This is the first book-length account of Arab American women.
Shakir tells the long neglected story of the bint arab—the Arab woman—in the United States. Drawing on primary sources such as club minutes, census records, and dozens of interviews, she explores the experience of late 19th- and early 20th-century immigrants—mostly Christian peasants from Lebanon and Syria—and their American-born daughters. Later, she moves on to the well-assimilated granddaughters (many of whom have reidentified with the Arab community and begun to fight its political battles). The work concludes with those women—most of them Muslim—who have emigrated over the last quarter century from many Arab countries, particularly Palestinians.
While attempting to correct stereotypes that picture Arab women as passive, mindless, and downtrodden, Shakir gives voice to women caught in a tug of war, usually waged within the family, between traditional values and the social and sexual liberties permitted women in the West. Complicating that battle has been the American suspicion of Arab peoples, which has sometimes pushed women—as guardians of a culture under attack—to resist the blandishments of American society. However, the sense of embattlement has sometimes had the opposite outcome, legitimizing women's activities in the public and political realm. Leavened with personal reminiscences by the author, this book introduces a gallery of spirited women, speaking candidly about their differing backgrounds, values, and aspirations. Essential for all scholars and students of America's social and religious diversity.
Preface
Introduction
The First Wave, 1875-1925
Miriam
Katreen
Syrian Immigration
Women Immigrants
Peddlers
Mill Girls, Factory Hands, and Entrepreneurs
Students and Teachers
Clubwomen
Making a Match
From Second Generation to Third
Fighting "Political Racism": Paula
Reconnecting: Linda
Women for Women: Cheryl
Color and Religion: Khadija
The Second Wave, 1945-Present
Prologue
Palestinians: Emily, Ihsan, Najeebi, Suhair, Suad, Nuha, and Nawal, Mona
Collage
Epilogue
Appendix
Bibliography
Index
Reviews
Weaving together the personal narratives of a number of women of different generations and experiences (including those in her own family), Shakir compares their lives and experiences as they negotiated their way between the demands of their own cultural traditions and the opportunities provided by their new adopted country. A rich and complex portrait of Arab women and their culture emerges, one that should serve as a corrective to the negative and simplistic stereotype about Arab womern in the West.—Choice
A gem of a book....[and a] valuable insight into the changing generational perspectives of what it means for an Arab-American woman to be a good daughter, sister, wife and mother.—Journal of Palestine Studies
Endorsements
As the first full-length study of Arab American women, past and present, ^IBint Arab^R is an exciting new supplement to courses on Islamic and Middle Eastern cultures. Its in-depth portraits not only make good reading but also help shatter Western stereotypes of the Arab woman. This is a book that will appeal to students at every level.—Yvonne Yazbeck Haddad^LProfessor of History of Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations^LGeorgetown University
In this well-researched and well-written work, Evelyn Shakir tells the story of Arab women who have come to the United States, from the earliest peddlers to the most recent Palestinian refugees. Through oral histories and personal memories , she breathes life into a cast of diverse, lively, and memorable characters. ^IBint Arab^R is a welcome and needed contribution to the literature of American ethnic and women's history.—Rudolph J. Vecoli^LProfessor and Director, Immigration History Research Center^LUniversity of Minnesota
