Page - 184 - in Media – Migration – Integration - European and North American Perspectives

Kenneth Starck | Perpetuating Prejudice 184 2. Arabs in the United States: An Overview The Arab connection with the United States goes back even before there was a United States. Though historians differ in the facts they uncover and the conclusions they draw, general agreement exists that Arabs came early to the new land and in subsequent years came in several waves. And despite post- 9/11, which has subjected Arabs to rigorous scrutiny, they continue to migrate to the United States. Who was the first Arab to arrive in the United States? In the overall scheme of events, it probably doesn’t matter. But it is interesting to note that the first Arab may have accompanied Christopher Columbus on his voyage of discovery. In The American Arabic Speaking Community 1975 Almanac, Editor- Publisher Haiek cites a source claiming, somewhat curiously, that Columbus, believing his journey across the sea would take him to India, decided to take with him an Arab interpreter, Louis de Torre. De Torre had converted to Christianity, and hence the name, following the fall of Granada, the last Arab stronghold in Spain (Haiek 1975). Two Moroccans may have been the next pioneering Arabs to set foot in what was to become the United States. A former slave by the name of Zammouri is said to have led a Spanish expedition into Florida in 1528. A few years later, in 1539, the Viceroy of New Spain sent Estephan the Arab to assist as a guide in the exploration of the southwestern part of North America. The Moroccan connection was foretelling. In 1787 Morocco became the first nation to officially recognize the independence of the United States in a treaty signed by Mohammad III and George Washington (Orfalea 2006). Scholars have identified several subsequent waves of Arabic immigration with economic considerations often serving as the motivating force. But other factors, namely family as well as turmoil in the Arabic world and changes in U.S. immigration laws, also have come into play. Those who entered the U.S. with the first wave – roughly 1878-1924 – were among more than 20 million immigrants from all over the world who came to the United States during that period called The Great Migration. It is difficult to determine precisely where they came from. Many came from Syria and Lebanon. And many new arrivals were simply placed in broad categories such as “Turkey in Asia” or “Syria”, according to Kayyali (2006).2 By 1924 it is estimated that some 200,000 Arabs were living in the United States. They were predominantly Christians, in part because of the work of missionaries 2 Several excellent studies have been carried out on Arab immigration to the United States. Two relatively recent works primarily relied upon for this paper are Kayyali (2006) and Orfalea (2006).