CHAPTER 10: Individuals and Families of Arab Descent

CHAPTER 10:Individuals and Families of Arab Descent Developing Multicultural Counseling Competence: A Systems Approach Second Edition Danica G. Hays and Bradley T. Erford

Arab American Heterogeneity • Not one comprehensive definition of the Middle East or its Arab citizens • Arab American= any individual who defines himself or herself as part of that ethnic group and has heritage linked to the League of Arab States • League of Arab States • Impact of colonialism • Largest groups are from Lebanon, followed by Syria, Egypt, Palestine, Morocco, and Iraq • Estimated 3 million individuals

Arab American Heterogeneity Cont. • Arabs arrived in the U.S. in four distinct waves under various circumstances: • Group 1: primarily from Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, & Jordan between the end of the 19th century & start of the 20th century • Group 2: arrived from Syria, Jordan, Egypt, Iraq, Yemen & Lebanon after World War II (Brain Drain) • Group 3: primarily Palestinians who were also predominantly educated Muslims • Group 4: primarily Iraqi refugees from the Gulf War

Contemporary Social Perceptions and Discrimination • Post 9/11 U.S. has become intent on securing its borders against real or perceived threats and has engaged in preemptive actions in the name of the war on terror • Changes in national policy (e.g., PATRIOT Act) and possible ethnic profiling • Over 600 attacks against persons who the perpetrators assumed to be Muslim Arabs in the months following 9/11 • Stereotypes of Arabs as callous oil barons, desert nomads, religious zealots & repressive dictators • Over 800 cases of workplace discrimination, spanning loss of employment to religious or personal harassment

Contemporary Social Perceptions and Discrimination Cont. • Increased solidarity in a post 9/11 environment • Community education efforts, opening local mosques to those who wanted to understand Islam & praying for those who had lost their lives • Increased pride in their culture as a way to counter the negative images generated after 9/11

Arab American Culture and Values • Traditional values may be moderated over time by exposure to the U.S. culture, but may also be maintained by strong family systems & ethnic enclaves, or communities • Collectivism - “We rise together, we fall together” • Role of decision-making • Extended family systems are common within Arab households. • Communities tend to be close-knit & share common places of origin (the same city or area in the old country), if not blood. • Relationships with Grandmother or “Auntie” are an important source of stability & important to assess in counseling

Arab American Culture and Values Cont. • Religion & Faith • The religious diversity of Arab Americans may come as a surprise

Arab American Culture and Values • Origins of Islam • Tenets of Islam • Persons are responsible for their own deeds and must always remain accountable to God and aware of his presence • Muslims also share the Christian belief in heaven and hell • “Islam” means peace through submission, which would not condone actions taken with the express purpose of hurting or terrorizing another person or group • The goal of global unity is supported by Islamic ethics • Gender in Islam

Arab American Culture and Values Cont. • Five important spiritual practices, known as the Pillars of Islam, are: • Shahadah, the declaration of faith to one God, Allah, and in Muhammad as God’s prophet • Salat, or the formal practice of worshiping by bowing towards Mecca five times daily and praying • Sawm, the month long fast observed during Ramadan, which serves to build patience and obedience to God as well as to teach compassion for those who go hungry • Zakah, or the donation of 2.5% of one’s income to the mosques as a form of giving alms • Hajj, or the pilgrimage to Mecca. Those who are not able to make the journey to Mecca are encouraged to sponsor someone else’s pilgrimage

Arab American Culture and Values Cont. • Some common ground among Islam, Christianity & Judaism • Roots of the Catholic tradition in Arab American communities • Other Orthodox groups that split • Continuum of adherence to faith traditions by clients of Arab descent • Religion for Arab Americans of any faith tradition is often a source of comfort & strength, a valued connection to cultural roots, and a resource in times of difficulty • The Imam may be sought for counsel in handling daily stressors & worshipers may assist each other with other issues

Arab American Culture and Values Cont. • Education, Work, and Economic Status • School children in the Arab Middle East may be segregated by gender, but Arab American children follow the norms of schooling in the U.S. • Education & professional preparation are both emphasized across the Arab Middle East and therefore carried over into the U.S. • 85% of Arab Americans having a high school diploma & over 40% with bachelor’s degrees • Some of the most recent immigrants may have professions & educational certifications from their home countries, but may not be able to practice those professions in the U.S. • The overall rate of employment among Arab Americans is high, as is the mean household income

Arab American Culture and Values Cont. • Communication Styles • Use of non-verbal gestures to express emotion. • Comfort with touching & standing in close proximity while communicating. • Use of high volume or repetition to emphasize a critical point. • Such expressiveness may not extend to the sharing of emotional feelings or issues • May be reluctant to say anything negative about others, especially family or community members • May be a hierarchy of communication among family members • Emphasis on children speaking respectfully to elders & women being respectful to men in public settings

Arab American Culture and Values Cont. • If the counselor is seen as an authority figure, the client may expect him to provide concrete solutions to problems rather than to ask questions designed to promote insight • Some clients could feel that they are betraying their families by sharing personal matters with an outsider (the counselor) • Gender in counseling • Learning a few key Arabic greetings and other phrases, along with cultural traditions, from one’s clients, will enhance rapport

Individual Differences and Identities • Identity is highly likely to be influenced by demographic characteristics such as religion, gender, refugee status, acculturation, and discrimination experiences • Acculturation considerations • Unique issues for refugees • Arabs with light skin tones & Christian religious heritage would not draw as much attention in the U.S. as darker skinned Arabs who maintained Islamic religious practices • Factors influencing the adjustment process might include: country of origin, the reason for coming to the U.S., language used at home, and proximity to an Arab American enclave

Individual Differences and Identities Cont. • Ethnicity • Even the U.S. government has categorized Middle Easterners with terms such as “Asiatic,” “Colored,” and “White” since the late 1800s • No phenotypical look common to all Arabs • External influences on Arab American ethnic identity could include: • political discourse, predominant religions in the local communities, absence or presence of other Arab Americans, length of time in the U.S. or language spoken at home • Within-group variations

Individual Differences and Identities Cont. • Three levels identity for young Arab Americans: • Individual level - all adolescents must navigate gender identity as they approach adulthood, but this process is likely to intersect with religion, social values from the country of origin, acculturation status • Level of family & peers - may be different among Arab American youth (how much they feel their values are similar to the parental generation’s values) • Sociocultural level - children may be learning that discrimination exists in the U.S. & it can be directed at members of their community

Individual Differences and Identities Cont. • Gender Identity • Non-Arab U.S. citizens may hold multiple stereotypes about Arab or Arab American women, particularly those who are Muslim • Some traditional social customs from the Middle East that encourage separation of the sexes for various activities are particularly hard for Americans to understand • Girls in separate classrooms • Allowing an unmarried & sexually protected young woman to go on a date with a young man • Double standards for men and women

Individual Differences and Identities Cont. • Generation of immigration & time spent in the U.S. can influence acculturation & choices about cultural norms and gender roles • The definition of women’s roles in the Arab American community may shift with time & religious traditionalism • An example of the variations in Muslim Arab American gender identity is the practice of veiling

Mental Health Issues among Arab Americans • Oppression & Discrimination • Popular media sources portray Arabs and Arab Americans in a manner that reflects the politically tense relations between the U.S. and various Arab Middle East countries • These portrayals may become internalized by non-Arab & Arab Americans • Both overt and covert discrimination are detrimental to the mental health of individuals to whom those acts are directed

Mental Health Issues among Arab Americans Cont. • Acculturative Stress • Immigrants must learn a new language and cultural customs & learn to navigate within an entirely new social structure • “Transferring” former levels of education/employment can be challenging • Intergenerational stress may pose additional family stressors

Mental Health Issues among Arab Americans Cont. • Ethnic and Gender Identity Development • Historically, “Arabism” and ethnic identity development among Arab Americans has paralleled their immigration history in the U.S. • Pride in ethnic heritage, particularly for Arab Americans, did not emerge fully until the 1960s • Political & other conflicts between the U.S. and the Arab Middle East, as well as domestic acts of violence have served as catalysts for the ebb and flow of ethnic pride within the Arab American community nationally

Mental Health Issues among Arab Americans Cont. • Other Psychosocial Issues • Arab Americans are not identified as a special population by most government or mental health agencies • For recent refugee immigrants, there is a high prevalence of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), often accompanied by elevated rates of anxiety and depression • Psychosocial issues often present as somatic issues

Counseling Considerations • Western approaches may be a beneficial approach for Arab Americans who are more acculturated • Focus on the family & community • Arab Americans as a group tend to prefer solution-focused, cognitive behavioral, and constructivist approaches • Gauge the level one is perceived as being a member of the greater community, as this can become a positive or negative attribute to the therapeutic relationship • Stigma and help-seeking behaviors

Counseling Considerations Cont. • Today’s counselors serve as advocates for their clients, individually, locally, & nationally • Most helping professions have identified this new role as a critical one in today’s world, given the vast diversity across culture, religion, sexual orientation, and the like • Working with Arab Americans, in particular, given the global post 9-11 climate, requires a knowledge level of: • U.S. foreign policy toward the Arab Middle East and neighboring regions, • civil liberties issues around profiling and harassment, • laws surrounding immigration and seizure, and • the basic multicultural competencies applied to Arab American clients

Counseling Considerations Cont. • In various communities, support organizations have formed to • promote employment (e.g., Arab American Chamber of Commerce), • expand religious tolerance & understanding (e.g., Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding), • provide accurate information about the history and politics of the Middle East (e.g. Middle East Institute), and • support members of the community (e.g. ACCESS: Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services) • Counselors are to be aware of these organizations

CHAPTER 10: Individuals and Families of Arab Descent