Hate crimes against the Arab American community in the U.S

Since the presidential election in 2016, there has been a steady increase in the number of occurrences recorded of hate crimes committed against Arab Americans, with a notable surge occurring in the months after Donald Trump’s victory. Since the day of the election, there have been roughly 900 instances of harassment and intimidation, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center, which monitors the activities of hate organizations. Arab Americans have been the subject of some of these incidents, despite the fact that the great bulk of them have been aimed towards immigrants and Muslims. As a result, this article examines hate crimes committed against Arab Americans within the framework of the United States, and it explains how they came to exist, the effect they have, and how to combat them.

According to the findings of a study that was carried out by Hendricks and colleagues, which were published in an article entitled “Beyond the numbers: Hate crimes and cultural trauma among Arab American immigrant groups.” Following a comprehensive investigation of hate crimes committed against Arab Americans, researchers discovered that the vast majority of such offenses were directed against immigrants and Muslims. It was also discovered that the persons who commit these crimes are often individuals who have a limited understanding of either the culture of the Middle East or the culture of Arabs (Hendricks et al., 2007). For example, in one incident, a guy who had previously shown hostility against Muslims made the decision to assault an Arab American lady because he wrongly believed that she was a Muslim. He did this because he assumed she was a Muslim. Hate crimes committed against Arab Americans have widespread repercussions, not only because they have an immediate and personal impact on the victims, but also because they contribute to a general atmosphere of disquiet and fear in the larger community. This may have a detrimental impact on the economy, since some establishments that serve Arab Americans may go out of business. It may also result in a breakdown of trust between various communities and subsets of the population. It is essential to keep in mind that hate crimes are not confined to the Arab American community alone, and that all members of society have a role to play in the fight against these crimes.

According to the article “Perceived discrimination and mental well-being in Arab Americans from southeast Michigan: a cross-sectional study,” it is seen that seventy percent of the participants had experienced discrimination at some point in their lives. This makes it evident that hate crimes against Arab Americans are high in the United States. In addition to this, it was shown that those who had been discriminated against were more likely to report having lower mental health outcomes. This was proven to be the case (Kader et al., 2020). According to this, hate crimes seem to have a major effect on the mental health of Arab Americans. Although there are many ways in which hate crimes may have a negative impact, one of the ways in which they can lead to a loss of trust is one of the most alarming. Therefore, Arabs and Muslims living in the United States should not only be conscious of the threat posed by hate crimes, but they should also make an effort to create trust with other communities of people. This is significant not only for the purpose of ensuring their safety, but also for the purpose of ensuring the well-being of the economy. It is critical that measures be taken to reduce the risk of hate crimes being committed against Arab Americans since they have a major negative effect on the mental health of the individuals who are victimized by them.

On the other hand, there is a possibility that there is a reduction in the number of hate crimes committed in the United States against Arab Americans. Arab Americans have a lower risk of becoming victims of hate crimes, as stated in the article “Hate crime against minoritized groups rises as they climb in size-based rank.” This is due to the fact that Arab Americans are not among the top two groups that are most often targeted. African Americans and homosexual men are often the groups that get the greatest attention from the police (Cikara et al., 2022). This leads one to believe that as the Arab American community continues to expand in number, members of that group may find themselves becoming a greater target for acts of hatred. Even while there has been a reduction in the number of hate crimes committed against Arab Americans, this is most likely attributable to the larger population of Arab Americans rather than to any preventative actions done by the community.

Last but not least, Sun and Wu contend in their study titled “From Invisibility to Unwanted Spotlight: Arab Americans’ Perceptions of the Police” that the Arab population in the United States is seeing lower rates of crime because the police are protecting them. They assert that this is due to the fact that the police operate on the presumption that Arabs are terrorists and that the only way to safeguard them is to carefully watch them (Sun & Wu, 2018). This is predicated on the notion that Arabs are not the same as other Americans and that they are unable to behave in a responsible way because of this perceived difference. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that members of the Arab community in the United States are not as often the targets of hate crimes as members of other communities. Despite this, we cannot say for certain that they are not in danger. As the community continues to expand, it is essential to maintain vigilance and take active measures to ensure that trust is established amongst the many factions that make up the community.

The greatest strategy to safeguard Arab Americans against acts of violence motivated by bigotry is to increase the level of trust and understanding that exists between diverse communities. Education is one of the most effective methods for accomplishing this goal, however there are many other methods available. It is essential to provide individuals with information about the Arab American community and to debunk the misconceptions and preconceptions that are associated with them in order to achieve this goal. This may be accomplished via several channels, including the media, community outreach, and educational programs at educational institutions (Zayed et al., 2020). As a direct consequence of this, not only will there be less hostility directed at Arabs and Muslims, but that hostility will also be lessened in a manner that is beneficial to all parties concerned. The community as a whole will have a heightened awareness of the risks that are posed by hate crimes, and the police will be better positioned to protect individuals who are vulnerable. This is essential not just for the benefit of the people whose lives are disrupted by hate crimes, but also for the good of the economy as a whole.

According to the essay, it is clear that there has been an increase in the number of hate crimes committed against Arabs living in the United States. As a result, I believe that preventative measures need to be taken in order to establish trust within the community and ensure that its members are kept safe. It is essential to take measures to prevent incidents of hate crime from having a negative influence on victims’ mental health since these crimes may have a substantial bearing on the psychological well-being of individuals who are victimized by them. One of the many negative effects that may be caused by hate crimes is a breakdown in trust between people. This is only one of the many ways that hate crimes can have a negative impact. Therefore, Arabs and Muslims living in America should make an effort to create trust with other groups of people in order to protect both themselves and the economy from potential threats.

References

Cikara, M., Fouka, V., & Tabellini, M. (2022). Hate crime towards minoritized groups increases as they increase in sized-based rank. Nature human behaviour, 1-8. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-022-01416-5  

Hendricks, N. J., Ortiz, C. W., Sugie, N., & Miller, J. (2007). Beyond the numbers: Hate crimes and cultural trauma within Arab American immigrant communities. International Review of Victimology, 14(1), 95-113. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/026975800701400106

Kader, F., Bazzi, L., Khoja, L., Hassan, F., & de Leon, C. M. (2020). Perceived discrimination and mental well-being in Arab Americans from southeast Michigan: a cross-sectional study. Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities, 7(3), 436-445. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40615-019-00672-y 

Sun, I. Y., & Wu, Y. (2018). From Invisibility to Unwanted Spotlight: Arab Americans’ Perceptions of the Police. In Race, Immigration, and Social Control (pp. 107-126). Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1057/978-1-349-95807-8_6

Zayed, L., Chebli, P., Shalabi, I., Taha, N., & Abboud, S. (2020). Health assessment of the Arab American community in southwest Chicago. Journal of Community Health, 45(4), 761-767. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10900-020-00791-2