Arab-Americans and Muslim-Americans Then and Now: From Immigration and Assimilation to Political Activism and Education

Abstract

Arabs and Muslims live within the United States surrounded by misconceptions about their culture and religion, both of which seemed foreign to most Americans. Arabs, like many immigrant groups who came to the United States, were not exempt from racist accusations. They were viewed as a backward, violent, desert-dwelling people. The media and Hollywood did their part to ensure that Arabs and Muslims on the big screen perpetuated these misconceptions through their movies, cartoons, and TV characters. After the attacks on 9/11,many Americans realized, for the first time, how little they understood Arabs and Muslims. This led many to raise questions about curricular needs concerning Arabs, Muslims, and the Middle East, as well as Arab and Muslim Americans living within U.S. borders. This dissertation attempts to highlight Arab and Muslim history in the U.S. through the course of immigration, assimilation, and political activism. It addressed the stereotypes that have haunted Arab and Muslim-Americans pre and post 9/11 and their impact on Arab and Muslim-American studies within the current secondary social studies curriculum. This mixed methods study consisted of 101 surveys of secondary social studies teachers from across the U.S. and contextual analysis of five U.S. history textbooks. A final section is dedicated to resources that help provide a more balanced perspective of these groups.