1.From the “Arab and Other Middle Eastern Americans” article, I learned that the official category used by the United States Census and other agencies is “Arab Americans.” The article mentions that in the 2010 American Community Survey, Arabs were estimated at 1.7 million, with various subgroups such as Egyptians, Iraqis, Jordanians, Lebanese, Moroccans, Palestinians, Syrians, and others. Additionally, the article highlights that informal estimates suggest even higher numbers for these communities.
2.Something I learned from the video was about the misconceptions surrounding Middle Eastern culture and religion. It was truly eye-opening to learn that not all Arabs conform to common stereotypes and that there is a rich tapestry of cultures within the region.
3.The article on “literacy reform in the Middle East” emphasizes the need for targeted efforts to address low literacy rates, especially among women. It mentions the inclusion of a literacy corps as part of the Greater Middle East Initiative, which aims to promote political, economic, and social reform. The article also highlights the importance of focusing on the poorest and largest countries in the region to make a significant impact.
4.The source I chose is from Washington post called “U.S. Readies Push for Mideast Democracy Plan.” The Greater Middle East Initiative is a U.S. effort to promote democracy, education, and economic development in the Arab world. I chose it because it’s an important topic for global stability and progress. It matters because it can lead to more freedom, knowledge, and empowerment for people in the region.
2 thoughts on “Converstaion 5”
I also did not know that “Arab Americans” is the term used by the US census bureau to refer to the middle eastern population in the country. The fact that there is a huge gap of misunderstanding regarding Middle Eastern culture in America is really sad. Even more after seeing how these stereotypes that do not represent what the Middle East is a whole go on and on. We see the movies; we watch the news, but they just show a side of the coin to us. The side of the coin that is not true.
Hey Kayla, I was also surprised to find out that the US Census labels the Middle Eastern population as Arab Americans. It’s interesting to see how there’s still such a closed minded view especially with something such as the census. I find it saddening that many of the stereotypes people would pin on someone from the Middle East would be generalized and untrue and what’s worse is the amount of cultures and countries that would be jumbled into this category.