Education Department

Arab Stereotypes/Arab Reality

Stereotypes: Images and Reality

Discussion Questions: (Write student responses on the blackboard.)

What is an Arab American? Do you know any Arab Americans?

When you hear the word "Arab" what are the first things that come to mind? What are the images of Arabs that we see most frequently on TV, in the movies, in books? Make a list of images and ideas which students associate with Arabs. How many positive Arab or Arab American characters can students identify on TV, in movies?

What does an "Arab" typically look like? What does an Arab woman look like? Where do Arabs live? What do their homes look like? (Emphasize Arab diversity.)

What is the Arab world? Which countries are Arab countries? Have the students name as many countries as they can. How is the Arab world different from the "Middle East." Select several Arab countries. Ask students to tell what they know about each country. What makes them distinct? What do they have in common? Do students have distinctive images of different countries?

Emphasize the diversity in the Arab world. Rich and poor, urban and rural, traditional and modern.

Key point: Media images of Arabs focus on the sensational, the violent and the picturesque. Not on normal life.

Exercise: Hand out copies of the exercise "Identify the Arab Americans" and ask students to match names and identities. Or you may want to do this as a verbal exercise, describing the person and letting students guess the name.

Bedouin images: The bedouin image of Arabs is outdated. The Arab world has always been an urban civilization. Most Arabs live in cities, towns and villages. The bedouin image is about as typical of Arabs as cowboys and gangsters are of Americans. Bedouins make up about 2% of the population in the Arab world.

Geography of the Arab world: The stereotype is deserts, camels, oases. There are extensive desert areas, but there are also fertile coastal regions and river valleys and mountainous areas.

Religion:

A popular stereotype is that "All Arabs are Muslims." But not all Arabs are Muslims; most Muslims are not Arabs.

Exercise: Ask students to name the five largest Muslim countries. (Only 1 of the 8 largest is Arab.)

Indonesia 144 million Muslims
Pakistan 92 million
Bangladesh 90 million
India 90 million
Turkey 50 million
Egypt 44 million
Iran 44 million
Nigeria 40 million

United States 6 million (estimated)

Arab Christians: There are millions of Christian Arabs, which make up approximately 8-12% of the Arab population. Arab Christian communities in Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, Egypt and Iraq trace their history back to the time of Jesus and the apostles.

Some are eastern-rite Catholics (Maronites, Melkites). A few are Protestants. Most belong to indigenous churches that have roots in the ancient world -- Orthodox, Copts, Chaldeans, and others. They are distinct from both Protestants and Catholics and trace their history back to Jesus and the Apostles of the New Testament church.

Arab women: Stress the diversity of women's experience. Some are more traditional; others are more modern. Many Arab women are highly educated, professional, cosmopolitan women, who pursue careers in the professions. Many traditional village women have always been actively involved in agriculture. There are Arab women who are members of parliaments, work in government agencies, and attend universities all over the Arab world.

Discrimination and Hate Crimes

Like other immigrant communities, Arab Americans sometimes are the targets of discrimination. They may run into problems in the workplace, in dealing with government agencies or in educational institutions. Problems can be greatly intensified at times of crisis which are or are thought to be Middle East-related, such as the Gulf war or the Oklahoma City bombing. At such times Arab American may be the targets of threats, public hostility and even physical violence. Mosques and Arab American organizations have been the targets of bombs, arson attacks and gunfire. Sometimes Arab American students run into hostility and misunderstanding in their schools.

Scenario:

(Have the students discuss what to do in the following situation. The class can discuss this as a whole, or they can break down into small groups which then report on their discussions to the class as a whole.)

The U.S. again finds itself in the midst of a Middle East crisis. Public hostility against Arabs is gaining in strength. There have been incidents of harassment in your community.

Your school has a small group of Arab American students whose families immigrated from the Arab world. They find the atmosphere at school somewhat uncomfortable. Teachers and students do not have a very clear understanding about life in the Arab world. A small but vocal group of non-Arab students are openly hostile to the Arab Americans. They make jokes about Arabs, camels and terrorists. They call Arabs "ragheads" and say the U.S. should "flatten Iraq." This week there have been some arguments and pushing and shoving between the two groups at recess and after school.

Discussion Questions: What should the Arab Americans do? What should non-Arab students do? What should the faculty and administration do?

(In similar circumstances, some schools have encouraged teachers to lead classroom discussions about the problem, giving everyone a chance to air their feelings and engage in open discussion. Current events can be discussed, making it clear that Arab Americans are not responsible for political events in the Middle East. Other schools have invited Arab Americans to give presentations on the Arab American community or on the culture of the Arab world, emphasizing its positive values. Sometimes Arab food or sweets are provided.)

		Marvin Wingfield.... [Director of Education and Outreach]
		Arab Stereotypes/Arab Reality Stereotypes: Images and Reality Discussion Questions: (Write student responses on the blackboard.) What is an Arab American? Do you know any Arab Americans? When you hear the word "Arab" what are the first things that come to mind? What are the images of Arabs that we see most frequently on TV, in the movies, in books? Make a list of images and ideas which students associate with Arabs. How many positive Arab or Arab American characters can students identify on TV, in movies? What does an "Arab" typically look like? What does an Arab woman look like? Where do Arabs live? What do their homes look like? (Emphasize Arab diversity.) What is the Arab world? Which countries are Arab countries? Have the students name as many countries as they can. How is the Arab world different from the "Middle East." Select several Arab countries. Ask students to tell what they know about each country. What makes them distinct? What do they have in common? Do students have distinctive images of different countries? Emphasize the diversity in the Arab world. Rich and poor, urban and rural, traditional and modern. Key point: Media images of Arabs focus on the sensational, the violent and the picturesque. Not on normal life. Exercise: Hand out copies of the exercise "Identify the Arab Americans" and ask students to match names and identities. Or you may want to do this as a verbal exercise, describing the person and letting students guess the name. Bedouin images: The bedouin image of Arabs is outdated. The Arab world has always been an urban civilization. Most Arabs live in cities, towns and villages. The bedouin image is about as typical of Arabs as cowboys and gangsters are of Americans. Bedouins make up about 2% of the population in the Arab world. Geography of the Arab world: The stereotype is deserts, camels, oases. There are extensive desert areas, but there are also fertile coastal regions and river valleys and mountainous areas. Religion: A popular stereotype is that "All Arabs are Muslims." But not all Arabs are Muslims; most Muslims are not Arabs. Exercise: Ask students to name the five largest Muslim countries. (Only 1 of the 8 largest is Arab.) Indonesia 144 million Muslims Pakistan 92 million Bangladesh 90 million India 90 million Turkey 50 million Egypt 44 million Iran 44 million Nigeria 40 million United States 6 million (estimated) Arab Christians: There are millions of Christian Arabs, which make up approximately 8-12% of the Arab population. Arab Christian communities in Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, Egypt and Iraq trace their history back to the time of Jesus and the apostles. Some are eastern-rite Catholics (Maronites, Melkites). A few are Protestants. Most belong to indigenous churches that have roots in the ancient world -- Orthodox, Copts, Chaldeans, and others. They are distinct from both Protestants and Catholics and trace their history back to Jesus and the Apostles of the New Testament church. Arab women: Stress the diversity of women's experience. Some are more traditional; others are more modern. Many Arab women are highly educated, professional, cosmopolitan women, who pursue careers in the professions. Many traditional village women have always been actively involved in agriculture. There are Arab women who are members of parliaments, work in government agencies, and attend universities all over the Arab world. Discrimination and Hate Crimes Like other immigrant communities, Arab Americans sometimes are the targets of discrimination. They may run into problems in the workplace, in dealing with government agencies or in educational institutions. Problems can be greatly intensified at times of crisis which are or are thought to be Middle East-related, such as the Gulf war or the Oklahoma City bombing. At such times Arab American may be the targets of threats, public hostility and even physical violence. Mosques and Arab American organizations have been the targets of bombs, arson attacks and gunfire. Sometimes Arab American students run into hostility and misunderstanding in their schools. Scenario: (Have the students discuss what to do in the following situation. The class can discuss this as a whole, or they can break down into small groups which then report on their discussions to the class as a whole.) The U.S. again finds itself in the midst of a Middle East crisis. Public hostility against Arabs is gaining in strength. There have been incidents of harassment in your community. Your school has a small group of Arab American students whose families immigrated from the Arab world. They find the atmosphere at school somewhat uncomfortable. Teachers and students do not have a very clear understanding about life in the Arab world. A small but vocal group of non-Arab students are openly hostile to the Arab Americans. They make jokes about Arabs, camels and terrorists. They call Arabs "ragheads" and say the U.S. should "flatten Iraq." This week there have been some arguments and pushing and shoving between the two groups at recess and after school. Discussion Questions: What should the Arab Americans do? What should non-Arab students do? What should the faculty and administration do? (In similar circumstances, some schools have encouraged teachers to lead classroom discussions about the problem, giving everyone a chance to air their feelings and engage in open discussion. Current events can be discussed, making it clear that Arab Americans are not responsible for political events in the Middle East. Other schools have invited Arab Americans to give presentations on the Arab American community or on the culture of the Arab world, emphasizing its positive values. Sometimes Arab food or sweets are provided.)