Abstract
Distributional environmental injustices in residential exposure to air pollution in Arab American enclaves have not been examined. We conducted our investigation at the census tract-level across the continental United States using a set of socio-demographic variables to predict cancer risk from hazardous air pollutant (HAP) exposure. Arab enclaves had a mean cancer risk score of 44.08, as compared to 40.02 in non-enclave tracts. In terms of the specific origin groups, Moroccan enclaves had the highest cancer risk score (46.93), followed by Egyptian (45.33), Iraqi (43.13), Jordanian (41.67), and Lebanese (40.65). In generalized estimating equations controlling for geographic clustering and other covariates, Arab enclaves had significantly higher cancer risks due to HAPs (p < 0.001) than non-enclaves. When looking at specific ethnic origins, Iraqi, Palestinian, and Lebanese enclaves had significantly higher cancer risks due to HAPs (all p < 0.01) than non-enclaves. Results reveal significant environmental injustices for Arab American enclaves that should be examined in future studies. Results suggest that environmental injustice may be another way in which Arab Americans are disadvantaged as a racialized minority group without minority status.
Highlights
Arab Americans are a minority group without official minority status
This paper examines whether Arab Americans, including those from specific ethnic origins (i.e., Egyptian, Iraqi, Jordanian, Palestinian, Syrian, Lebanese, and Moroccan), have disproportionately elevated cancer risks from hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) at the census tract-level in the continental US, using bivariate and multivariate methods
We present results from generalized estimating (GEEs) with inverse link functions, given that this was the best fitting specification based on quasi-likelihood under the Gaussian and identity link functions, given that this was the best fitting specification based on quasiindependence model criterion (QIC) values
Summary
Arab Americans are a minority group without official minority status. Discrimination against ArabAmericans intensified after 11 September 2001 [1] and has continued in the Trump era. Arab Americans are a minority group without official minority status. There has been little to no environmental justice (EJ) research looking at Arab. Americans and exposure to air pollution in the US. EJ research on more visible minority groups in the US, such as Black, Hispanic, and Asian Americans, has demonstrated that they face disproportionate exposure to health-harming air pollution [2,3,4]. This paper examines whether Arab Americans, including those from specific ethnic origins (i.e., Egyptian, Iraqi, Jordanian, Palestinian, Syrian, Lebanese, and Moroccan), have disproportionately elevated cancer risks from hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) at the census tract-level in the continental US, using bivariate and multivariate methods. Race/Ethnicity and Environmental Justice: Current Knowledge and Issues of Measurement
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