Assimilation with diverse groups

Arab-Americans Not Fully Assimilated

The events of September 11, 2001 caused the Arab-American community to come under the social microscope. What it revealed is that as an ethnic group Arab-Americans have never fully assimilated into the American mainstream. They remain a separate community within the American community, choosing to participate in America at an economic level of society, but that is really as far as Arab-Americans have taken their assimilation. The largest Arab group to have migrated to America is of a Syrian cultural heritage, and their migration to the U.S. began in the late 19th century (Naff, Alixa, 1993, p. 77). That their migration to the U.S. commenced, and continued from that time, and that, prior to September 11, 2001, so little attention was paid their migration, is suggestive of the way in which the Arab-American community has not fully assimilated into the American mainstream. One reason for this is that many of the early Syrian immigrants to America were Christians (Naff, p. 77). While many Americans do not associate Christianity with Arabs, Syria is in part a divided and conflicted nation because of its Christian population. That Christians, regardless of their cultural origins, migrated to America would not be noticeable. However, a large Muslim Arab community reside in America, and represent the section of the Arab immigrant population that have not fully assimilated into American society.

While Arabs do partake of the economical advantages and opportunities in America, they draw an invisible cultural line in the sand that really prevents them from fully assimilating into the American mainstream. That is in part as a result of their Islamic religion and traditions, which dominates their lives in a way that religion does not dominate the lives of other Americans or ethnic groups that have migrated to America. The male head of the household is endowed with the authority over the family by Islamic law, and this in part prevents full assimilation into American society (Nasser-McMillian, Sylvia and Hamkin-Larson, Julie, 2003, p. 150). One of the ways in which other immigrant groups have accomplished full assimilation into American society, is through ethnic crossover through marriage. This is a less frequent occurrence in Arab families, though it does happen, but less among women than men. For the most part, Arab immigrants represent a well educated group, and this, too, contributes to their lack of total assimilation (p. 150).

Another element that has not facilitated the Arab assimilation into American society is that many Arabs continue to use their language from their country of origin as the primary basis for communicating with one another (p. 150). This prolongs the process of assimilation, because the family unit is restricted by their inability to communicate beyond the family, or with others in their immigrant community who speak their language.