The ancestry question and ethnic heterogeneity: The case of Arab Americans

Abstract

This article uses US Census data to investigate change over time in Arab American profiles. In 2000, a higher proportion of children (0 to 13 years of age), women, and those who lived in the Northeast identified with an Arab/non-Arab ancestry compared to an Arab-only ancestry. In 1980 and 2000, a higher proportion (∼90%) of those who identified with an Arab/non-Arab ancestry was US born compared to only one-half of those who identified with an Arab-only ancestry. Those who identified with an Arab-only ancestry were more likely to not be US citizens than those who identified with an Arab/non-Arab ancestry. These findings suggest Arab Americans are a heterogeneous group. © 2008 Center for Migration Studies, New York, Inc.