Christian and Jewish Arab-American Identities Beyond September 11

Abstract

Christian and Jewish Arab-American Identities Beyond September 11 By Acksah Alhomady The purpose of this paper is to analyze the Arab American identities through the Christian Arab and Arab Jewish development within the United States. It examines the changes and shifts that resulted in their identities’ modification before and after 9/11. This analysis provides sufficient evidence of what the Arab American was and has now become due to changes consequently of the post 9/11 backlash. This research will distinguish the differences between Arabs and Arab- Americans , such as looking at factors of religion, place of birth, cultures, and education. It will present evidence on how the government reacted by passing discriminative acts and racially profiled, discriminated, and tortured Arabs. This paper will show that Arab Muslims were not the only victims but all Arabs, including Christians and Jews from the Middle East and North Africa, were. Additionally, Psychological disorders and health issues traumatized the Arab-American communities. Social and political legal rights were only provided for those in the aftermath. This aftermath assisted Arab organizations to expand and assist Arabs and Arab-Americans all over the United States, increasing unity and strengthening the revival of ethnic cultural identities within both groups. The scope of this research will examine these organizations and their contributions, and illustrate how Arabs, whether Christians or Jews, went from being inclusive and invisible from the political and media’s eyes to not assimilating into the American mainstream society melting pot, but remaining distanced enough to become bi-culture and hyphenated in identities, through generations, and still retain an American identity over the past ten year span after 9/11.