Opportunities and Challenges of Being Arab American
About four years ago, I was in Amman for a visit. One evening, I was out with some friends and one of them asked me whether during my stay in the US I had encountered any prejudice or discrimination. At the time, my answer was no. It could have been that I had been in the US for only one year, or that I was living in Detroit (which has the biggest Arab and Muslim concentration in the country and is a very culturally diverse city), or that I was studying at the University of Michigan in Dearborn which has a big Arab student body.
Now, four years later, I would have to say that my answer has changed. Having finished school, worked for a few years, traveled more throughout the country and met a number of different people, I ask myself - what are the biggest difficulties and challenges that we as Arab Americans face in the workplace and in the society in general? What kind of misconceptions do people have about us? Most importantly, what should we do about it and how should we deal with it?
Whether its my co-worker who used to say that he would like to visit Jordan but wouldn’t because he doesn’t want to get killed or my other co-worker who actually told me that he doesn’t like the fact that the company hired me because I am an immigrant worker and I am taking away the job of an American, there is no doubt that Arab Americans face a number of difficulties and misconceptions.I’ve always tried to deal with these situations with a bit of patience and understanding but found myself wondering how to respond. Should I just listen to my friend who once told me that Americans will never change their opinions? (Personally, I believe if you think that way, then you should not be complaining about being misunderstood, since you’re not willing to do anything about it.) Or should I try to talk to these people and explain to them my view of things?
I believe that Arab Americans have a responsibility to face these difficulties and misconceptions and try to change them. From my personal experience, I have found that one of the best ways to do that is to start with being an example for people, whether its at the workplace by having the right work ethics of being honest, hard working and diligent; or by showing people how our cultural values and our beliefs might be a bit different than theirs, but ultimately they do not contradict with theirs; or by being a good neighbor and friend to people in our community. We can show people that we are not so different after all. Just like them, we strive to build a good life for ourselves and contribute to this society.
Arab Americans have had numerous successes and have assumed many prominent positions in this country. By learning our own accomplishments, values, strengths as well as weaknesses, we can become better representatives of Arabs and can show people that we are an important and vital part of the American society and of the world as a whole.
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This entry was contributed by NAAP-Boston member, Tarek Abu Jabarah. You can reach Tarek through NAAP-Boston at naap-boston@naaponline.org.
