Middle Eastern Americans Research Articles

A novel mutation of NPHS2 identified in a Chinese family.

Since the identification of the NPHS2 gene,which encodes podocin, several groups from European, Middle Eastern, and North American countries have reported NPHS2 mutations in families with steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome (SRNS) or focal segmental glomerulo sclerosis (FSGS). Families with SRNS have also been reported in China with a population of more than1.3 billion. However, to our knowledge, there is no mutational analysis of the NPHS2 gene in familial SRNS orFSGS in China. We identified a novel mutation of NPHS2(467_468insT and 503G>A) in a Chinese family with autosomal recessive SRNS using polymerase chain re-action, denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography, and DNA sequencing techniques. The results demonstrate that there is also NPHS2 mutation in Chinese familial SRNS. Therefore, Chinese SRNS patients with a familial history of NS should also be screened for possible mutations of NPHS2. We also detected clearly decreased staining with a specific podocin C-terminal antibody(P35) and negative staining with a specific podocin N-terminal antibody (P21). These results were contrary to those predicted from the mutated sites. Further studies are needed to explore the mechanism and impact of the mutant gene on the expression and localization of the relevant protein.

Women, Power, and Ethnicity: Working Toward Reciprocal Empowermen

P. S. E. Darlington and B. M. Mulvaney. (2003). Women, Power, and Ethnicity: Working Toward Reciprocal Empowerment. Binghamton, NY: Haworth Press, 241 pp. Paperback ISBN: 0-7890-1059-3, $24.95. Women, Power, and Ethnicity uses ethnographic methods to investigate women's views of existing power paradigms and introduces an alternative model of power. Personal observations by the authors led them to believe that not all women subscribe to the traditional concept of power (i.e., power based on wealth, resources, influence, and physical strength). Included in the analyses are the additional forms of power, empowerment and personal authority, and a new model of power that Darlington and Mulvaney refer to as reciprocal empowerment. Reciprocal empowerment incorporates into the concept of power the ideas of sharing or working for the common good. They interviewed 136 women who were representative of a number of ethnic groups currently living in Florida: African American, Asian American, Caribbean American, European American, Latin American, Middle Eastern American, and Native American. The study used two methods of data collection: a 52-statement survey that measured the respondents' responses to the attributes of the four models of power and an interview consisting of 30 open-ended questions designed to determine the types of power that women believe are most frequently used or should be used and that they personally practice. One chapter of the book is devoted to the survey and interviews results for the seven ethnic groups. Each chapter begins with a brief history of the ethnic group, focusing on the experiences of women. The roles of women within the ethnic group prior to and since arriving in the United States are investigated. This history is followed by a brief description of the contemporary roles fulfilled by women within each group. This information is important to understanding the ethnic diversity found in the responses given to the survey and interview questions. The analysis section of each chapter begins with a brief description of the demographics of the women interviewed. This is followed by a lengthy discussion of the results from both the survey and the interviews. The conclusions of each chapter comprehensively explain the results in terms of the four types of power: traditional, empowerment, personal authority, and reciprocal empowerment. The final chapter presents the conclusions drawn from all previous chapters. The overall results of the study are mixed. The women did not clearly prefer any single type of power. …

Multicultural Women's Experience of Household Labor, Conflicts, and Equity

This study examines a group of 419 multicultural women (64 African Americans, 136 Asian Americans, 171 Hispanic Americans, and 48 Middle Eastern Americans) from Southern California. It examines Chafetz's thesis that women with macrolevel power (high socioeconomic status, SES) will show higher levels of conflict with their spouses over household labor. Such conflict is expected to relate to dissatisfaction with the division of household labor as well as time or task differences with spouses over housework. The multicultural women in this study differed among themselves by SES (proportional income, job status, and education) as well as by the household time and tasks with their spouses, but such factors did not influence conflict. Results indicate that regardless of ethnicity or macrolevel power, multicultural women who perform more household tasks than other women are more dissatisfied with the division of labor. These variables alone influence the number of conflicts per week reported by racial and ethnic couples. When reasons for conflict are compared, the equity issue of “unfair share” is cited more frequently than any others. In general, comparisons with one's spouse on traditional “woman's tasks” and time on “women's work” are not salient to the experience of household labor conflicts among multicultural women even when macrolevel power is attained. The majority of our respondents earn 39% of the household income and work for pay ≥30 hr/week, yet perform the majority of necessary household labor. The proportional income and overall education levels of this sample are similar to Census Bureau statistics for their respective U.S. groups in 1995–1996.

Made in America: Historical and Contemporary Recordings of Middle Eastern Music in the United States

Although Americans of Middle Eastern origin—be they of Arab, Turkish, Armenian, Sephardic Jewish, Assyrian, Greek, or Central Asian heritage—comprise one of the fastest growing groups in the United States, their music may seem invisible to the American musical connoisseur. Many of the recordings of Middle Eastern American musicians are produced and distributed within community networks. Walk into an Armenian grocer in Watertown, Massachusetts or into a Lebanese audio-video store in Dearborn, Michigan, and you will find hundreds of hours of music by Middle Eastern Americans for your listening pleasure. Walk into your public library and you may not find a thing. Middle Eastern music made in America is simply not widely available on the major or alternative recording labels to which we habitually turn for our fare of world music.

Middle Eastern Studies and American Sociology

Middle Eastern Studies and American Sociology

Strangers to These Shores: Race and Ethnic Relations in the United States.

Each chapter concludes with Retrospect, Key Terms, Review Questions, and Suggested Readings. Foreword by Ruben Rumbaut. Preface. I.SOCIOLOGICAL FRAMEWORK. 1.The Study of Minorities. The Stranger as a Social Phenomenon. A Sociological Perspective. Minority Groups. Racial and Ethnic Groups. Ethnocentrism. Objectivity. The Dillingham Flaw. Personal Troubles and Public Issues. The Dynamics of Intergroup Relations. 2.Culture and Social Structure. The Concept of Culture. Cultural Change. Structural Conditions. Stratification. Social Class. Intergroup Conflict. Theories of Minority Integration. 3.Prejudice and Discrimination. Prejudice. Discrimination. 4.Dominant-Minority Relations. Minority-Group Responses. Consequences of Minority-Group Status. Dominant-Group Responses. Exploitation. II.EUROPEAN AMERICANS. 5.Northern and Western Europeans. Sociohistorical Perspective. The English. The Dutch. The French. The Germans. The Irish. The Scandinavians and Finns The Scots. The Welsh. Sociological Analysis. 6.Southern, Central, and Eastern Europeans. Sociohistorical Perspective. The Slavic Peoples. The Poles. The Russians. The Ukrainians. The Hungarians. The Gypsies. The Italians. The Greeks. The Portuguese. The Armenians. Sociological Analysis. III.PEOPLE OF COLOR. 7.The Native Americans. Sociohistorical Perspective. Values and Social Structure. Stereotyping of Native Americans. Changes in Government Policy. Present-Day Native American Life. Natural Resources. Red Power. The Courts. Bureau of Indian Affairs. Urban Native Americans. Cultural Impact. Sociological Analysis. 8.East and Southeast Asian Americans. Sociohistorical Perspective. Cultural Attributes. The Chinese. The Japanese. The Filipinos. The Koreans. The Vietnamese. Other Southeast Asians. Ethnoviolence. The Model Minority Stereotype. Sociological Analysis. 9.Other Asian and Middle Eastern Americans. Sociohistorical Perspective. The Asian Indians. Arab Americans. The Syrian-Lebanese. The Palestinians. The Iranians. The Iraqis. The Turks. The Pakistanis. Sociological Analysis. 10.African Americans. Sociohistorical Perspective. Institutionalized Racism. The Winds of Change. Urban Unrest. The Bell-Curve Debate. Language as Prejudice. Social Indicators of Black Progress. Race or Class? The Africans. Sociological Analysis. 11.Hispanic and Caribbean Americans. Sociohistorical Perspective. Social Indicators of Hispanic Progress. The Mexicans. The Puerto Ricans. Mexicans and Puerto Ricans: A Comparison. The Cubans. Caribbean, Central and South Americans. Non-Hispanic Caribbean Peoples. Sociological Analysis. IV.OTHER MINORITIES. 12.Religious Minorities. Sociohistorical Perspective. Catholic Americans. Jewish Americans. The Mormons. Muslim Americans. The Amish. The Rastafarians. The Santerians. Hindu Americans. Religion and U.S. Society. Sociological Perspectives. 13.Women as a Minority Group. Sociohistorical Perspective. The Reality of Sexual Differences. Immigrant and Minority Women. Social Indicators of Women's Status. Sexual Harassment. Sexism and the Law. Women and Politics. Sociological Analysis. V.TRENDS AND POSSIBILITIES. 14.The Ever-Changing U.S. Mosaic. Ethnic Consciousness. The Changing Face of Ethnicity. Current Ethnic Issues. Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the Future. Glossary. Notes. Appendix. Index. Credits.

Middle Eastern American

Middle Eastern American