The themes of “race” and “ethnicity” are central to the current course offerings in the Program in American Culture. In this course, students will examine the specific ways that Arab Americans engage with “race.” It provides a historical overview of Arab Americans and “race” in relation to a series of other identity markers, such as class, gender, sexuality, religion, and nation. This course fits particularly within the Program in American Culture’s focus on transnational and diasporic considerations of “race.”
This course is an introductory survey to Arab-American studies. It will explore many questions such as the following in an interdisciplinary context, focusing on anthropological, historical, literary, and visual materials.
- What are the historical circumstances that have shaped Arab immigration to the U.S.?
- Where do Arab Americans "fit" within America’s racial classification system?
- What is anti-Arab racism?
- How has it shifted throughout Arab American history?
- What is the significance of gender and sexuality to anti-Arab racism?
- How did September 11th impact Arab American communities?
- What are the cultural forms that Arab immigrants have inherited from their homelands and reproduced in this country?
- In what ways are these cultural forms gendered?
- What is the relationship between socioeconomic class and cultural identity among Arab Americans?
- How have Arab Americans used the arts for cultural and political expression?
- What is the significance of religious affiliation to Arab American identity formation?
- How has U.S. foreign policy impacted Arab American histories and experiences?
Class Format:
Two weekly required lectures and a required weekly discussion section