Every now and then, I come across Arab Americans who tell me, “Why are you hung up on this thing about getting Arabs a box on the census form? Let’s just stay white.” My disappointment is usually too visible for their liking.
To those of my brethren, I simply say: This white thing is not working out that great for us. Some Arab Americans think that assimilation is the way to acceptance. But assimilation into what? Listen, Ali (or Al, or Allen, or Alex, or Ollie, or whatever you call yourself), white guys are never letting you into their club. It’s highly exclusive, and you don’t even meet the minimum requirements. You can try as hard as you want, but white people are never going to think you’re white. They just aren’t.
And how do I know this? As I was making my movie “We’re Not White,” I walked the streets of a few American cities asking white people about Arabs. My conversations went something like this:
Me: Do you have any Arab friends?
White guy: Sure.
Me: Do you think they’re white?
White guy (confused look): Um, no.
That’s really the only test that matters.
Some Arab Americans try their best to be as white as they can be. And their white friends might even fool them into thinking they are part of the club. But it’s not happening. Trust me. As a child, my best friend was a white kid (we’ll call him Tommy) who lived across the street. His parents were really nice middle-class people. They totally accepted me into their house, and they even let me join them for Hamburger Helper dinners every now and then. I loved it. In my house, we never ate food I saw on TV. Our dinners were more likely to be featured on the Discovery Channel. Eating at Tommy’s house was always fun. But without fail, Tommy’s dad would always pat me on the head and say, “Tastes better than that camel meat you eat, huh?” I didn’t realize how racist that was until I got a little older. And we never ate camel meat! I mean, I don’t think we did. Right, Mom?!
Whether some Arab Americans choose to believe it or not, we are in the middle of a civil rights movement. We are not fighting against some anecdotal instances of racism here and there. No, we are struggling for the simplest of things: basic acceptance in American society. Some of us think, because we have made money and generally done well for ourselves, that we have been fully received into American culture. But the beauty of American is that anyone can be a multi-millionaire. Look at Flavor Flav.
Yes, our struggle is not defined by poverty, and that’s a good thing. And it’s not defined by undocumented immigration. Undocumented Arab immigrants don’t really get the same immigration hearings as their Latino counterparts. They get deported Monopoly-style: Do not pass go, do not collect $200.
Our struggle is defined by simply asking American society to stop seeing us a threat to the American way of life. Maybe after we get past that, we can start talking about assimilation. But we can’t assimilate into something that sees us as perpetually foreign.
So, stop thinking you can ride this white thing out. I wish we were actually white. It’s seems pretty great. White people have never had to struggle for civil rights in this country. Well, that’s not totally true. There has been one white civil rights movement: the gay marriage movement. And look at how quickly that’s moving along. It took black Americans 250 years to end slavery, another 100 years to get the right to vote, and they’re still fighting today. California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas used to be part of Mexico, and to this day, white people are still telling Mexicans to get out of places called San Antonio and Albuquerque. But the fight for gay rights has a white face. And anti-gay marriage laws are being struck down quicker than you can say “destination wedding.” Meanwhile, John McCain is still telling people that Barack Obama is not an Arab, he’s a “decent family man.”
Maybe all Arab Americans should just pretend we are gay. I mean, our men already kiss each other on the cheek. If we just move it to the lips, we might get somewhere.
Hi Amer, Ezayak? :D I really like what you write and I completely support your cause, Arabs are not white, I am not white and proud to be Egyptian Middle Eastern African girl. However I have a concern, we are all Arabs because of the unity of land and language which is great but from an ethnic point of view people of Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia are not Arabs, Egyptians are not Arabs though el set Hajar the mother of Arabs was Egyptian, Lebanese people are Phoenicians. I am not telling you this to communicate a spirit of division. NO, as I said we share the same language and the same land, being an Arab with all this rich priceless tradition and culture makes me really feel special, we are warm, damena 7amy, knows how to dance as you performed in your video. But I just find it more generic to add a box for Middle Eastern beside Arab box. Go on with your cause. You have supporters in Egypt as well :).
Thanks, Mariam
Hey mariam,
Firstly Phoenicians dont exist anymore??
Secondly arabs are white whether you like it or not.
Thirdly I agree that “Amazighs” arent arabs, and Phoenician language is 70% like arabic, and theres a lots of arabs in Algeria, Tunisia, they are like 80% arabs and Morocco is the only Maghreb country with Berber majority.
Semites are more related than you think, Hyksos made Egyptians “lighter” not mentioning before arab conquest Egypt was partly negroid.
before arabs and Phoenicians came north africa was highly populated with Zanj.
Arabs were not originally white. Think what original Yemeni. Yemen use to be a part of Ethiopia not to mention the original Bisharin in Egypt. Al Saqaliba ( look it up), Persian women and Turk women sold in slave markets were the favorite sex slave of choice. Arabs started getting whitter! Then the occupation of the Ottoman Empire really made Arabs white. So you might be more mixed but not all and the culture is Afro Asiatic semitic. Look up some of these historic facts before you dispute or refute!
I used to admire and respect Arabs after becoming Muslim. However, after moving to Egypt and seeing how racist and xenophobic Arabs are towards people of dark skin, I have lost much of that respect. And, yes, I’m generalizing because this characteristic is common throughout Egyptian society, and to find the contrary is rare. Some Egyptians are themselves brown and even they are discriminated against and made to feel like second class citizens. It has been said that if a girl is brown-skinned she won’t get married. Arabs in their lands love and idolize white people. When Eurpeans, Russians and White Americans come to Egypt, they are treated like gods. The most demanded beauty products here are skin bleaching products. Arabs, as a people, want to be white. Amr himself said that it would make things easier if they could be, but the only thing stopping them is that Whites don’t accept them. I say, continue to check white. The Prophet Muhammad said that people will be raised on the Day of Resurrection with the people they love. Arabs love white people, so let them be with whom they love. If you try hard enough, maybe they will accept you one day.
I think you’re completely right about anti-blackness in much of Arab culture. My family is mostly Lebanese and mostly racist. That being said, anti-blackness is also very present among latinos, Asians, natives, whites and every ethnicity that isn’t black. Sad, and gross, but a fact.
And all those groups you mentioned have Black in them.
Native Americans and Asians don’t for the most part. South ways towards the USA, definitely but here in Canada that is a hard no. Black folks should be are greatest racial ally but the huge man has done a good job of dividing us all along racial lines. Pure idiocy is you ask me.
True
I’m Yemeni and I agree wit ur statetment. Not all Arabs should be considered white. I most definitely am not white. My family can be traced for centuries and we r not mixed with European, Iranian, Turkish or any other ppl who occupied parts of Yemen. I’m a Yemeni Arab American and that needs to be recognized by this government and by our ppl. We need to be proud of our origins and fight to be identified as such.
Your completely wrong. I don’t know what history book your reading but, absolutely not. I’m bound to know what I am as a Yemeni. In my family, everyone is a different color (Most white and brown hair, some brown and green or blue eyes, and my cousin looks totally Chinese). Originally Yemeni people were lighter brown as we are much closer to the equator, yet many people were very fair to the abundant shade from the forestry surrounding almost all villages. Later on the habbatiene or Ethiopians colonized Yemen for a certain time, yet this resulted in only a mixture. The rest of what you said from here is correct. Until today still many Ethiopians choose to smuggle themselves into Yemen and live there( a very large population, and are usually found in impoverished areas).
So first people from Lebanon are a mix of europeans, arabs and pheniciens so techniclly they are white
Technically, Iranic ethnic groups, ethnic groups of the Caucasus, and South Asians as well as many Central Asians would be considered Caucasian
But Guys Are Not Even considered Middleasterns You are North Africans And The Thing About north Africans I saw and learned in a curiosity Student way is there are going through indentity crisis I mean North Africans Are not even Semotic Only a tiny fraction of them are , North africans are )Mixed as an Romany gypsy and some call names to them selfes as Barbars do you know an original Actual Barbar is African Decent Closely looking to Ethiopians juat to let Ypu guya know we Semitic Middleasterns and i mean From (Levent we have Arabs in is and jewish in us so we are Semitic and we are more related to Arabs then to jews so we consider our self’s Arabs in and out) into gulf and iraq we don’t even Know you guys Exist we don’t Care ..
Middle easterner are not all arab or all semetic (did you heard a jew thinking he is close to arabs) and north african are caucasian originally so found your real original instead of spreding shit here
Stupid bastard
Who can u talk of north african ? You already dont know your origin and lies about the truth : you dont have ” semetic” admixture and you have a big complex some lebanese even pretend to be phoenicians (last phoenicians are coastal maghrebis) there is no way you are arab or new mongrel
The way Amer feels about calling himself white is the way I feel about Somalis calling themselves Arabs. I get embarrassed by Somalis calling themselves Arab, it makes us look like wannabes. Most of us don’t even speak the language of Arabic. We are not racially Arabic or Semitic either. But that’s another topic. When it comes to Arabs and their race…. it’s very complicated. Like could you consider Prince Naseem as white?? For example in the Gulf I’ve seen many Arabs who look Indian. Even Lebanese people who could pass as Punjabi. Some Indians can pass as white or Arab, take Ben Kingsley for example I always thought he was white. Freddie Mercury could pass for Southern Euro and he’s Indian . I’ve seen some Italians and Spaniards who could pass for non-white. There’s white people and Black people and inbetween people.
The point I’m trying to make is that ethnicities like Arabs, Hispanics, Indians have a lot of genetic diversity. You can’t tell me Mohamed Morsi( just an example) is white. White is for some reason a special club you have to join… even mixed “Black” people who can pass for white are labelled Black. I think minorities who can pass as white should pass, gain positions of power and change things from the inside out and give opportunities to minorities who CANNOT pass. Anyways, Arabs are not facing real racism. Idk what Amer is crying about. Everything he was complaining about was laughable. If you were Black you wouldn’t be even allowed in your childhood friends house.
Black people (confused Somali people included) are the only race that’s being persecuted that’s why I just laugh at other non-whites who complain about racism. Atleast you’re not part of a race that’s been hated on for centuries who are the poorest 3rd world countries. If America’s so bad why don’t you move to Dubai? Lebanon? It’s not that bad. Meanwhile I have to choose between living in foreign non-Black lands where the people look down on me and see me as a stereotype or go back to a chit-hole called Africa.
Who care white black yellow. etc…….we all are from Adam and Adam is from dirt please rise up and stop talking rubbish MOVE ON
The features of a Punjabi is different from a Lebanese so even of the skin color matches, the look would still be not the same.
Listen egaal not all somalis are arabs, some, like myself are arab africans,some are portugese african,some are jew african,indian african etc my point is somalis are all made up of different ethnic groups just like everybody else on the planet! Theres no such thing as a pure race or pure ethnic group, we are the human race. Anyhow dont deny that the isaac clan are mixed qurashi,bantu, cushtic.
Mariam, your comment is full of stupidity
First, the original semite are north african mediterranean and all afroasiatic people are classified in the same genetic box “north african”, it’s not because hajar was egyptian that all egyptian mother is hajar, egypt is not in middle east, lebanese are not phoenicians, middle east is not a ethnicity
So how do you want to do a ethnic box ?
I’m Arab and I get insulted when someone calls me white .
Why would that offend you. I’m Armenian, would I be a racist if someone told me I looked Arab and was offended? This is how racism begins.
Agreed with everything! Only issue I have with this article is your lack to recognize other civil rights movements amongst white people. It’s no doubt that white men enjoy privilege. But that’s the whole point: white men. Women have had a long history of pushing out of the private sphere and being systemically denied their rights. The struggle still is not over. But agreed with everything you said. I am a Palestinian and so I am very light-skinned. Most people consider me white. But I make it a point to always let them know that I am most certainly NOT. Good article!
I think the Irish immigrants went through some pretty tough shit, too.
Arabs and whites are caucasians.
Maybe instead of pissing each other off, maybe we should try something different for once, like ganging up on the yahuud…
After all, they are the privileged ones in the West. Not whites. Everyone just thinks they are whites.
The Irish most certainly did go through hell in this country because for decades, there were times they’d be denied housing and jobs simply on the basis of their Irish ancestry and the fact many were Catholic. The same goes for the Jews. When Jews started coming in large numbers to the United States, all across this country, Jews until the end of World War II could not stay in most hotels due to their policies, live in nonJewish neighborhoods, or go certain places including some beaches where there would literally be signs like Jews and dogs aren’t welcome here. To continue this vane, there have even been Jews in our history who were lynched during Jim Crow for crimes they didn’t commit because in the public imagination, they were seen as racially and culturally alien. See the case of Leo Frank.Also, it’s clear to me some people from the Middle East define themselves in racial terms for political, social, and perhaps nationalist reasons even though there is no Middle Eastern race. As others have stated, from an anthropological standpoint, Middle Easterners, even those with rather dark skin are generally Caucasians of Mediterranean stalk and thus white in a racial sense as race and skin color are not necessarily the same thing. I agree that there is discrimination against people from the Middle East in this country. However, giving Middle Easterners their own box would not only be divisive but would increase the stereotyping they already face. As well, I want to point out that people of Middle Eastern descent historically have been very successful and continue to be successful in this country education wise and so forth.
Well white skin in many societies was seen as a nobility class, can you name me one society where darker skin ruled over a lighter skin? I guess dark skin Brahmins in India might have more saying than a fair skinned poor north indian but even then they aren’t able to exert their influence either.
Hi Amer! An interesting piece indeed. The fact that some Arabs prefer to be considered white is evident the of the damage done by the European colonialists on the Arab psycho. The denigration of Arabs and negative portrayal of Arabs in
western movies have further enhanced this sterotype. I remember coming across an article in a european paper claiming that Arabs especially Moroccans, Algerians, Tunisians and the Lebanese “as bunch of Arabs who prefer to speak french, act like the French and wish they were white. There is also an interesting incident though not directly relating to your article. Two years ago, there were couple Arab christians at a rally against a planned mosque near ground zero in New York. When the majority white demonstrators noticed they were speaking Arabic they turn on them beating and kicking them out of the rally. Police stood by. Arabs need to be proud of their ethnicity, culture and civilization and believe in who they are.
Best regards,
Elmi (Somalia)
Europeans have not colonised Middle East, never. If you consider the recent wars, they were for completely different reasons. Skin color has nothing to do with it. If there are people to complain about arabs are the Europeans and especially the Balkans since they have taken millions of our ancestors as sex slaves (women)and to train as soldiers (young boys as young as 8) in their Slave Trade to whiten themselves and to use the boys against their own countries.
Alexander, Ceaser, british,
Wouldn’t women’s suffrage be considered a white civil rights struggle?
Hi, this is my first time on this site, and I like it. I read your article I agree that we need to have a Arab box for origin. The Zionists that have strong power in the USA are opposing as this will give us power. How? First by the Affirmative action (which was abolished as we won this box in Immigration paperwork) will force local, state, and federal governments to employ a ratio of Arab-origin in allocations for governments agencies, including the police force, DHS state and federal, courts, public transportation, and FBI, NTSB, TSA and other agencies including municipal and county, etc. to hire Arabs based on the ratio of local population This also allocates funds for specifically for needs of Arab-Americans such as education grants, health assistance, etc. (such as for Latinos, African-Americans, and Asian-Americans). As for being accepted by “whites”, I think it depends on the Arabic individual and how they perceive and represent themselves. We need to be proud of who we are as Arab-Americans or Americans of Arab origin. Keep in mind that there was a also lot of discrimination among whites as they don’t come from one single background or ethnic group: ie Irish-Americans, German, Dutch, Italian, Russian, Greek etc. Don’t forget that WW1 and WW2 were fought exclusively in Europe with them fighting and killing each other ( I consider them “European wars” 1 and 2 respectively ). We chose to be here and be part of the American fiber, to bring the best of the Arab culture has to offer, and absorb the best that America has to offer,this includes what White, Latinos, African-, and Asian-American cultures have to offer. And this becomes what we perceive and represent ourselves in the broader American society.. Perhaps I see myself as a “Hybrid”, hopefully the “best” of both worlds. I am not White, and I am proud to be American of Palestinian origin. This is my country, and Palestine is my national heritage, and I love both
WW2 was not “exclusively European” you dope. Arabs actually fought in these wars and did you hear of the African and Japanese fronts… WORLD WAR … Read a book sometime
I think the Chinese, Koreans, Filipinos, and other Asian groups that fought on the side of the Allies against the Japanese might find that a little insulting that you consider them European wars.
I have many gay Arab friends already. That is not the answer…
Your comments are interesting, and comedy is funny. Your knowledge of history is ignorant and insulting. To state that white people have never had to struggle for civil rights in this country is terribly false. To lump “white people” into one group always seems to bother me as well. When European immigrants came here (and still come), they weren’t viewed as general white people. They identified as and were identified by the country/culture/religion that they came from. Catholics represented a large number of white people who weren’t trusted and treated equally upon arrival, and in some parts of the country are still considered a threat. Another example would be Irish people who were often treated to the same social status of freed slaves, which was not pleasant. It meant no decent paying jobs, very little political clout, and you couldn’t even serve in the same military units as “white people”. Every culture has met struggle and still does to this day in this country. This does not dis-count the struggles of Arab-Americans, but just like you don’t want to be lumped in with white people, remember “white people” are made up of many different cultures, religions, and what they regard as ethnicity or country identity often times. To claim gay rights is the only, and only a white issue is ludicrous, and to even try to suggest the the modern Arab-American struggle is anything close to that of African-American slaves is absurd. You try to play up your intelligence and use it for witty comedy, but you also play up ignorance to promote your political agenda.
Hi Amer. I want to say that i like your writing style, but not the purpose in witch you use your talent.
Generalizing “white people” as intollerant, racist, stupid, dirty, greedy, proud, unmoral, unkind, imperialists (or dirty of kafir or whore or.. whatever it is) is just another kind of racism.
From your writing one can see that you genually work for the civil rights of your perticular minority. But im unsure how much you really work agaist racism and intollerance i general.
Im sorry to say that beating the black dog will not make your problems easyer. It will just make you another man with a stick.
And its also a waste of talent.
@ EVA…Where do you see a generalization or a slight mention of being about the white folks as intollerant, racist, stupid, dirty, greedy, proud, unmoral, unkind, imperialists, etc? Quite frankly you missed the point of the article. Of course, not to mention, any individual working towards a civil rights movement will be addressing HIS/HER particular minority. Have you ever heard of a civil rights movement for women working for men also!? African American working for the inclusion of the Whites?! Come on now, get real! His mention of “Tommy” as an example, is not to point out racist or that whole list of adjectives you’ve contorted. It’s to provide support for the fact that Arabs cannot simply be including in the broad category of “whites’ because you will never, and no Arab, will ever be “white.” Please, gather your facts and interpretation of writings accurately first, and then go ahead and state your pathetic generalizations for the public to see.
Middle eastern people in General started identifying themselves as white because according to genetics (DNA), Europeans, Middle Easterners, and North Africans are all from the same racial family and are related by blood. This racial group is called Caucasian. We are not white per Euro-American standards but let’s not forget that northern and western part of the Middle East has many white skin people with green/blue/brown eyes and light brown/black hair.
However, what I fail to understand is, since the Europeans originally came from the Middle East thousands of years ago, we are their genetical ancestors so why should we have to check the “White” box? I understand if the box said Caucasian but it doesn’t so why only choose the white color from the Caucasian group, can it be that the Europeans consider themselves superior to the rest of us Caucasians?
Furthermore, unfortunately the whole world is responsible for white skin people feeling superior and better about themselves because even in Middle East and even east Asia, almost everyone believes that white skin is more attractive and black or dark skin is considered bad. So we as humans can only blame ourselves for this mentality!
So many dumb responses here. The author even has COMEDIAN under his name. So I doubt he is 100 percent serious, and I am sure the break away stems mostly form what happened with 9/11 attacks. You don’t get to decide your DNA people. It is true whites don’t want to be associated with muslim terrorists but semitics are for sure caucasian. There are sure as heck white persians and I’ve met them.
Sayed you’re an idiot. Arabs and Native Americans both killed and did atrocious acts themselves. Scalping would have been a war crime today. You make youself out to be a huge fool because Israelis are semites and white. So how are you semite and not white?
I just happened on your comment by chance. I want to tell you that your views are very clearly stated. Your distinctions are real and fundamental. Your facts are correct. Your conclusions are more than insightful and they are instructive.
in short; just great. As good a comment as I have ever read. In fact, it is one of the few substantial comments that I have read without getting angry. Reading it was a pleasure. Thank you.
Gulf Arabs are not white people and the northern middle easterners are from Phoenician and white crusaders.
To my brother Mario Marwan… WWI was European wars and I don’t consider it being a world war either, however, WWII was a world war because not only Europeans but Americans, Japanese, and even Turks fought in it so that was a world war!
That story about Tommy’s dad and the “Camel meat” brought back memories. I agree with you, we will never be considered “white.” I wasn’t considered “white” or even “American” (despite being born and raised in the states) when the first Persian Gulf War started and everyone suddenly became a Patriot and I got beat up in school for being an “Arab” and for supposedly “supporting Iraq.” When the 2nd Intifada happened, and Palestinians were getting coverage on CNN for their “terrorism”, again I was the “Arab”, not the “White American” and through out grade school and high school, every single day, I heard people yelling down the hall. “Hey Arab! Did you park your Camel outside?” or asking me “Where’s your hookah, towel head?” or calling me a “Sand N*gger” or a “Camel f*cker.” God forbid, I ate a Za3tar sandwich in school, I’d get “what the f*ck is that? Don’t you eat any normal “American” food?”
When 9-11 happened, I was in college and everyone asked me what “really happened.” Like I was able to give them inside information into the world of being an Arab terrorist. But you must know something, I mean, you’re “Arab.” I remember after it happened, I went to my Film Class and the Greek professor (who knew I was Arabic), decided to use the entire length of class time to discuss with the students how the “Arabs hate us for our culture. Because we’re open minded and have many opportunities and they live in empty desert wading barefoot through sand and eating dead roots. They look at us and want to be us but they can’t, so they hate us for our values and everything we represent. These people will not think twice to kill you. They will always be different from us, even the ones who try to assimilate with us.” What am I supposed to say to that? I was a coward that day and didn’t speak up, and when the so-called War on Terror began, I was again looked at like the foreign infiltrator, even by people that I have known for years. We will never be considered white. So why bother trying? When I was a kid, I didn’t know any better. I used to try to blend in. Now that I’m an adult, I don’t care anymore. Yes, my name is weird, yes I’m an Arab and I’m not making any apologies for it. This is who I am, take it or f*ck off.
Rock on witcho Bad self.
Thank you! This is what I’ve felt for years but could not express. You’ve done it perfectly.
I don’t think you guys want to be generalized as terrorists. So why are you generalizing white europeans? A few of you spoke the truth though like Tigran who knows his history. Technically most europeans can relate their heritage back to arab countries. Also, one arab was wrong about not letting in others into whites. White people from latin countries aka white hispanics do exist on census.
Every ethic group, white or not has had to struggle here. I am from Irish and Polish descent and it was not uncommon for them to see work signs stating Irish/Polish need not apply.
Amir! Great article.
I salute the effort even thought many have disagreed with u.. You have raised a very important issue that everyone is fighting in every part of the word.. Every country has that minority that is and will always struggle for whats fair and just.. We all dream to break from these cancerous stereotypes and judgmental mindsets.. Being accepted into whatever majority it is and receiving that equal treatment is a longing at the back of everyone’s head.. I don’t think we will ever get rid of these spiteful mindsets.. We are human being and this is who we are, we like what’s similar to us and we are afraid of what’s different.. This multiracial and diverse village of a world will continue to create barriers separating the like and the different..
The only way we might find a cure to this cancer is implanting a seed of acceptance and tolerance into the hearts of our children..
The educational institution has a huge part to play..
God forgive our shortcomings.
Amer, I appreciate and truly appreciate the honesty of your narratives. However, I’m writing to inform you that you share a birthday with 103yr old grandmother Keturah Matheson. Born in St. Anns in 1911 my grandmother has seen her homeland of Jamaica transform, but the entire world. May you be blessed with long a long and happy life, as the fourth of June is truly a lucky day!! God Bless, brother. -Cici
Hm… well, I love that you are passionate about this but I have no desire whatsoever for an Arab-American box. I have never told anyone in my life I am Arab American, I tell them I am (half) Palestinian. I don’t want to be lumped in with other Arabs. Americans already think “over there” is homogenous – as well as including North Africa and SE asia with “over there” which drives me INSANE.
Palestinians most of all are uniquely set apart – we came over the sea from Mycenae bringing a wealth of knowledge and tools. I love telling people about the fascinating origins of my people – the Sea People!
I am Arabic but first and foremost I am a Palestinian. Until there is a Palestinian box, which is never gonna happen, I am fine with checking caucasian – and explaining to people what it actually means!
@Shariz. Do you guys even know how race works? Palestian box? What? That is a NATIONALITY. Arabs or not you are all apart of caucasian race because skull type among other things. If you want to discuss skin tone that is different matter. But I know palestine people with blue eyes and european features.
Reminded me when I was a kid and bought my american friend home for lunch (we live in an arabic country)… Afterwards my dad patted him in the head and asked “Tastes better than your burgers and hot dogs huh??)
To be honest my mum cooked something awesome that day (forgot what it was)… my friend kept asking to come back for lunch… plus my dad never mentioned that again, he was mostly joking.
But I do agree with you. White is no longer a skin colour… its a mentality and a way of acting. A black/asian/hispanic american isn’t accepted as “white” unless he accepts and acts with that mentality. Similar things face arabs in western countries I guess
i am 75% Persian which includes a mongol grandmother from mashhad, and 25% Arab (Harb and Hashmin tribe of Arabia, today called Saudi Arabia only because the Saudis won the war against my tribe so they rule the Kingdom until they are removed one day,inshaAllah). The point is Arabs are semites NOT White and we will never be “white” even if the Americans are slow minded or just stupid to figure that out in their census! The placing of Arabs under “white” in the census is a political ploy for a white population that is slowly becoming a minority in a land that was 100% American Indians until they came from Europe and practised genocide and terrorism on American Indian lands, imposed their European laws, brought their European weapons and killed, tortured, many Indians stealing their lands and calling it “homeland” today. Sounds familiar? Thats what the European-American Israelis are doing to our Palestinian Arab brothers and sisters right now. So Arabs wake up. You are NOT white!! Semites can NEVER be “white.”
I’m a Saudi Arab and I think this is very hypocritical. Most Arabs, especially in the Levant, patronize and look down at us Arabs in the Gulf even though we share common ancestry, history and traditions. If you want to succeed in your mission you should clearly define “Arab” and work towards creating a unified front.
No offence to any whites but I really would like to not be part of that group. I’m half Moroccan and half Irish but I look Italian. Even for people from north Africa it would be best if we stayed as Mediterranean with Caucasian features and not white skinned.
Arabs are White. They have always been so regarded by Blacks, and by themselves.
If Greeks and Southern Italians are White, if Jews are White, then so are Arabs.
The only logical reason to conclude that Arabs are not White, would be to limit the definition of White to Anglo-Saxons.
We are forgetting that Arab is not a race it’s a culture and a pan-ethnic term. And the prophet SAW said an Arab is someone who speaks with an Arabic tongue. MANY ARABS ARE WHITE in especially in Syria. Lebanon. Palestine. and many other places.
But it’s also true that many Arabs are not white. People in Sudan are black Arabs. And many people from Saudi Arabia. Yemen. and Oman are not exactly white.
One of the main reasons that the American public doesn’t class Arabs as white is because of religion and culture. If all Arabs were christian. Then we would be viewed differently. And many of us would be seen as white.
It’s also important to remember that EVERY NATIVE EUROPEAN originally came from the middle east and has middle eastern ancestors.
Should Arabs be class as white? No probably not.
There should be a Caucasian category for all people in the USA who are European or middle eastern decent.
And another category for black Sudanese Arabs.
Amer you are so wrong it hurts:
1.Irish were slaves and treated poorly when they came to America.
2.Jews weren’t considered white when they first came to America either.
3.Russians were treated poorly in America and opressed in jobs at times.
4.White Americans died to end slavery. USA ended slavery while certain Arab countries still have slaves after USA ended it.
arabian people are yellow people
because they skin get dark if they stay outside the house in the fierce heat of the sun and their hair is black and their hair is defferent from black people and black people cant have such a hair as white or yellow as long as they dont get married to white or yellow
and arabian peoples nose is even bigger than white
and arabian peoples eyes are defferent from white
and their hair is black and straight and their skin is yellow
and mongolian get dark too when they live in a hot place
so they are yellow
I consider my race to be Arab/Middle-Eastern, my nationality to be American, and my ethnicity to be American and Arab/Palestinian because I am accustomed to both Palestinian and American culture. I agree with Amer that there should be an Arab/Middle Eastern box on American race census forms just like there is on UK race census forms which do thankfully include Arab/Middle Westerners as their own distinct race. My rational for this is that white/Caucasian people do not see me as White, I always ask my white side of the family and my white friends if they see me as White and they ALWAYS SAY NO, THEY EITHER SEEMY AS ARAB, INDIAN OR HISPANIC/LATINO BUT NEVER WHITE…Even my Arab family in Palestine said I look like I am full Arab despite the fact that my mother is white!!! I don’t want to deny my Arab side anymore, I love all races, but I don’t want to PRETEND to be white when no one sees me as White! If Arab Americans are treated as a minority in America, then we should have the right to a minority status just like the Hispanics, blacks, Asians ,Pacific islanders and the Native Americans do! I support the multiple Arab American campaigns that fight to put Arab American/Middle Easterner on the Race census… when I applied to Graduate school for my Masters degree, I sadly had to put “White” under my name even when my professor said I don’t really appear white to him!
My father was born and raised in Palestine and my mother is a white/blonde American with roots in Germany and England. Even though I am half white and half Arab, I look completely Arab and so do 2 of my siblings. My oldest brother looks more like my white mom as he is very light skinned with white features. And as you would have guessed, he “fits in” with the people of my small town more than me and my other dark siblings just because my town is filled with white people and can identify with my white brother more… So many people think my oldest brother and I are only half siblings because he looks white, but we are full siblings with the same parents and he is proud to be of Palestinian decent like I am proud. However, even though my oldest brother looks white when people find out he is Arab, they sometimes racially profile him too and call him stereotypical racial slurs like Osama Bin Laden and a Harry Arab…My second oldest brother looks very Arab like me and went through bullying after 9/11. We even get bullied and shunned because white people think all Arabs or Middle Easterners are Muslim and fallow the Islam religion even though I was raised Christian and now am an Athiest and have no religion… Peace out all :)
you are not white..but you can’t speak for other Arabs who are WHITE
Diana, NO Arabs are not white. You need to rid yourself of the white complex.
I will support your endeavour as long as you support my campaign to include a box for Slavic with the subcategories of Eastern, Western, South Slavic and the super sub categories of Slavic Jew, Slavic Christian and Slavic Muslim. I mean I am considered white by Arabs but am not considered white by Scandinavians and Germans because I am Slavic Jew mix, so, will you support my efforts in getting a subcategory box of Slavic?
That said, I have always viewed Arabs as white. I always will. People who think they are not white are the same people who call Italians I-tal-yens.
Hey!
Very interesting article, thing is I don’t know what box to check! If its not white? Which one then?
I am a moroccan gay guy and being gay is not the answer LOL. It does not help AT ALL!! And I support the girls in the other comments THEY SHOULD HAVE A BOX TO CHECK for us just like: native american or latino.
When Arabs say they are white I actually know that they don’t think of themselves as Europeans. But they are not black and for some arabs thats all that matters, you’ve got Black, White, Asian and Indian. Even within arabs you have people who look white with European, Mediterranean or Middle Eastern looks, you’ve got black as well as people who could be mistaken for Asians. We are mixed. But if a Sicilian or Maltese passes as white, why shouldn’t a Syrian, Iraqi or Lebanese? I myself have ginger hair and blue eyes and the palest looking skin (Abu Bres, my lovely nickname) and Americans get really confused when I say I’m originally Iraqi. I think of myself as “white” not in the “white north European” sense. I don’t think Arabs need their own box…
Just because you and many other people from arab countries have blond hair and blue eyes and pale skin doesnt mean we all do. You dont understand the issue because you look like any other white girl. This means you dont get to over talk the rest of us who dont have your white passing privileges… people like you are culturally middle eastern but not racially therefore you do not get to speak for us on a racial level.
But which came first? The people (Arabs) or the culture/empire? As in have a wide group of people become what are known as Arabs even though they do not necessary have a genetic connection, IE Sudanese Arabs are a different race to the Syrian Arab! Has the white skin you see in some Arabs come as a result of ‘mixing’ in ancient times and rears its head every so often? Personally i never call Arabs white though some have white skin, I also believe that Greeks and Sicillians and other Med people are actually part of the persian race of people. IE Tan skin, Hairy, Black hair, brown eyes, generally shorter!
i agree with you, ya sahib…………………….. lakin ……… i consider myself somali arab and im not white. i honestly dont consider myself to be black either. i have a curly hair with straight nose thats it. the arab world is very diverse with 22 countries.
I didn’t think that Somalia were ethnically Arab. There are Arab groups in Somalia, but Somalis aren’t Arab. They speak Somali, but Arabic as their first language.
There’s nothing special about being white and it’s funny that non whites want to buy friendship with white people and date white people!! I personally think there will never be beautiful and good looking people as Arabs on this earth again!! they are too pretty.
I’m half somali and half pure African ,I have long curly hair but I cannot consider myself as an Arab but black. my husband is labanese and he is as white as justine timberlake and he has almost blonde hair with grey eyes. He looks white but the only difference is, is too cute to be white!! He’s an Arab.
If the Arabs not white this means the French and the Italians and the Greeks, etc are not white Also > lol .
White does not mean pale skin European,
Arabs are the Caucasian race, and they have different degrees of skin, between the white and dark.
Arab tribe in Yemen> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDfssAHXYGM
Arab tribe Yemen In the wedding > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qSIjdrtnBk
Arab tribe In southern Yemen> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yo5jr1i3xIk
Arab tribe in Saudi Arabia > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_Co6hEwq5E
Arab tribe In Kuwait > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ki9oui60jEw
Arab tribe In UAE > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PbRvqlo4Ug
arab in Lebanon https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUtYJjvmJS0&spfreload=10
I don’t care if we are identified as white or Arab, my pride comes from islam, not from being Arab. All what matters is that I’m a Muslim and that I have the same opportunities that white Americans have in this country, and to practice my religion freely, and for people to respect my religion.
I am half Jordanian (my baba’s side) but I look full Jordanian like all of my cousins in Jordan. At my school we have to take surveys once a year so schools can look at the diversity within them, or solve problems. The first questions on this (anonymous) survey are about race. There are boxes for White, Asian, Latin American, Black, and Naitive American (if I remember correctly) but no Arab or Middle Eastern. I have no idea what to mark myself as here because I don’t feel that I am any of these races. I want a box that says Arab or Middle Eastern because that’s who I am. My friends just tell me to mark Asian because Jordan is in the continent Asia but I don’t feel Asian either. I definitely don’t feel white.
I also think it’s unfair that when applying to colleges, Arab people are not considered a minority because we’re “supposed to be” white. There are only about 3 million Arab Americans in this country which is way less than many other official minorities, and we still face discrimination/racist comments (for me personally, people saying “oh so you’re a terrorist then lolol” 90% of the time when I tell them I’m Arab, but many other Arabs are even facing hate crimes) Yet we still are “officialy” majorities because we are “officialy” white.
I feel like the Arab American and Middle Eastern/North African people in this country are being erased by being pushed into boxes that don’t define them properly.
Hi,
I liked the article you wrote, but some of it is inaccurate. Arabs maybe aren’t “white” as in skin color (although it depends on the person), but the sure as heck are Caucasian. Caucasion is a term describing people of a certain region if nothing else, these being the Middle East, Europe, and Northern Africa. I do admit that the U.S. census is a little confusing because they put both races and ethnicities into the mix. If there is going to be a change in the census, it will have to be one of these two things: either keep it the way it is OR put all the ethnicities of the Caucasian race onto it too. You see, being Arab is an ethnicity that is PART of the Caucasian race, just like, one could argue, Italians, Greeks,Spanish, and other nationalities’ people. So, my point is that if we put an Arab option on the census, we would also have to put all of the other ethnicities that the Caucasion race encompasses onto it, because Arabs are part of an ETHNICITY and they are not a race!
Thank you and good article,
Viktoria
Well, I guess they consider Arabs as white because of Americans Jewish as you know Arabs are sharing same descent as Jewishs
Well you’re still labeled as “White middle eastern” in police, military and hospital files here in the us.
I think the branch off you’ve done here just shows how the social justice crusader mentality is almost a norm if not a rising trend of self victimhood and pity around the world with phobias for pretty much anything and how overly racially motivated everything is.
Italians, Armenians and the Irish had quite a struggle for civil rights too ftr.
You’re kidding right…look up Nina or wop….everybody who’s come to this country has had to struggle for equality
lol > If the Arabs not white, this means that southern Europe is not white,
You know, that most of the Europeans in the south have the same degree of skin color to most Arabs.
oh yes, that means also that Jesus who pale Europeans worshiped him is not white.
All we know that Jesus was from the Middle East, not European.
Not totally true. I’m White Male and almost all my friends are Arab. Maybe it depends on the part of the country you live in.
Did he said that white male would never have an arab friends or something?
there are 3 races in the world. Caucasiod, negriod, mongloid. We Arabs are not negriod and we’re not mongloid, we are caucasiod. Caucasiod is the white race which cover all European people’s, North Africans, middle easterners, and the Indian sub continent. We are white, so get over it. Quit being so pretentious, trying to be something different cause it makes you feel special and cool. We are white.
You are not white. Amr has a valid point. I have never heard anybody consider Indian sub continent as you mentioned as white…
At the end of the day if race and skin color is so important then the world is truly in tatters. No wonder racism is rampant in the Arab world including North Africa.
White, blacks,yellow,Arabs,Jews,African,Asian uropian, Americans and south americans we all from Adam and Eve , do not tell this crap if you work hard in your life you will accomplish what ever you want. Some people obsessed others and brand them in intelligent one, that is a pile of none sene, give a brake, will you, go sell your mechs dude somewhere else!! One like devise others just accomplish some mine and deprive others, Got it bud !
I liked and agreed your message about how it’s impossible to fit in with White-American culture as an Arab-American. However, I disagreed with you when you said once white Americans accept us as not being a threat to their culture, we can assimilate into it. Why would an Arab-American want to do that? Sure it’s important to identify, coexist, and appreciate Americans and people of different color, religions, and sexual creed but I don’t think we (Arabs) should abandon our traditions/culture just to fit in with another one that’s more dominant in America. I think that shows weakness and a lack of confidence in the Arab culture. Like I said, I think we should respect and share values with other cultures that we can connect on but we should never abandon our own. The reason being is that diversity is beautiful and when we don’t support diversity by not supporting our own true values, we help participate in the creation of a homogenous culture that doesn’t support individuality and infringes on our right to be who we are. With that being said, I do strongly agree with the fact that we shouldn’t be viewed as a threat to other Americans and I also think we should be doing more to reverse these oversimplified notions that have come of us in the recent past.
Hello! I’m from England don’t take this thing too seriously. I look at the king of Jordan which you proberley know is of Arab royalty. Dispite being an Arab he had pale skin and blue eyes. He was white. Not that color or race matters. One of my best friends is from Yemen, well his father is, he was born in England , it says white british on his passport. I belive Arabs are Caucasian in parts of America dispite many ethnic groups, there’s a lot of separatists, they take race and religion to seriously and they choose to ignore the scientific facts right in front of them. You would be welcome in England we are all about mixted culture these days. Don’t let people make you feel different. white, black, brown, green and yellow we are all human.
I am going to marry my full blooded Egyptian love. He is white. He may have a different ethnic background than me, but our race is the same. I am irish/polish/english/german/french/native american, and probably a bunch of other stuff from the white trash side of my family; let me tell you this, he is still whiter than me. His very essence is white. The only thing against him is that he doesn’t share my love of mayonnaise. A lot of people get mad at him for identifying as white, mostly those of his ethnic background. You know people used to say Italians weren’t white, but if you are from europe, North africa, Mediterranean, middle east areas, you are white! Sorry that you’re Caucasian, and give it time, with all the white Syrians coming over, the mindset of a few white people will change with the generations. I love my white man, who is Egyptian.
Then he is just a descendant of a European in Egypt. Also Gulf Arabs do not look white at all
I am an American expat currently living in the GCC. I want to say that in all my time of international travels, I have never met people more pathetic than Arabs/Arab speaking morons. The way of life in this whore-mingling land turns my stomach. These men are gay and it is more than evident the way they ignore me and gaZe at my husband when we are together. The “so-called” Muslim women float around with layers of thick make up and behave as if they are mentally retarded or sedated. Arabs are simply a joke to Islam. You hate Americans yet you are huge consumers of American culture. You’re egoistical imbreeds. You are not white..so get over it. And also you’re not niggers either. I don’t care how big your lips are and Afros. Everyone hates you!
Maybe your husband is far better looking than you? old, racist hag? Ask him if he took his chance and tried a little bit of men-lovey-dove in the side. You would be surprised to know how many of your husbands do that, old hags. As for hating, honey, you’re not the whole world. Speak on behalf of yourself and don’t you dare to speak on behalf of black or Asians or non-whites. And finally, understand very well that the blogger does NOT want to be white nor any sane Arab.
If you are an Arab or Persian you don’t look very different from many East Indians & Pakistanis. East Indians also used to be in the Caucasian category about 30 years ago but lobbied to be classed in the ‘Asian’ category instead.
So now East Indians, many of whom look no different than Middle Easterners and many of whom are more Caucasian than many Arabs get to mark down ‘Asian’ and become a legally protected minority group.
It’s not rocket science, if you are Arab and you live in America, just mark ‘Asian’ and you’ll save yourself a lot of time and money for instant classification into a legally protected minority group.
No one but the Zionists want the Middle Easterners to be classified in the White category so that when they drop bombs on them and steal their oil it couldn’t possibly be racist! They like to compare Arabs to Nazis and that attacking Arabs is like attacking Germans. Okay then. But tell me the last German who stopped at an airport for looking like a terrorist. You can’t!
So making a minority group White is an easy way to abuse them and get away with it especially if you’re part of the ZioFascist cabal.
Just mark Asian, it works and it will protect you and real Whites of European descent will respect you for not going along with the fraud of classifying Arabs as “white people”.
I love that you’re passionate about this cause, so am I, but there’s no need to be bitter towards the gay movements cause, there’s no need to be homophobic just because gay marriage has been legalized. You think that’s the end of it? Gay people have been discriminated against since even before the birth of America, that last line was super offensive. If we want equality, we’re going to have to accept equality for everyone. Plus, I’m pretty sure there are a lot of non-heterosexual Arabs. Get over it, seriously, it’s about time they gained something.
Isn’t it quite plain and obvious. If it is against God’s injunctions then it shall be adopted faster by the USA as a whole and especially the “white” community who thinks of themselves as modern. By modern I mean new not better.
From a legal standpoint this white designation hurts us. Our US constitutional rights are compromised when we, a clearly discriminated minority here, are not afforded added protections which have been put in place towards minorities. These protections afforded to minorities (Latino, Asian, African American, Pacific Islander) where put in place to balance out the status quo. One very important benefit is that when charged with a crime, a white person can’t say there was a raced based bias towards that person. However, one of these protected classes, if they can allege racism, the burden of proof lies with the State to prove that there wasn’t. Same with illegal termination, if there is government affiliated workplaces, or many private employers, and there’s an allegation of discrimination, the burden of proof would be on the employer to prove that they weren’t being prejudice. There are many other protections afforded that we, the most discriminated ethnic group in the US, do not have. That’s how we suffer when you call us white, when our complexion is between Black and Hispanic, lighter than most Asions, Native American and Pacific Islanders, and currently are subjected to direct, and indirect, racial discrimination. We need to wise up!
+1
Exactly , simply for minority class protection we are entitled to it as Americans as this wise gentleman just pointed out
arabs are olive skin with indian features .
No East Indians(Northern) and Pakistanis are Indo Aryan Sanskrit people mixed with scythian and hun genes. They aren’t genetically in the same boat as Europeans and Arabs. Even blond hair people in the northern parts of Pakistan are ancient Rig Veda tribes with gene connections to Europe and the Middle East either.
I hope you do realize that the Indo-Aryan tribes descend from the Indo-European people. Scythians too are descended from Indo-European tribes. So on that basis alone, North Indians/Pakistanis are far more related to Europeans than Arabs, who are a Semitic group, part of the Afro-Asiatic people. So if North Indians/Pakistanis despite being more related to “white” Europeans than us are able to tick an “Asian” box, why can’t we tick a Middle Eastern or Arab box.
A nice and amusing opinion on the matter
Arabs are obviously varied, in and of a race themselves, and are comprised of many ethnicities (there are European /Caucasian/pale “white” Arabs, straight “black” Arabs, and every shade in between, as any real Arab knows, especially if you lived in the Arab world
Anyone attempting to be anthropological or ethnographical please stop cuz you just sound like a geek, just Look at the map and it’s clear : Arabs being from southwest Asia and North Africa are one of two things – either 1) interracial amalgam of European (whites), Africans (black) and Asian (yellow??)…or (2) their own race
Based on common sense I’m going to assume because it IS the Middle East, as the middle men of the world (Silk Road), the center of the cradle of civilization and the cross cultural nature of the nomadic Arab tribes ,300 million Arabs are indeed their own race
Just like Hispanics are as white as Germans (argentina)and as blacks (Dominicans) as African
They also have ones that look Arab:Puerto rican lol
The sooner we can identify ourselves as who we are distinctly,Arab, the sooner we can finally dialogue with our other American brother and sisters ethnicities and groups for social harmony as the main point here is: WE ARE disenfranchised largely because we are not even acknowledge as our own race. This is the root of the problem
Let my people go!
We are MENA…EHNA ARAB!
I don’t think your article helps anything. I’m multi-ethnic and a bit offended, having been born in the US. Second, know your history. Third, what is your agenda? I’m proud to be Mattaponi, Eastern Euro, and Egyptian. And you have NO clue what a struggle is to be all damn three of them. Lighten up, the sarcasm does little to paint a pleasant picture.
I’m mixed and my son is even more (white, black, Hispanic, and arab) and more than one nationalities within each of the four ethnicities.
I say that to say: I think the minorities need unification in times like these considering divisive rhetoric in America and the upcoming election
Maybe you don’t like the writers opinion but it is an important step for America to become more enlightened (and adopt the rest of the worlds paradigm) simply for honest dialogue for harmony
It’s about time I think
So basing on science, the first humans apeared in africa and then traveled to different places and based on the weather and all the thing, there shape and characteristics changed.
Whites also struggled, look at Irish Americans, Italian Americans in the late 19th century and even early 20th century; look at German Americans and the Dutch during the 18th century…Look at the Mormons. Jews also struggled before WWII…I’m not devaluing your stance, but you forgot to mention some other struggles that White ethnics also had to endure.
That’s true, especially Italian Americans in New York during the early 20th century (treated similarly to “colored” treatment), but that’s not what This article is about
My point and the most important issue for me to discuss is the classification of Middle Eastern for minority protection and entitlements /shelters
Arabs as a minority race should have had it Decades ago
“Hey Arabs, you’re not white!” Nor would I want to be. Good article, I enjoyed it. Unlike whites, we actually have culture, and a rich one too (and I’m not talking about wealth). My concern regarding Arabs being considered “white” is in the US Census. My concern was that Arabs would be overlooked for jobs because “white quotas” would be quickly and easily filled by the “Michael’s,” “Matthew’s,” “David’s” “James’,” “Emma’s,” “Chloe’s,” “Jessica’s,” “Emily’s,” etc., (even though Arabs have Arabic-equivalents to some of these names due to Islam/Christianity, and the region in which those religions originated). So, that’s been my apprehension regarding Arabs being classified as “white” by the US census. By the same token, I’m sure that if Arabs were to finally be freed from the “white” designation in America, that there are employers out there (some of them, also white) that would discriminate against Arabs for indicating they were Arab on the application. Is it illegal? Definitely (and it should be), but it would be really hard to prove that an employer didn’t give you a job because you were Arab. You’d need resources (like a camera and good-working microphone), time and someone from the inside who could get that information for you. It’s too much.
ARAB ARE AWESOME
The reason they include middle easterners as white is so jews can claim to be white and they really aren’t
It depends on the Middle Easterner. The ones that look white are treated as white in America. The ones that look more stereotypically Middle Eastern are treated as Middle Eastern. I understand why this blogger thinks the way he does. It’s because he looks more “exotic” or Middle Eastern, so he has been treated as such in his life. However, Palestinians who look more white wouldn’t have his experiences and wouldn’t be writing this particular blog post.
In any case, even Middle Easterners who look Middle Eastern are doing well in the US – embraced, accepted, part of the club. On the other hand, Asians are considered perpetually foreigners, excluded, and stereotyped much more – even if they were born and raised in the US. Count your lucky stars you’re Middle Eastern!
Arabs are not white and will never be considered as such by whites. The term caucasian has been expanded in order to hide the shrinking population of actual white people from Europe. Make no mistake, the whites need arabs, indians, hispanics to hide thier failing numbers. Once they are done with you they will start measuring noses and the like to cleanse their countries of you. And never tick the arab/MENA box in the US, stay white and reap the benefits. Arabs already have a strong religion and culture, you know you are arab develop that! Unless whites can arrest their fertility problems, being white will not matter by the end of the century, so be arab and proud!
Arabs are originally black. Muhammad aaid the white sheep will take over the black sheep
I agree, Arabs are NOT white. I feel like the middle eastern isn’t white. There are asians that are fair skin and not considered white. So, why do arabs got to be white. And most middle eastern people are on the darker side. Italians to me are a mixture which explains why some are of darker skin tone.
That’s like saying Jesus christ was a white man when it clearly had said he was of copper/bronze skin.
Arabs are not white in the Western imagination. If they were they wouldn’t be being dehumanised as all being terrorists, while getting the sh*t bombed out of their countries by the West. However some Arabs/Middle Easterners do look pretty much indistinguishable from Europeans. For example the Lebanese American Khalid Jabara, who was murdered by his racist white neighbour could easily have passed as European in terms of appearance. Not all Arabs/Middle Easterners could though. However Arabs/Middle Easterners do show that race is ultimately a product of the imagination, with cues other than appearance often in play.
The point you’re missing here is that arabs are not a homogenous group. Treating them as such is just shortsighted… and frankly dumb. There are white arabs and there are non-white arabs, that’s a fact that cannot be refuted. For example people from Yemen, Oman, UAE and KSA tend to be darker skinned than people from let’s say Syria, Lebanon or even Jordan. There are also black arabs, for example Sudanese Arabs.
When it comes to the Maghreb area you should take into account that Morocco is only 55% Arab, and Algerian arabs only make up 60% of the population. Moroccans and Algerians still are largely Berbers, who are (even by Hitler…hmm) considered white (e.g. the Moroccan Rif-berbers and the Algerian Kabyle-berbers are even considered nordic).
In short, your story just doesn’t hold up. Arabs are waaaaaaay too diverse to state that they are all “non-whites” or “whites”.
Right ok then so how do you decide exactly which Arabs count as white? And once decided should those particular Arabs in the Middle East be removed to a safe area once Western bombing campaigns begin?
This is complete nonsense. What is the point of writing an article and using terms that are completely unscientific, and above all else, completely subjective?
No one is “white”. Corpses are white. If one observes virtually every racial theory in human history, they will find that features such as skin complexion, eye colour, etc are dependent on geographical location and climatic factors. But there are indeed racial markers – the world was basically divided into 4 races – Australoid, Mongoloid, Negroid, and Caucasoid. The distinctions came from characteristics such as cartilage in the nose, nose shape, eye shape, skull size/shape, etc etc.
North Africans, West Asians, Indians, Pakistanis, etc etc are all Caucasoids, as are Europeans. Caucasoids from Western Europe have light skin, because of the climate. Caucasoids of the Mediterranean have darker skin.
Some Arabic-type Caucasoids are mixed with Negroids (esp. in Sudan, and the Arab gulf). This is absolutely not applicable to Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, etc etc.
There is absolutely no question of what “Arabs” are racially classified as. No one in the world who has any kind of education uses the term “white”, because it is completely meaningless. It suggests the most ignorant, street level understanding of genetics, and is largely political.
Lots of people want to prove their “whiteness”, because they are pathetic. People are what they are.
I am Assyrian, so I’m a Caucasoid. Politically, I don’t like Israel or Saudi Arabia. Does that mean that most Saudis are not Caucasoids? Not at all. Because my modern political opinion doesn’t affect the biological makeup of people I don’t like.
The other problem with this article is that most “Arabs” are not Arabs. Speaking Arabic does not make someone an Arab. African Americans speak English, but that doesn’t make them British.
We don’t want to pass for Europeans – we want to pass for what we are. The kings of our great empires would have had dark eyes been tough as nails. I want my kids to have brown eyes, and brown hair, and have the exact eye shape that is characteristic of our folk.
If we were Mongoloid, then that’d be great. If we were Australoids, that’s great too. We just happen to be Caucasoids, and that’s also fine.
It’s embarrassing to see so many idiots thinking it is some kind of privilege to be genetically connected to Europeans. Sumeria, Akkad, Assyria, Babylon, Hatti, Phoenicia/Canaan, Egypt, the Islamic empire, etc etc. Nords and Germanics were savages when our ancestors were dividing the days into minutes, hours and seconds, and producing beautiful art and amazing technology. There is not a single group on the planet who can claim such a long heritage, with such a struggle. Everyone wanted a piece of the Middle East, and 6000+ years after the earliest civilisations – our faces still look like they did in ancient carvings and reliefs. We’ve had a crappy century or two, but our glory will come again. Our glory is so great that it fills Western European museums.
So, anyone trying to pass as European – do us a favour. Buy some contact lenses, peroxide your hair, and don’t come back to the Middle East. We don’t need envious cucks. Our features are default and perfect for all conditions – our skin works for sun and snow, our eye colour is not a genetic mutation, and we’re not too tall and not too short. Good, default, tough.
Or maybe I missed the advantages of easily burned skin and a history that needs to be pieced together with fuzzy logic because of the absence of a writing system?
I’m half Palestinian & German & I consider my self to be mixed Because of my hair & dark features Yes my skin looks white but certain parts of my body aren’t white ..
Hey arabs get this you cannot be considered white or caucasian it has nothing to do with color of yout skin. Arabs have different skin tones and hair textures and features. If arabs can be consider caucasian white so can black Americans, hispanics, asians, native Americans, east indians.Arabs are no different. To the caucasian race you are not welcome. They use to call black Americans colored. So my question to the arabs what make you different?A
I’m redhead Syrian American and this article is the most stupid thing I’ve ever read.. there is nothing called Arabic race, Arabs simply mean people who speak arabic, you dont look white, you can always check the ‘other’ box, I dont care what a few white people think of me, I know I’m white cuz this is what I see when I look at myself in the mirror..
Amer,
I hope you stop writing about these type of subjects, It is not an efficient in any way. As I am an Arab woman, I always felt proud being ARAB and I will be. I never though of skin color never mattered to me and to many of rational humans. Being an Arab, I can proudly say we are a beautiful MOZAIC, we are everything all colors, Just in Morocco as in all arab countries we can see Brunette, red hair very while with freckle, white with black hair, blue, brown, green black eyes, well respected balck skin people. All shapes and colors. Just a beautiful map of all colors. Living in USA, I do not care for any non sense BOX, enven though I am a very beautiful light brunette, I love to check Black African BOX sometimes or white caucasain sometimes. I do feel have the flexibility to club with all colors. Talking about a white Club, I dont know what club are you talking about, now the style is to be TAN. do you know how much fortune people spend to tan. I remember when I use to be a teenager if someone was too white they will ask him or her are you coming from a farmland have you went to the beach before.
Please Amer, I advice you to go find a better subject to discuss with the public, some start up, IPO, or any educative matters.
We respect all beautiful colors on earth. At the end you will find an Irish married to Indian, or west African married to a french or a black Moroccan to a white Moroccan or to Brunette. It is love sir and attraction all the science and racism goooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.
Just to before I forgot I will add I am from Morocco.
Please pick better subjects….
yikes what’s going on in the comments
but yeah i read online somewhere that the white house is about to make a new racial category for Arabs in maybe the year 2020
i hate ppl like mariah who they see their selves above of arabs.becuese they are from arab country with great history.im arab from iran.we are 5 m people more then many other arab countries.persians tell us you are not an arab you are just speaking arabic.they want us as iranian and call us arabic speakers but we say no we are arabs just arabs.we defend our our race and we love it.i cant believe ppl like mariah even exist.and about skins.my father not white my mother is white and brothers and my self are not white and not black either.but we dont care if arabs not white.we dont need to be white.actualy im glad with my light brown skin.and sorry for my bad english.goodluck amer keep up the goodwork