| Arab American |
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| arab americans | |
| ethnic groups in the united states | |
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| middle eastern americans | |
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POPULATION The majority of Arab Americans, around 62 per cent, originate from the region of the Levant , comprising Syria , Lebanon , Palestine and Jordan . The remainder are made up of those from Iraq , Morocco and other Arab nations, which although are small in numbers, are present nonetheless. There are more than 3.5 million Arab-Americans in the United States according to The Arab American Institute. The largest Arab American populations are found in California , Michigan , New Jersey , and New York . The city that has the largest percentage of Arab Americans in its population is the city of Dearborn, Michigan . Other major communities include Paterson, New Jersey / Clifton, New Jersey , Brooklyn, New York , and Glendale, California . RELIGIOUS BACKGROUND While the overwhelming majority of the population of the Middle Eastern region, and, in particular, the countries of the Arab world, are identified as adherents of Islam , the vast majority of Arab Americans are Christian , not Muslim . Christians account for 77% of the Arab American population, while Muslims account for 23%. The largest Arab American religious community is comprised by Maronite Catholics ( Eastern Rite ) who account for 42%, followed by Orthodox Christians and Muslim s, each accounting for 23% of the Arab American population. Protestant Christians are the smallest religious grouping, accounting for 12% of all Arab Americans. RACIAL STATUS Arab Americans in the United States had been categorized as Caucasian a racial category defined by Johann Friedrich Blumenbach by all government agencies and for statistical compiling by the US census until their official racial category changed to White. However, the American understanding of the terms "White" and "Caucasoid" may not always be synonymous, and can change in meaning depending on context. "White" is a somewhat flexible social concept that has had differing meaning throughout history, and has both included and excluded various Caucasoid peoples at one time or another, and acknowledging "honorary whites" at others. "Caucasoid", on the other hand, is a fixed racial category defined by the anthropologist Carleton S. Coon for the peoples original to Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa and their descendants. However, the Middle Eastern and Arab regions, from the standpoint of genetics and anthropological history, consist of ethnically varied populations. Both Caucasoid and Caucasian are Historical Racial Definitions and have been replaced by the term White . SEE ALSO EXTERNAL LINKS
Arab American Organizations |
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