2016 Reports

LGBT Middle Eastern/Arab Americans

Ohene-Asah, Okyeraa; Smith, Raymond Arthur

Middle Eastern/Arab Americans may comprise a small portion of the United States’ population but they are a diverse group of people. Arab Americans in particular come from 22 nation states such as Iraq, Somalia, Egypt, Morocco, and Jordan and represent a range of religions. In a post 9/11 world, Middle Eastern and Arab Americans must contend with an increased amount of discrimination. However unlike People of Color (POC), Middle Eastern and Arab Americans are not protected from race based discrimination because they are officially classified as white on the United States census. Thus they do not enjoy the unearned privileges and protection that stem from whiteness. Additionally, this classification erases the complexities and differences that exist within the Middle Eastern/Arab American identities. For these reasons, Middle Eastern/Arab Americans are marginalized like POC.