News Resources

Arab Americans in the U.S. and Army

By Jean AbiNader
Managing Director of IdeaCom, Inc and COO of the Moroccan American Center

The earliest Arab immigrants, from Lebanon, Syria and Palestine, began arriving in the United States in large numbers in the 1880s as a result of economic and political difficulties in the region. They settled in what is now known as the rust belt, from New England to Michigan, working in mill towns, either as laborers or small business people, or as professionals in design and teaching. Most were Christians who joined local churches, eventually establishing their own in many medium and large cities.

With the closing of most immigration to the United States in 1927, the primary immigrants were family members of those earlier immigrants. These people extended their geographic reach to the Southeast, Southwest, and West Coast following the sun and still quite busy in business, services and other professions. However, after WWII, as political upheavals coursed through the Middle East and North Africa, significant numbers of immigrants, Muslim and Christian, started to arrive from Egypt and Iraq who were generally better educated, multilingual and able to achieve high levels of economic, commercial and professional achievements. Civil war in Yemen prompted large numbers to come to Michigan and the West Coast seeking a better life.

Today, the community is quite diverse. It totals around 2.5 million people whose demographic profile is quite impressive, with the highest levels of education and small business ownership among ethnic groups. About 65 percent of the community is Christian; about 25 percent Muslim and the remaining 10 percent are unaffiliated. Most have not been to the Middle East and don’t speak Arabic. That’s why the heritage and language are so critical for recruiting purposes; they make up only 20 percent of Arab American households and are primarily immigrants and Muslims who use Arabic everyday for their religious observances. Arab Americans make up about 20 percent of the Muslim population in the United States who are largely South Asian and African American.

Arab Americans are found in all major metropolitan areas, from Boston, New York/New Jersey/Philadelphia, Atlanta/Orlando/Miami, Pittsburgh/Cleveland, Detroit/Chicago, Houston/Dallas to Southern and Northern California, with other concentrations in states including Iowa, Alabama, Louisiana, Indiana and Oklahoma.

The U.S. Army's 09L program has benefited from a broad range of “heritage” and immigrant speakers of Arabic and other key languages in the region. 09L Soldiers were born mostly in Sudan, Morocco, Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Palestine and Yemen. They make many contributions in the field as translators of sensitive documents, graffiti and political signs. They are interpreters for commanders and leaders with local tribes and power brokers; trainers for military police, transportation specialists, communications teams and Iraqi troop trainers; and perform all the functions of other Soldiers in the field. Their cultural awareness, courage and effectiveness have been broadly commended by their units and supervisors. Back in the States, they have contributed by developing training scenarios for recruits, developed cultural awareness and language courses, worked as members of recruiting teams, and provided insights into intelligence issues for analysts and planners. In summary, they are proud of their Arab heritage and their roles in defending America’s freedoms.