reason why they think of it as an obligation as it is acceptable by their religion. It is clearly due to the logical consequence of what they so strongly put faith in that in their perception the notion of full assimilation seems highly improbable. Due to this reason what they do is aim to create a religious community that is separate from the mainstream American society. The third group is called by Shain “Arab American Intergrationists”, is the on that usually strives to promote a single Arab-American identity that aims to create unity among its members. This is the group whose efforts to assimilate are a lot more fruitful and successful as they actually want to be part of a unified single American community while holding onto their roots. They merge the two to form a individual American identity for themselves without managing to alienate either part of their identity. Looking at the highlighted case that walks us through the numerous reasons that serve as barriers for Arab American assimilation one can rightly conclude that the fault does not fall into any one line of argument and that there are several angles to the debate which add on to the issue at hand. Works Cited Abdurraqib, Samaa. "Hijab" Scenes: Muslim Women, Migration, and Hijab in Immigrant Muslim Literature." MELUS 31.4 (2006): 55-70. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. . Web. 9 Sept. 2011. Cainkar, Louise. "The Social Construction of Difference and the Arab American Experience." Journal of American Ethnic History 25.2/3 (2006): 243-278. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 9 Sept. 2011. Camarota, Steven A. "The Muslim Wave." National Review 54.17 (2002): 24-26. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 10 Sept. 2011. Read, Jennan Ghazal. "Cultural Influences on Immigrant Womens Labor Force Participation: The Arab-American Case." International Migration Review 38.1 (2004): 52-77. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 10 Sept. 2011. Read, Jennan Ghazal. "Challenging Myths of Muslim Women: The Influence of Islam on Arab-American Womens Labor Force Activity." Muslim World 92.1/2 (2002): 19. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 12 Sept. 2011. AAUG. “Association of Arab-American University Graduates, Records.” (2011). Web. 15 Sep 2011. Retrieved from: http://www.ihrc.umn.edu/research/vitrage/all/am/ihrc251.html Shain, Y. “Arab Americans at cross roads. “ Journal of Palestine Studies. Vol. 25, No. 3 (Spring, 1996): 46-59 Telhami,Shibley. “Arab and Muslim America: a snapshot”(2011). Web. 15 Sep 2011. Retrieved from: http://www.brookings.edu/articles/2002/winter_middleeast_telhami.aspx Read More