Chapter 5, Bullet 3

Vanessa Perez
EDU 280
 Haboush suggests that Arabs are more collective or more oriented toward the group and that
Americans are more individually or more oriented toward individual concerns. So they mostly
believe that the individuals have the right to take care of themselves. They are self oriented
and emotionally independent, and their emphasis is on individual initiatives.
 Gender roles differ for Arab Americans. Some factors affecting gender roles include country of origin,
whether the family came from a rural or urban area, and how long the family has been in the United
States. Rather than assume a gender stereotype, is it better to ask the person about his or her own
experiences.
Arab American women and girls sometimes experience double jeopardy for being young and female
and almost constantly feeling victimized by stereotypical images in the media. Females often feel
obligated to fight the media images in positive ways, showing a more accurate context of their religious
and social climate.

Boys and girls are treated differently in Arab cultures. For males a great deal of unconditional love
usually accompanies discipline.

As educators we have to remember that their equal treatment of boys and girls, as well as the schools
efforts to promote egalitarianism.
 Although many early Arab immigrants were peddlers and merchants, the new immigrants
reflect a greater variety of professions. Whereas the average household income for Arab
Americans tends to be higher than the national average, there is a greater percentage of Arab
American households below the poverty level than for the US population as a whole.
 Arab Americans value the family and take pride in extended family members. They share
several family traits, such as generosity, hospitality, courage, and respect for the elderly. Most
important, Arab Americans invest in their children through education, which is seen as a
social asset and religious duty necessary for the survival of both individuals and groups.
Back home it was encouraged to have more children. The reason why is because the more
children they had the more pride and economic contributions for the family, because of the
cost in the United States, Arab American families have grown a custom to having smaller
families instead.
 Arabs belong to many religions, including Islam, Christianity, Druze, Judaism, and others.
Although Arabs are connected by culture, they have different faiths.
Educators should be careful to distinguish religion from culture.
Common misperceptions are that all Arab traditions are Islamic and that Islam unifies all
Arabs. Most Arab Americans are Catholics or Orthodox Christians, but this does differ in other
parts of the states.
 The Arabic language is one of the great unifying and distinguishing characteristics of Arab
people. Arabic is spoken by 130 million people and is the fourth most widely spoken language
in the world. The Arabic language is one of the greatest Arab cultural treasures. Because of its
complexity, a good command of the Arabic language is highly admired.
 Back in their country are Arabs
encouraged or discouraged to have a big
Encouraged
family ?

What were Arabs occupation(s) Peddlers &

if they were to still live in their merchants
country ?

Educators should be careful to Religion from

distinguish ____ from ____ culture.