ABSTRACT
The history of prejudice and discrimination in the U.S. is well documented. Ethnic minority groups have contended with different manifestations of prejudice and discrimination (e.g. slavery, genocide, hate crimes) but all share the experience of being thought of as an “Other” or outgroup member. Although there is a common belief that prejudice and discrimination toward Arab Americans started after the events of 9/11, bias toward this group can be documented as early as 1914 (Naber, 2000). Given the lack of recognition as an ethnic minority group by federal institutions, the placement of Arab Americans within the U.S. landscape is complicated. For example, Arab Americans are currently classified as White on the U.S. Census, yet report persistent ethnic discrimination (e.g. Cainkar, 2002, 2009). Unfortunately, a significant proportion of these discriminatory experiences have risen to the level of hate crimes (e.g. Disha, Cavendish, & King, 2011). Overt or explicit discrimination toward other ethnic minority groups has decreased in the past 30 years, with such displays considered politically incorrect. This has not been the case for Arabs and Muslims.
