Equity in American Education – Arab Americans

1. Presentation by: Anna Bennin, Eileen Kelm, Bonnie Smith, Jessica Soukup, and Christine Yang. Equity in American Education – Arab Americans

2. Although the United States has attempted to incorporate multicultural philosophies in their curriculum Arab-Americans are often not mentioned in American textbooks which tend to center on Eurocentric ideals (Karaman, 1995). Hollywood has contributed to stereotyping Arabs, as can be seen in the movie Aladdin. Arabs are portrayed as Bedouins living amongst the desert when in fact only 2% of the population actually lives this way. This leads to misconceptions that all too often find its way into the classroom (Karaman, 1995). Most Arab countries incorporate religious studies in their “state primary schools” which can run counter to western ideologies taught in American public schools (Education in the Arab World, 2009). Despite the 300 million people who speak Arabic languages and the United States close ties to the Arab world only a handful of U.S. schools teach Arabic as a second language (Karaman, 1995). Arab-Americans current issues with education in America

3. The American nation has lived in isolation from the Arab world causing absence of Arabs in our history partially due to ignorance and indifference to Arab history and culture (Atiyeh, 1977). • In the wake of the terrorist attacks on September 11, racial discrimination has been prevalent along with violence and economic ruin due to heightened negative generalized media and government scrutiny of Arabs (Audi, 2008). • Immigration laws have been created to almost exclusively impact Arabs, Muslims and South Asians (Audi, 2008). • Most Arab American, approximately 88%, work in the private sector while 12% are government employees. Post-September 11, harassment at work became recognized as an act of patriotism for coworkers (Audi, 2008). DifficultiesArab American have faced in the past

4. 1. Educate the community and public • Arab American National Museum • Goals: strives to foster a better understanding and appreciation for Arab and Arab American culture through education and presentation of the arts. • The programs are linked with the Michigan Department of Education’s K-12 grade level content expectation standards in Social Studies, English and Language Arts and World Languages. • Seminars and Workshops includes: • two-hour presentations • all-day and half-day workshops • individual and group consultations • museum tours • Elementary, Secondary and Adults Strategies to improve situation

5.   Arab American Family Services (AAFS) • a nonprofit social service agency founded in 2001 • build bridges of respect and understanding between Arab-American and mainstream-American cultures. • AAFS serves as a catalyst for social change by actively seeking to confront the myths and taboos that have kept some Arab Americans from obtaining the assistance they need. • Public Benefits Assistance •       Elderly Services •       Domestic Violence Prevention and Intervention •       Outreach and Interpretation •       Cultural Trainings •       Youth Programs •       English Second Language (E.S.L) •       Women and Children Crisis Fund (WCCF) •       Immigration Service and much more Arab American Family Services

6. NNAAC (National Network for Arab American Communities) The Coalition of Limited English Speaking Elderly  (CLESE) Community and Economic Development Association of Cook County, Incorporated Little Angel Foundation Center for American Philanthropy CAAP elnterative Solution World Vision All Kids Supporters of Aafs

7. 2. Although Arab Americans may be one of the smaller minorities in schools, they should be represented in multicultural courses and activities to validate their culture and educate all students about the Middle East. Field trips can include visits to Arab community institutions, assembly speakers can include Arab American leaders, and film series can include Arab contributions, for example. Schools can involve Arab American families to familiarize students with the various groups' celebrations, foods, and history (ADC, 1993a). Inclusion of Arab culture

8. 3. Schools can provide professional development training and make available to their staff accurate resource materials about the Middle East, Islam, the various Arab groups in the U.S., and the nature and extent of anti-Arab sentiment. • Middle East organizations and centers at local colleges offer schools a range of services, including training. • For example, the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) has produced a substantial Middle East bibliography for educators (1993b) and a guide for helping Arab parents serve as a resource for teachers (ADC, 1993a). Staff Development

9. 4. Administrators and teachers should correct invalid information when confronted with it, such as popular myths that all Arabs are "...wealthy...barbaric and backward”(Farquharson, 1988, p. 4). They can help students understand that Arab Americans should not be held personally accountable for events in the Middle East (ADC, 1997). They can confront scapegoating by allowing students to air their views and helping them understand why such judgments are inaccurate and hurtful (ADC, 1997). Educators should ensure that girls are not ridiculed for their head covering. Elimination of Prejudice and Discrimation

10. 5. Further, children's fiction that portrays Arab and Jewish children together is also frequently biased against Arabs (Kissen, 1991). Therefore, educators need to evaluate materials in use and discard those with misinformation or biases. • A variety of resources are available to facilitate this process. • The American Forum for Global Education (Kelahan & Penn, 1996) has produced an extensive bibliography of materials on Arab history that can be used by curriculum developers. • The Arab World and Islamic Resources and School Services (Shabbas, 1998) has issued a large notebook for secondary school teachers to use as a basis for a versatile curriculum. textbooks

11. 6. To promote critical thinking skills by analyzing news reports, teachers can ask students to evaluate stories for biases, unsubstantiated accusations, or uneven treatment of Arabs and Jews that promote racism. To identify stereotyping, teachers can ask students to critique their textbooks, television programs, movies, books, and news reports for negative portrayals of Arabs; indeed, many studies document pervasive anti-Arab attitudes in the entertainment media, including cartoons (ADC, 1997; Wingfeld & Karaman, 1995). Curriculum course content

12. Members reactions to strategies. Reaction to strategies

13. Arab Americans in U.S. schools represent more than 20 countries in the Middle East and Northern Africa. They share many similarities with other immigrant groups seeking to establish an ethnic identity in a heterogeneous country, but they also face additional challenges. These result especially from negative stereotyping; racism and discrimination; widespread misinformation about their history and culture; and, for the majority who are Muslim, the need to find ways to practice their religion in a predominantly Judeo-Christian country. Identify the current issues this group is dealing with in education. Can you identify any issues which might impact learning for this group.

14. Some Muslim Arab American parents send their children to private Muslim schools so they can receive an education consonant with the family's religious beliefs, but most opt for public schools. As the number of Arab American students in public schools has increased, so has the array of strategies and materials for successfully integrating them. Still, many schools have not yet acknowledged Arab culture and history or counteracted Arab stereotyping. This digest reviews the resources available to provide Arab Americans with a supportive school environment and all students with an accurate and unbiased education on the Middle East. Continued

15. School policies and practices largely determine how welcome Arab American students feel. Schools can: Represent the Middle East, Arabs, and Muslims accurately, completely, and fairly in the curriculum and school activities. Ensure that Arab American students are treated equitably and without prejudice by teachers and peers, and that teachers respond to incidences of racism and discrimination strongly and quickly, with attention to both the perpetrators and the victims. Respect the customs of the native culture and religion of Arab students. Continued

16. Arab references can be infused across the curriculum to familiarize students with Middle East culture and dispel myths: Arab music, Arab art, photographs of Arab countries, American words with Arab roots, notable Arab Americans, etc. Courses in religious tolerance need to include Islam. Anti-racism training (for educators and students) should cite Arab Americans as a group targeted by bigots. Schools can also offer Arabic as a foreign language, an option available to Fairfax County, VA, students. Continued

17. What are your own thoughts regarding incorporating Arab history into a school curriculum?  Are there advantages and/or disadvantages and if so what are they? How do you see your classroom environment helping students comprehend the misunderstanding and intolerance that has been an all-too-common fact of life for Americans of Arab descent? Discussion questions

18. Atiyeh, G. (1977). Arab and American Cultures. Washington, D.C.: American Enterprise I Institute for Public Policy Research. Audi, G. (2008). Challenges Facing the Arab American Community from a Legal Perspective. American Studies Journal, Number 52. Retrieved July 26, 2011, from http://asjournal.zusas.uni-halle.de/153.html Education in the Arab World. (2009, October 15). Retrieved July 26, 2011, from The Economist: http://www.economist.com/node/14660446 Karaman, M. W. (1995, March). American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee. Retrieved July 26, 2011, from American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee: http://www.adc.org/index.php?id=283 Mishkin, B. (Producer). (2011). One on 1: Arab American association director finds time for it all. [Web]. Retrieved from http://www.ny1.com/content/features/one_on_1/143662/one-on-1--arab-american-association-director-finds-time-for-it-all Warren, D. (2011, July). About ADC. Retrieved July 25, 2011, from http://www.adc.org/about-us/ Bibliography