Arab American Demographics
Arab-Americans Well-Educated,
Diverse, Affluent & Highly Entrepreneurial
Over 4 Million Americans
Trace Ancestry to Arab Countries
By Samia El-Badry
The vast majority
of Arab-Americans are citizens of the United States. They are
very much like other Americans, except younger, more educated,
more affluent and more likely to own a business. Like any
other immigrant group, Arab-Americans want to enjoy America's
riches while preserving the important parts of their native
culture.
Though Arab-Americans are the least-studied ethnic group in
the United States, they receive considerable publicity associated
with political and economic events, a good example of which
has been the intense focus on the community in the aftermath
of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in New York, Washington
and Pennsylvania. While this attention may be of grave political
and diplomatic importance, it overshadows Arab-Americans'
financial and social impact in the United States.
More importantly, such attention - including the current focus
on the community - points out a longstanding problem: Very
little is actually publicized and discussed about the make-up
of the community. The lack of information, coupled with the
media's tendency to use broad strokes to associate Arab-Americans
with Arabs in the Middle East, has at times put the community
in a defensive position. This article, which is based on the
1990 U.S. Census (which is the most recent available information)
addresses the lack of information by providing a demographic
and economic picture of the community.
Counting Arab-Americans
The
1990 U.S. Census found 870,000 Americans who list "Arab"
as one of their top two ancestries. This census definition
is inconsistent, however, and not necessarily reliable. Before
1920, census records lumped Arabs together with Turks, Armenians,
and other non-Arabic speaking people. Moreover, until recently,
non-Syrian Asian Arabs were counted as "other Asians,"
and others categorized as "other Africans." Palestinians,
the main postwar group, were counted as refugees, Israelis
or nationals of their last country of residence.
If
the census undercount were adjusted and if Arab-Americans
filled out census forms, their number today might be as large
as three million.
Census
data show that 82 percent of Arab-Americans are U.S. citizens,
with 63 percent born in the United States. Fifty-four percent
of Arab-Americans are men, compared with 49 percent of the
total U.S. population. This is partly because men of all nationalities
typically immigrate before women do.
The
Arab-American population as a whole is quite young; again,
probably because younger people are more likely to immigrate.
Many Arab-Americans are in their childbearing years, or are
native-born children or teenagers.
In
general, Arab-Americans are better educated than the average
American. More of them attend college, and they earn masters
or higher degrees at twice the average rate. Because they
tend to be well educated and of working age, their work force
rates are high. Eighty percent of Arab-Americans aged 16 and
older were employed in 1990, compared with 60 percent of all
Americans. In addition, only 7 percent of Arab-American entrepreneurs
receive public assistance, compared with 1.7 percent of non-Arab-Americans.
In
a volatile economy, with many large companies laying people
off, Arab-Americans --who often are entrepreneurs or self-employed
(14 percent versus 8 percent) -- may be less vulnerable to
company layoffs.
Arab-American Entrepreneurs
The sample includes all entrepreneurs 16 years of age or older.
The census defines entrepreneurs as people who report themselves
to be "self-employed" in their "own incorporated"
or "non-incorporated business," "professional
practice," or "farm." The 1990 census data
show 73,829 Arab-American and 13,408,206 non-Arab-American
entrepreneurs. Sixty-four percent of self-employed Arab-Americans
own incorporated businesses, compared with only 27 percent
of other entrepreneurs. See Table 1
Citizenship and Immigration
Most
Arab-American entrepreneurs are United States citizens, either
by birth (47.0 percent) or naturalization (36.3 percent).
Arab migration to the United States dates to the late 19th
and early 20th centuries. Early migrants typically were Syrian
or Lebanese merchants pursuing economic interests. Legal and
political restrictions, the Depression and World War II curbed
Arab migration between 1925 and 1948.
Arabs
immigrating since World War II have tended to be from capitalist
classes -- landed gentry and influential urban-based families
-- replaced by new leadership in their various home countries.
Many post-war immigrants were Palestinians displaced when
Israel was established in 1948. Others were Egyptians whose
land was appropriated by the Nasser regime; Syrians overthrown
by revolutionaries; and Iraqi royalists fleeing the Republican
regime. They often had attended Western or westernized schools,
spoke fluent English, and identified themselves as members
of a professional class.
Immigration from the Middle East increased dramatically in
the late 1960s. By 1990, more than 75 percent of foreign-born
Arab-Americans in had immigrated after 1964, compared with
52 percent of the total U.S. foreign-born population. The
largest share (44 percent) of these arrived between 1975 and
1980, compared with 24 percent of all other foreign-born persons.
Many Arabs immigrated during this period because of constant
turmoil in the Middle East: the 1967 war, the civil war in
Lebanon, the Kurd-Iraqi War of the 1960s and the violence
in Iraq and Iran after 1978 all were trigger points. These
coincided with the U.S. Immigration Act of 1965, which ended
the quota system favoring immigrants from Europe. Many in
this migration flow were Muslim, with even higher educations
and
incomes than their predecessors. This group's socioeconomic
attainment pattern also greatly surpassed that of other immigrant
group, and the American population as a whole. (See chart
2)
Religion
Before 1960, as many as 90 percent of Arab immigrants were
Christians, but recent immigrants are mostly Muslim. There
were several prominent sects within the Christian population:
Maronite Christians from Lebanon, Coptic Christians from Egypt
and Chaldeans from Iraq.
The new immigrants settled in or near established Arab-American
communities. The Detroit metropolitan region, especially Dearborn,
attracted a steady stream of Arab immigrants after 1965 and
may have the largest number of recent Arab immigrants. Most
came from a variety of occupational backgrounds and found
work in the auto industry or in other working-class employment,
although not all Detroit Arabs sought such employment.
Christian
Chaldeans, an Iraqi minority in a Muslim country, were among
the first to take advantage of the 1965 immigration act. About
one thousand lived in Detroit before passage of the act. After
1965 their numbers increased, until by 1974 they accounted
for approximately one-seventh of Detroit's estimated 70,000
Arab-Americans. They opened grocery stores and established
a reputation in that business similar to that of Korean grocers.
By 1972 the Chaldeans were running about 278 stores in Detroit,
and assisting others in the United States.
Another large Arab-American settlement in Brooklyn had attracted
earlier Lebanese and Syrian migrations. Los Angeles lured
many Coptic Christians from Egypt, part of the Egyptian immigrant
wave after the 1967 Arab-Israeli War.
Where do We Live?
Today, Arab-Americans -- like many minority groups -- are
geographically concentrated. Over two-thirds live in ten states;
one-third in California, New York, and Michigan. They are
also more likely than other Americans to live in metropolitan
areas. Thirty-six percent of Arab-Americans are found in ten
cities, primarily Detroit, New York, or Los Angeles.
Entrepreneurs
in the United States, whether or not they are Arab-American,
most often live in the Pacific, South Atlantic, East North
Central, or Mid-Atlantic regions. The regional distribution
of Arab-American entrepreneurs is similar to that of non-Arab-American
entrepreneurs.
Age, Sex and Marital Status
Both groups of entrepreneurs - Arab-American and non-Arab-American
-- tend to be between the ages of 25 and 44, and their age
distributions are similar, with Arab-Americans generally younger
than their non-Arab-American counterparts in most age categories,
which may reflect the large proportion of self-employed Arab-American
workers. Studies of other ethnic groups show that businesses
tend to be established by newer immigrants, and Arab immigrants
are, for the most part, young.
Entrepreneurship
in the United States is male-dominated. Regardless of ancestry,
67.4 percent of entrepreneurs are male, 32.6 percent female.
The ratio of male to female entrepreneurs is slightly larger
for Arab-American than for non-Arab-American entrepreneurs.
Entrepreneurs of all ancestries in the United States are likely
to be married (74.3 percent for non-Arab-Americans and 73.6
percent for Arab-Americans). It is interesting to note, however;
that close to 16 percent of Arab-American entrepreneurs are
never-married singles (compared to 11.7 percent for non-Arab-Americans).
(See Chart 3)
Education
In general, Arab-Americans are better educated than the average
American. A greater percentage attends college, and those
who earn master's degrees or higher do so at twice the national
average. While most entrepreneurs in the United States have
only a high school diploma or some college experience, Arab-American
entrepreneurs are more likely to attend college and have college
and postgraduate degrees.
These
patterns remain the same when broken down by sex. Male entrepreneurs
are more likely than females to have postgraduate degrees,
however, and women entrepreneurs are more likely to have only
a high school diploma or some college experience. (See Chart
4)
Occupations
The occupational distribution between Arab-American entrepreneurs
and their non-Arab counterparts is quite striking. The top
five occupational categories for both groups are:
Executive/ administrative/managerial
Professional specialty
SalesServices (not personal domestic or protective),
andPrecision repair |
Sales comprises the largest percentage
of both Arab-American and non-Arab-American entrepreneurs,
although the rate of Arab-Americans in sales (33.4 percent)
is almost double that of non-Arabs (17.9 percent). Moreover,
non-Arab-American entrepreneurs are much more evenly distributed
across other occupations such as farming, fishing or forestry.
The top four industries attracting Arab-American and non-Arab-American
entrepreneurs are:
- Retail Trade
- Construction
- Finance/insurance/real
estate, and
- Professional
industries
|
Consistent
with the sales figures cited above, Arab-American entrepreneurs
overwhelmingly work in retail trade (34.6 percent), followed
by the professional industries (17.1 percent). Few are engaged
as miners, administrators or in the agricultural/forestry/fishing
fields. The same can be said for the entertainment/recreation
field (although some notable exceptions apply).
Non-Arab-American
entrepreneurs are more evenly distributed across industries,
but most are also in the professions (19.5 percent) and retail
trade (16 percent); the fewest work in entertainment/recreation
(1.8 percent) and transport/commerce/utilities (3.7 percent).
Where We Work
This
occupational and industrial distribution varies according
to region. Arab-American entrepreneurs in executive/managerial
occupations concentrate in the Mid-Atlantic, Pacific, or South
Atlantic regions, while those in the professions gravitate
toward the East North Central and, less so, the Mountain regions.
Arab-Americans in sales favor the Pacific; in service occupations,
the East North Central and South Atlantic; and, in precision
repair, the Pacific and Mid-Atlantic regions.
By
comparison, non-Arab-American entrepreneurs in executive/managerial
occupations and sales typically live in the Pacific and South
Atlantic, while those in professional occupations are most
likely to be found in the Pacific and Mid-Atlantic regions,
and those in retail trade tend to live in the South Atlantic
and Pacific, and are least likely to live in the East South
Central and New England regions.
The
industries among the top four for Arab-American entrepreneurs
are distributed regionally as follows: Arab-Americans in construction
overwhelmingly locate in the Pacific, South Atlantic, and
Mid-Atlantic regions, with the greatest concentration of non-Arabs
in construction in the South Atlantic and Pacific, and a few
in the Mountain region. The finance/insurance/real estate
category is the only industrial arena where both groups, with
similar proportions of workers, are most likely to live in
the Pacific or South Atlantic regions and least likely in
East South Central.
Among those industries not ranking in the top four for non-Arab-American
entrepreneurs, those in professional health are concentrated
in the Pacific and Mid-Atlantic, with few in the Mountain
and East South Central regions, but Arab-American entrepreneurs
in this industry reside primarily in the Pacific region and
less often in the East South Central and New England.
Similarly,
most non-Arab-American entrepreneurs in health and education
can be found in the Pacific and Mid-Atlantic, with the fewest
in the Mountain and East South Central regions, while Arab-American
entrepreneurs in these industries are concentrated in New
England, the South Atlantic and Mid-Atlantic.
The Professional Elite
The relationship between education and occupation is not surprising.
Entrepreneurs in professional occupations often have post-graduate
degrees. Close to 80 percent of Arab-American entrepreneurial
professionals 25 years of age and older have higher degrees,
compared to nearly 55 percent of their non-Arab counterparts.
Entrepreneurs of every ancestry in executive, precision repair,
and sales occupations commonly have some college experience,
while most in service occupations have not gone beyond high
school.
While
the groups share similar patterns in education and industrial
distribution, the variance between them is quite striking.
For example, entrepreneurs in the professional health industries
will more likely have postgraduate degrees, while those in
finance/insurance/real estate usually have some college experience.
But the proportion of Arab-Americans holding degrees in both
fields is at least 20 percent higher.
(See Chart 5)
How Much We Make
As occupation and industry vary, so does income. The average
Arab-American entrepreneur may have a higher personal and
household income than a non-Arab-American counterpart in most
regions of the United States.
Median household income is strikingly higher for Arab-Americans
in the Pacific, Northeast, New England, and South Atlantic
regions, exceeding $50,000 annually. Arab-Americans in the
Mountain region have higher household, but lower personal,
incomes. In the Pacific region incomes of the two groups are
similar, with non-Arab-American entrepreneurs having lower
household but slightly higher personal incomes.
When
median personal income is broken down by sex, many of the
above-noted patterns are repeated. Arab-American female and
male entrepreneurs earn more than their non-Arab-American
counterparts in New England, West North Central, South Atlantic,
and East South Central. Non-Arab-American male and female
entrepreneurs tend to have higher personal incomes in the
Mountain region. All women, regardless of ancestry, earn very
little, but Arab-American female entrepreneurs typically earn
more than non-Arab-American females in all regions except
West South Central and Mountain. Males of all ancestries typically
earn more than females in every region. (See Chart 6)
A
Misunderstood Group
Arab-Americans are numerous, affluent and often misunderstood.
Like many other ethnic or minority groups, they suffer from
stereotyping and negative press. Yet they represent significant
and distinct niche markets.
Arab-American entrepreneurship is as old as America, and has
had to endure the traditional problems of inadequate capital,
federal restrictions and the failure of policy makers and
educators to understand its importance in the community. A
recent census estimates the receipts of Arab-American entrepreneurs
to be 1 percent of the U.S. total. This figure, however, is
debated by many who say that the census is only looking at
small companies.
A glance through the advertising pages of Arab-American publications
reveals a mix of specialized and mainstream products and services,
such as medical, legal and educational services; literary
works; foods; and computer and electronic products.
Ultimately, like any other immigrant group, Arab-Americans
want to enjoy America's riches while preserving the important
parts of their native culture.
El-Badry is a president of International
Demographic and Economic Associates (IDEA), an Austin, Tx-based
consulting firm. El-Badry, who is an Arab-American of Egyptian
descent, also is a vice president with Teknecon Energy Risk
Advisors LLC, an Austin, Tx.-based energy consulting company.
She serves on the advisory board of the Secretary of Commerce's
Decennial Census as a representative of the Arab-American
community.
Article published courtesy of Arab American Business Magazine
Arab American Demographics: DETROIT, MI |
Metropolitan Detroit is the largest concentration of Arabs outside of the Middle East. Over 350,000 people of Arabic heritage call Metro Detroit home |
The Arab community of Detroit has one of the highest educational attainments of any ethnic group. While one in five (20.3%) of all Americans has graduated from college, almost two in five Arab Americans (36.3%) have a college degree. |
A recent consumer study found very high degrees of brand loyalty among Arab Americans. Over 60% of the Arab American market segment placed brand loyalty ahead of price sensitivity. |
Arab-Americans own an estimated 3,000 businesses in Michigan. |
Arab Americans of Michigan live primarily in Wayne and Oakland Counties in the following cities: |
Dearborn |
Livonia |
Detroit |
Warren |
Flint |
Saginaw |
Bloomfield Hills |
Farmington Hills |
An Estimated 5 Million Arab Americans live in the United States with the largest concentrations in: |
California (760,000) |
Michigan (476,000) |
Illinois |
New York |
New Jersey |
Florida. |
Over 60% of Arab-Americans are Christian. |
Suorce: Zogby International / ACCESS Marketing |
|
|
Mgt/Profl Sales/Adm Services
FinanceFarming CraftLabor
|
22% 30% 12% 6% 3% 13% 18%
|
|
Across a variety of products,
Arab-Americans express an average
level of brand loyalty exceeding 60% |
|
86% of Arab
Americans
are likely
to purchase
a product advertised
on
Arab-American Media |
LARGEST ARAB AMERICAN COMMUNITIES
California |
Los Angeles, Orange county, San Francisco, Marin County, San Diego, San Jose, Sacramento |
Massachusetts
|
Boston, Newton, Brookline, Sharon, Lynn, Springfield, Framingham |
New York
|
Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, Staten Island, Long Island, Westchester County, Rockland County, Albany, Rochester, Syracuse |
New Jersey
|
Bergen County, Marlboro, Cherry Hill, Parsippany, Livingston, Manalapan, Matawan |
Pennsylvania
|
Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Jenkintown |
Washington , DC
|
Baltimore, Bethesda, Rockville, Pikesville, Gaithersburg, Washington (D.C.) Arlington, Fairfax |
Minnesota
|
Minneapolis, Hopkins, St. Paul, Woodbury, Minnetonka |
Georgia
|
Atlanta |
Washington State
|
Seattle, Bellevue, Redmond, Vancouver, Tacoma |
Oregon
|
Salem, Woodburn, Portland, Oregon City, West Linn, Lake Oswego, Beaverton, Tigard, Tualatin |
Colorado
|
Denver, Aurora, Glendale, Arvada, Parker, Littleton, Golden, Louisville, Lafayette, Boulder, Colorado Springs |
Connecticut
|
Hartford, Stamford, New Haven |
Nevada
|
Las Vegas, Reno |
Illinois
|
Chicago, |
Texas
|
Houston, Dallas, San Antonio |
Michigan
|
Detroit, Dearborn |
Florida
|
North Miami Beach, Hallandale, Tampa, Fort Lauderdale, Coral Springs, Orlando, St. Petersburg, Daytona Beach |
California
|
Los Angeles, Orange county, San Francisco, Marin County, San Diego, San Jose, Sacramento |
Massachusetts
|
Boston, Newton, Brookline, Sharon, Lynn, Springfield, Framingham |
New York
|
Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, Staten Island, Long Island, Westchester County, Rockland County, Albany, Rochester, Syracuse |
New Jersey
|
Bergen County, Marlboro, Cherry Hill, Parsippany, Livingston, Manalapan, Matawan |
Pennsylvania
|
Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Jenkintown |
Washington , DC
|
Baltimore, Bethesda, Rockville, Pikesville, Gaithersburg, Washington (D.C.) Arlington, Fairfax |
Michigan
|
Detroit, Dearborn |
Minnesota
|
Minneapolis, Hopkins, St. Paul, Woodbury, Minnetonka |
Florida
|
North Miami Beach, Hallandale, Tampa, Fort Lauderdale, Coral Springs, Orlando, St. Petersburg, Daytona Beach |
Georgia
|
Atlanta |
Washington State
|
Seattle, Bellevue, Redmond, Vancouver, Tacoma |
Oregon
|
Salem, Woodburn, Portland, Oregon City, West Linn, Lake Oswego, Beaverton, Tigard, Tualatin |
Colorado
|
Denver, Aurora, Glendale, Arvada, Parker, Littleton, Golden, Louisville, Lafayette, Boulder, Colorado Springs |
Connecticut
|
Hartford, Stamford, New Haven |
|
Las Vegas, Reno |
Illinois
|
Chicago, |
Texas
|
Houston, Dallas, San Antonio |
|
|