Lebanese Americans

• Ralph Nader • Kathy Najimy • Christa McAuliffe • Jamie Farr • Michael E. DeBakey Helen Thomas • Darrell Issa • Tiffany Tony Shalhoub • John E. Sununu • James Abourezk Rima Fakih • Ray LaHood • Marlo Thomas
Total population
504,499 0.16% of total population (2009)[1] 3,300,000 Americans have at least partial Lebanese ancestry.
Regions with significant populations
Michigan, California, New York, Florida, Ohio, Massachusetts, Texas, Louisiana.[2], Illinois, Pennsylvania, Arizona, New Jersey, Washington
Languages
American English, Arabic, French, and Armenian
Religion
90 % Christianity (mostly Catholic and Orthodox), with minorities of Islam and Judaism.
Related ethnic groups
Other Lebanese people and Arab diaspora, Syrian Americans, Turkish Americans, Cypriot Americans, Egyptian Americans, and Armenian Americans

'Lebanese Americans (Arabic: اللبنانية الأميركية) are American citizens of Lebanese descent. This includes both those who are native to the United States as well as Lebanese immigrants to America. The vast majority of them are Christians, in particular Maronite Catholic. Lebanese Americans are the largest Arab group in America, comprising 0.16% of the American population as of the American Community Survey estimations for year 2007, and 32.4% of all Arab Americans.^[3] Over three million Americans are estimated to have at least partial Lebanese ancestry according to Lebanese American activists.^[4]

History[link]

The first known Lebanese immigrant to the United States was Antonios Bishallany, a Maronite Christian, who arrived in Boston Harbor in 1854. He died in Brooklyn, New York in 1856 on his 29th birthday.^[5] Large scale Lebanese immigration began in the late 19th century. They settled mainly in Brooklyn and Boston, Massachusetts. While they were marked as Syrians, the vast majority of them were Christians from Mount Lebanon. Upon entering America, many of them worked as peddlers. This wave continued through the 1920s. During the first wave, an estimated 100,000 Lebanese had immigrated to America.^[6] Many immigrants settled in Northern New Jersey, in towns such as Bloomfield, Paterson, Newark, and Orange. Some immigrants set out west, with Detroit, Michigan and Peoria, Illinois, gaining a large number of all Lebanese immigrants. Others bought farms in states such as Texas, South Dakota and Iowa. Large numbers came via the United Kingdom including a large number on the ill-fated liner RMS Titanic.

The second wave of Lebanese immigration began in the late 1940s and continued through the early 1990s, when Lebanese immigrants had been fleeing the Lebanese Civil War. Between 1948 and 1985, over 60,000 Lebanese entered the United States. Since then, immigration has slowed down to an estimated 5,000 immigrants a year, and those who do settle these days are predominately Muslim, different from the predominately Christian population of immigrants during all previous waves.

Religion[link]

Most of the Lebanese immigrants during the first and the early part of the second waves were Christians. Muslims followed in large numbers beginning in the late 1960s. Among Muslims, the Shi'ite and Sunni communities are the largest. A number of Jews fled Lebanon for the United States due to fears of persecution, and populations of Druze and Atheists also exist.^[7] This information has been distributed by all American organizations, including the Arab American Institute and the United States census team.

Places with sizable populations[link]

Dearborn, Michigan has the highest concentration of Arab Americans in the United States, at over 40%. Of these Arab Americans, two thirds are Lebanese Americans.^[8] The rest of Metro Detroit has Lebanese residents as well. Brooklyn, New York has one of the oldest Lebanese populations in America, dating over 125 years; one large center is in the Bay Ridge section. Once predominately Christian, the Lebanese in Bay Ridge are today equally split between Muslims and Christians. South Paterson, New Jersey historically had a large Lebanese Christian population dating back to the 1890s, but only a few remain, and the neighborhood has largely been replaced by new Palestinian immigrants.

Utica, New York; San Diego, California; Jacksonville, Florida; Sterling Heights, Michigan; Los Angeles County; San Francisco, California; Peoria, Illinois; Grosse Pointe, Michigan; Miami, Florida; Wichita, Kansas; Bloomfield, Michigan; Fall River, Massachusetts; Worcester, Massachusetts; Boston, Massachusetts; Methuen, Massachusetts; Lawrence, Massachusetts; Salem, New Hampshire; Lansing, Michigan; East Grand Rapids, Michigan; Lafayette, Louisiana; St. Clair Shores, Michigan; Toledo, Ohio and Houston, Texas also have sizeable Lebanese communities.^[8]

The Arab American Institute reports the top five states where Lebanese Americans reside are: Michigan (11%), California (9%), Ohio (6%), Florida (6%), and Massachusetts (5%).^[9]

Famous Lebanese-Americans or Americans of Lebanese descent[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Media related to Lebanese American at Wikimedia Commons

v t e Lebanese people and diaspora Countries Americas Argentina Brazil Canada Chile Colombia Ecuador Jamaica Mexico Paraguay United States Uruguay Venezuela Europe Bulgaria France Italy Sweden United Kingdom Greece Africa Côte d'Ivoire Senegal Sierra Leone Asia Israel Turkey Oceania Australia Personalities Americas Argentina Brazil Canada Chile Colombia Cuba Curaçao Dominican Republic Ecuador Guatemala Haiti Jamaica Mexico Puerto Rico United States Uruguay Venezuela Europe Bulgaria Cyprus Denmark France Germany Italy Monaco Netherlands Spain Sweden Switzerland United Kingdom Africa Egypt Ghana Sierra Leone South Africa Oceania Australia

v t e Arab diaspora Africa Côte d'Ivoire Americas Argentina Brazil Canada Chile Colombia Haiti Mexico Peru United States Venezuela Asia Afghanistan Indonesia Iran Pakistan Philippines Singapore Sri Lanka Turkey Europe Bulgaria France Germany (Berlin) Greece Netherlands United Kingdom Oceania Australia

Arab Americans
عرب أمريكا

Tige Andrews Steve Jobs • John Abizaid Fredwreck • Tige Andrews Shannon Elizabeth • Tony Shalhoub George J. Mitchell • Oussama Mellouli Ralph Nader • Hoda Kotb
Total population
1,680,018[1] 0.5% of the U.S. population (2009)
Regions with significant populations
California, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia and scattered in others.
Languages
American English, Arabic, Syriac, Kurdish, French and others.

This article contains Arabic text, written from right to left in a cursive style with some letters joined. Without proper rendering support, you may see unjoined Arabic letters written left-to-right instead of right-to-left or other symbols instead of Arabic script.

An Arab American (Arabic: عرب أمريكا‎) is a United States citizen or resident of Arab ethnic, cultural and linguistic heritage or identity, who identifies themselves as Arab. Arab Americans trace ancestry to any of the various waves of immigrants of the countries comprising the Arab World. Americans descended from immigrants of the Arab world via other countries are also included.

Countries of origin for Arab Americans include Lebanon, Syria, Palestine (mostly pre-1948 Palestine Christians as well as what since corresponds to the Gaza Strip and West Bank, plus Arab citizens of Israel), Jordan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, and Kuwait in West Asia and Libya, Sudan, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt, Mauritania and Morocco (plus also Sahrawis from the disputed Western Sahara) in North Africa.

According to the 2008 ACS, there are 1,573,530 Arab Americans, accounting for 0.5% of the American population.^[1] The largest subgroup is by far the Lebanese Americans, with 501,907,^[1] nearly a third of the Arab American population. Over 1/4 of all Arab Americans claimed two ancestries, having not only Arab ancestry but also non-Arab. Some groups from the Arab World are non Arabs; Assyrians were listed in the US census under Assyrian/Chaldean/Syriac.^[1] Arab Americans, and Arabs in general, comprise a highly diverse amalgam of groups with differing ancestral origins, religious backgrounds and historic identities. Instead, the ties that bind are a shared heritage by virtue of common linguistic, cultural, and political traditions.

Population[link]

The majority of Arab Americans, around 62%, originate from the region of the Levant, which includes Syria, Lebanon, Palestine/Israel and Jordan, although overwhelmingly from Lebanon. The remainder are made up of those from Egypt, Iraq, Libya, Morocco and other Arab nations, which are small in numbers but present nonetheless.

There are nearly 3.5 million Arab Americans in the United States according to The Arab American Institute. Arab-Americans live in all 50 states and in Washington, D.C. - and 94% reside in the metropolitan areas of major cities. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city with the largest percentage of Arab Americans is Dearborn, Michigan, a southwestern suburb of Detroit, at nearly 40%. The Detroit metropolitan area is home to the largest concentration of Arab Americans (403,445), followed by the New York City Combined Statistical Area (371,233), Los Angeles (308,295), Chicago (176,208), and Washington D.C. (168,208).^[2] (NOTE: This information is reportedly based upon survey findings, but is contradicted by information posted on the Arab American Institute website itself, which states that California as a whole only has 272,485, and Michigan as a whole only 191,607. 2010 American Community Survey information from the American Factfinder website gives a figure of about 168,000 for Michigan.)

Sorting by American states, according to the 2000 U.S. Census, 48% of the Arab-American population - 576,000 - reside in California, Michigan, New York, Florida, and New Jersey, respectively; these 5 states collectively have 31% of the net U.S. population. Five other states - Illinois, Texas, Ohio, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania - report Arab-American populations of more than 40,000 each. Also, the counties which contained the greatest proportions of Arab-Americans were in California, Michigan, New York, Florida, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.

The cities with 100,000 or more in population with the highest percentages of Arabs are Sterling Heights, Michigan 3.69%; Jersey City, New Jersey 2.81%; Warren, Michigan 2.51%; Allentown, Pennsylvania 2.45%; Burbank, California 2.39% and nearby Glendale, California 2.07%; Livonia, Michigan 1.94%; Arlington, Virginia 1.77%; Paterson, New Jersey 1.77%; and Daly City, California 1.69%.^[3]

Arab Americans in the 2000 U.S. Census^[4]

Ancestry	2000	% of population
Lebanese	440,279	0.2%
Syrian	142,897	0.1%
Egyptian	142,832	0.1%
Palestinian	72,112	0.04%
Jordanian	39,734	0.03%
Moroccan	37,462	0.03%
Iraqi	37,714	0.01%
Yemeni	15,000	0.005%
Other Arabs	424,807	0.2%
TOTAL	1,500,641	0.42%

Religious background[link]

The religious affiliations of Arab Americans

While the majority of the population of the Arab World is composed of people of the Muslim faith, most Arab Americans, in contrast, are Christian.^[5]

According to the Arab American Institute, the breakdown of religious affiliation among Arab Americans is as follows:

• 63% Christian
  • 35% Catholic (Roman Rite Catholics & Eastern Catholics — Maronites and Melkites)
  • 18% Orthodox (Eastern Orthodox or Oriental Orthodox)
  • 10% Protestant
• 24% Muslim
• 13% Other; Jewish, No Affiliation^[6]

The percentage of Arab Americans who are Muslim has increased in recent years, because most new Arab immigrants tend to be Muslim; this stands in contrast to the first wave of Arab immigration to the United States during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, during which almost all immigrants were Christians. Most Maronite Catholics tend to be of Lebanese or Syrian extraction; those Christians of Palestinian background are often Eastern Orthodox. A small number are Protestants, either having joined a Protestant denomination after immigrating to the U.S. or being from a family that converted to Protestantism while still living in the Middle East (European and American Protestant missionaries were fairly commonplace in the Levant in the late 19th and early 20th centuries).

There are substantial numbers of American Jews originating from the Arab World, notably of Mizrahi Jewish extraction. Most migrated from their respective countries of origin to the United States during the late 20th century. The number of Arab Jewish-Americans is difficult to determine. Overlapping identification as Jewish Americans (along with other American Jews of various backgrounds) and Arab Americans (along with other American Arabs of various religious traditions) seldom occurs for political reasons.

Arab Christians continue to immigrate into the U.S. in the 2000s and continue to form new enclaves and communities across the country. ^[7]

Census category[link]

The Arab American National Museum celebrates the history of Arab Americans

The current U.S. Census definition includes white "people having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East or North Africa."^[8] However, just like different groups within each country, some of the ancestral and racial heritage of the peoples of not only each Middle East and North African country (Arab or otherwise) is a complex mosaic of elements indigenous to their respective regions, influenced to varying degrees by other elements introduced from historic interactions with Sub-Saharan Africa, Central Asia, South Asia, and Europe, either because of conquests, slave trade, or simply due to proximity.

In 2010, a group of Arab-Americans in Orange County, California, launched a campaign with the slogan "check it right, you ain't White"^[9] to encourage Arabs to check the box that says "Other" when filling out their 2010 United States Census form and identify themselves as "Arab" or their specific country of origin.

Many Arab Americans, especially those with darker complexions (irrespective of their religious tradition), have been increasingly targeted for discrimination and hate crimes after the September 11 attacks.^[10]

A new Zogby Poll International found that there are 3.5 million Americans who were identified as "Arab-Americans", or Americans of ancestry belonging to one of the 23 UN member countries of the Arab World (these are not necessarily therefore Arabs). Poll finds that, overall, a majority of those identifying as Arab Americans are Lebanese Americans (largely as a result of being the most numerous group), although proportionally, as a group by national origin, Lebanese Americans identifying as Arab Americans may be smaller than, for instance, Yemeni Americans.

Politics[link]

Arab Americans tend to vote more Democratic than Republican. In a recent 2007 Zogby poll 62% of Arab Americans vote Democratic, while only 25% vote Republican.^[11] The percentage of Arabs voting Democratic increased sharply after the Iraq War and is likely to have increased further since the Obama election. However, a number of prominent Arab American politicians are Republicans, including former New Hampshire Senator John E. Sununu, and California Congressman Darrell Issa, who was the driving force behind the state's 2003 recall election that removed Democratic Governor Gray Davis from office. The strong sense of family values characteristic of Arab Americans does not necessarily translate to Republican values in Arab American statesmen, however; the first woman Supreme Court Chief Justice in Florida, Rosemary Barkett, is known for her dedication to progressive values and has been publicly criticized by Republican politicians at various stages of her career. Ralph Nader is another example of a liberal Arab American politician.

Arab Americans gave George W. Bush a majority of their votes in 2000. However, as a group they backed John Kerry in 2004 and Barack Obama in 2008.

According to a 2000 Zogby poll, 52% of Arab Americans are pro-life, 74% support the death penalty, 76% are in favor of stricter gun control, and 86% want to see an independent Palestinian state.^[12] Arab American Republicans often view the GOP as more in line with Arab culture, which tends to be more socially conservative and values entrepreneurship and free enterprise. Arab American members of the Democratic party may choose to do so through a sense of social justice and traditional values of tolerance, or because of concerns over foreign policy and, in recent years, the Iraq War, Racial Profiling and the War on Terror.

Festivals and pageants[link]

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (September 2009)

While the spectrum of Arab heritage includes 22 countries, their combined heritage is often celebrated in cultural festivals around the United States.

Pageants[link]

Miss USA Pageant[link]

On May 16, 2010 Lebanese American Rima Fakih won the 2010 Miss USA title, after winning the Miss Michigan USA title.

Miss Arab USA Pageant[link]

In 2010 Mr. Ashraf Elgamal has founded the first Miss Arab USA Pageant. The Annual Pageant is founded on the basis of advancing the cause for women of Arab descent. The Pageant is a charity event for the community, uniting Arabs and friends of Arabs in celebrating the Arab cultural heritage in the great nation of The United States of America.

The Miss Arab USA Pageant is managed and produced by The Arab American Association (AAA), a Non-profit organization headquartered in the State of Arizona. The Mission of AAA is a Non-political, Non-religious, Non-profit Organization established to serve and present the Arab American Community, the mission is to document, preserve, celebrate, and educate the public on the history, life, culture and contributions of Arab Americans. AAA strive to serve as a central resource to the public and media to enhance knowledge and understanding about Arab Americans and their presence in USA.

The pageant is just one out many existing development projects that the AAA embarks on. The AAA takes Pageantry to the next level for young Arab women by grooming Arab Queens as great Ambassadors for humanity. The pageant redefines the image of the Arab woman as a leader and a vital partner in the development of The Middle East and the world.

Festivals[link]

New York City[link]

The Annual Arab-American & North African Street Festival was founded in 2002 by the Network of Arab-American Professionals of NY (NAAP-NY). Located in downtown Manhattan, on Great Jones Street between Lafayette & Broadway, the Festival attracts an estimated 15,000 people, in addition to over 30 Arab and North African vendors along with an all-day live cultural performance program representing performers from across the Arab world.

The New York Arab-American Comedy Festival was founded in 2003 by comedian Dean Obeidallah and comedienne Maysoon Zayid. Held annually each fall, the festival showcases the talents of Arab-American actors, comics, playwrights and filmmakers, and challenges as well as inspires fellow Arab-Americans to create outstanding works of comedy. Participants include actors, directors, writers and comedians, including director Piter Marek.

Seattle[link]

Of particular note is ArabFest in Seattle, begun in 1999. The festival includes all 22 of the Arab countries, with a souk marketplace, traditional and modern music, an authentic Arab coffeehouse, an Arabic spelling bee and fashion show. Lectures and workshops explore the rich culture and history of the Arab peoples, one of the world's oldest civilizations. Also of new interest is the Arabic rap concert, including the NW group Sons of Hagar, showcasing the political and creative struggle of Arabic youth.

Phoenix[link]

In 2008, the first annual Arab American Festival in Arizona was held on November 1 and 2 in Glendale, Arizona. More than 40,000 attendees over the two-day event, More than 35 international singers, dancers and musicians from all over the Arab World perform 20 Hours of live entertainment on stage. Activities include folklore shows, an international food court, hookah lounge, kids rides and booth vendors, open to the public, Free Admission, Official web site http://ArabAmericanFestival.Com

California[link]

The Annual Arab American Day Festival is a three-day cultural and entertainment event held in Orange County. Activities include book and folk arts exhibitions, speeches from community leaders in the county, as well as music and poetry, dancing singing, traditional food, hookah and much more. Official website http://www.aafestival.com

• 

  Arab American Festival - Arizona

Famous Americans of Arab descent or from Arab nations[link]

Here are a few examples of famous Arab Americans. Arab Americans are also involved in politics.^{[citation needed]}

Entertainment[link]

• Ferras, (Jordanian) Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter.
• RedOne, (Moroccan) Producer, Songwriter, Music Executive.
• Jerry Seinfeld, (Syrian Jewish mother) Comedian.
• Najee Mondalek, (Lebanese) Actor/Producer/Playwright.
• Moustapha Akkad, (Syrian) film producer and director.
• Malek Jandali, (Syrian) recording artist, composer and pianist.
• DJ Khaled, (Palestinian) rapper, music producer.
• Frank Zappa, (half Arab father) musician.
• Mohammed Fairouz, (Arab) musician/composer.
• Kassem Gharaibeh, (Jordanian) comedian and actor and the 18th Most Subscribed of all time on YouTube.
• Paul Anka, (Lebanese) singer/songwriter.
• Vince Vaughn, (partially Lebanese) actor.
• Danny Nucci, (Moroccan mother) actor.
• Ronnie Khalil, (Egyptian) stand-up comedian.
• Alia Shawkat, (Iraqi father) actress
• Valerie Domínguez Tarud, (Lebanese) previous Miss Colombia.
• Shannon Elizabeth, (Syrian father) actress.
• Tony Shalhoub, (Lebanese) executive producer and actor of Monk.
• Fredwreck, (Palestinian) hip hop producer.
• Hoda Kotb, (Egyptian) television news personality for Dateline NBC and the Today Show.
• Jamie Farr, (Lebanese) Hollywood actor especially famous for his role as Klinger (also Lebanese) in the TV series "M*A*S*H".
• Danny Thomas, (Lebanese) actor and his daughter Marlo Thomas, actress.
• Casey Kasem, (Lebanese) radio personality and voice actor.
• Anissa Jones, {Lebanese maternal grandparents} actress Family Affair.
• Vic Tayback, (Syrian), actor.
• Michael Ansara, (Syriac), actor.
• Fawaz Gerges, (Lebanese) ABC analyst and regular guest on Oprah's Anti-war series.
• Kathy Najimy, (Lebanese) actress in many American films that include Sister Act.
• Wafah Dufour, (Saudi Arabian Father) supermodel and singer
• Lorraine Ali, (Iraqi) reporter, editor, culture writer, and music critic for Newsweek.
• Wentworth Miller, (Part Syrian/Lebanese) actor.
• Sanaa Hamri, (Moroccan) music video and movie director; her films include the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2.
• George Noory, (Lebanese) radio host, host of Coast To Coast AM with George Noory.
• Hala Gorani, (Syrian) CNN International news correspondent.
• Yousef Abu-Taleb, (Jordanian) actor Lonelygirl15, Film Producer
• Rima Fakih, (Lebanese) Miss USA 2010
• Remy Munasifi, (Iraqi father/Lebanese mother) comedian also known an GoRemy
• Sahar Dika, (Lebanese) MTV's The Real World: New Orleans (2010) participant
• Salma Hayek, (Lebanese), Actress, director and producer
• Paula Abdul, ( Syrian Jewish father), recording artist, dancer, choreographer, actress and television personality
• Wendie Malick, (Egyptian), actress and fashion model
• Sean Yazbeck, (Lebanese), winner of Donald Trumps 'The Apprentice', NBC (2006)
• Yasmine Bleeth, (Algerian mother), actress
• Dick Dale, (Part Lebanese), musician, known as the "King of the Surf Guitar."
• French Montana,(Moroccan) New York rapper

Sport[link]

• Robert Saleh, NFL Coach Houston Texans Linebackers, 2011 to Present Seattle Seahawks.
• Abe Gibran, former Cleveland Brown
• Ahmed Kaddour, (Lebanese) professional boxer, from NBC show The Contender
• Bill George, NFL player and Hall of Famer
• Drew Haddad, (Jordanian) of the Indianapolis Colts
• Doug Flutie, (Lebanese father) NFL Player of the Buffalo Bills and San Diego Chargers.
• Gavin Maloof, own the Sacramento Kings
• George Maloof, Sr. owned the NBA’s Houston Rockets
• Isra Girgrah, female boxer.
• Jeff George, quarterback for several NFL teams
• Jim Harrick, UCLA’s coach
• Joe Maloof, own the Sacramento Kings
• Joe Robbie, former owner and founder of the NFL's Miami Dolphins.
• John Jaha, sports athlete, of the MLB Milwaukee Brewers.
• Justin Abdelkader, (Jordanian) an American ice hockey forward playing for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League (NHL).
• Khalid Khannouchi, (Moroccan) marathon world record holder.
• Nader Abdallah, (Palestinian) NFL Player of the Baltimore Ravens.
• Omar Sheika, (Palestinian) professional boxer, four-time world title challenger.
• Rich Kotite, NFL coach
• Rocco Baldelli, (Syrian) professional baseball Red Sox.
• Rony Seikaly,(Lebanese) Former NBA Player, now DJ
• Ramsey Nijem (Palestinian) Mixed Martial Artist and UFC fighter.
• Amir Khillah (Egyptian) Mixed Martial Artist and The Ultimate Fighter Contestant

Writers and thinkers[link]

• Gibran Khalil Gibran, (Lebanese) writer, philosopher, and painter.
• Edward Said, (Palestinian) literary theorist and outspoken Palestinian activist.
• Diana Abu-Jaber, (Jordanian) novelist, and professor.
• Anouar Majid, (Moroccan) critic, essayist, novelist, and professor.
• Helen Thomas, (Lebanese) reporter, columnist and White House correspondent.
• Ismail al-Faruqi, (Palestinian) philosopher and authority on Islam and comparative religion.
• Laila Lalami, (Moroccan) novelist, journalist, essayist, and professor.
• Mona Simpson, (Syrian father Abdulfattah Jandali) novelist.
• Susie Gharib, co-anchor of the Nightly Business Report, 100 most influential business journalists.
• Hala Gorani, (Syrian) journalist and anchor of CNN's International Desk.

• Jordan Elgrably, (Moroccan American) journalist, editor and founder of the Levantine Cultural Center.

Public figures and politicians[link]

• Saint Raphael of Brooklyn, (Syrian) The first Orthodox bishop to be consecrated in North America.
• Victor G. Atiyeh, (Syrian) former Governor of Oregon.
• Victoria Reggie Kennedy, (Lebanese) attorney and widow of late Senator Ted Kennedy.
• Selwa Roosevelt, (Lebanese) former Chief of Protocol of the United States and wife of the late Archibald Bulloch Roosevelt, Jr., grandson of President Theodore Roosevelt.
• Mitch Daniels, Assyrian governor of Indiana.
• John E. Sununu, (Palestinian) senator from New Hampshire.
• Spencer Abraham, (Lebanese) senator from Michigan and Secretary of Energy under Bush.
• Nick Rahall, (Lebanese) congressman from West Virginia.
• Ralph Nader, (Lebanese) consumer advocate, politician, first Arab American to run for President of the United States.
• Justin Amash (Palestinian/Syrian) United States Congressman from Michigan
• John H. Sununu, (Palestinian) Governor of New Hampshire and White House Chief of Staff under George H. W. Bush.
• George J. Mitchell, (Lebanese) United States of America special envoy to the Middle East under the Obama administration, U.S. senator from Maine, Senate Majority Leader.
• John Abizaid, (Lebanese), retired general.
• George Joulwan, (Lebanese), retired general, former NATO commander-in-chief.
• Zainab Salbi, (Iraqi), co-founder and president of Women for Women International.
• Rosemary Barkett, (Syrian), U.S. federal judge and the first woman Supreme Court Justice and Chief Justice for the state of Florida.
• James Zogby, (Lebanese) founder and president of the Arab American Institute.
• Nadya Suleman, (Iraqi father), "Octomom"

Business[link]

• Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple Inc. (Syrian biological father Abdulfattah Jandali).^[13]
• Kaysar Ridha, (Iraqi) businessman and contestant on reality series Big Brother.
• John Zogby, (Lebanese) founder and current President/CEO of Zogby International.
• Najeeb Halaby, (Syrian) father of Queen Noor of Jordan Lisa Elhalabi, Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration. CEO, and chairman of Pan Am.
• Manuel Moroun, owner of CenTra, Inc., the holding company which controls the Ambassador Bridge and Michigan Central Depot.
• Jacques Nasser, (Lebanese) former president and CEO of Ford Motor Company.
• John J. Mack, (Lebanese) Chairman of the Board and CEO of Morgan Stanley.
• Ray R. Irani, (Palestinian) Chairman and CEO of Occidental Petroleum.

Scientists[link]

• Mohammed Adam El-Sheikh, (Sudanese) executive director of the Fiqh Council of North America.^[14]
• Mohammad S. Obaidat, (Jordanian) President of and a Fellow of the Society for Modeling and Simulation International (SCS). Obaidat has received many awards, including the SCS McLeod Founder's Award for his outstanding technical contribution to Computer modeling and simulation.
• Charles Elachi, (Lebanese) director of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
• Elias Zerhouni (Algerian) current director of the National Institutes of Health.
• Ahmed Zewail (Egyptian) winner of the 1999 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
• Farouk El-Baz Egyptian American scientist who worked with NASA to assist in the planning of scientific exploration of the Moon.
• Fawwaz T. Ulaby (Syrian) winner of the 2006 IEEE Edison Medal and former Vice President of Research for the University of Michigan.
• Nawal M. Nour, (Sudanese) an obstetrician and gynecologist and 2003 Genius Award winner (Sudanese).^[15]

See also[link]

• American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee
• Arab American Institute
• Arab lobby in the United States
• Arab immigration to the United States
• Arab diaspora
• Diaspora politics in the United States
• Hyphenated American
• Iraqi diaspora
• Refugees of Iraq
• Western Muslims
• Arabs in Europe

References[link]

External links[link]

• Us4Arabs.com - Arab American Community Website
• Arab American List - Classified Ads and Jobs
• 2000 U.S. Census Report on the Arab-American population
• Learn more at the Arab American Museum located in Dearborn, Michigan.
• 100 Questions and Answers about Arab Americans
• A full definition of Arab Americans
• Arab American Demographics
• A collection of readings and A/V materials on Arab Americans
• Comprehensive demographics of Arab Americans
• ArabAmerican.Net
• "What's Happening TV Show" Arab Americans in the News
• "Arabic social network and music video web site"
• Arab American Outreach
• Arab Christians Minorities reshaping U.S. enclaves

Books[link]

• The Arab Americans (The New Americans) High-school level look at Arab Americans

Festival Links[link]

• Arab American Festival
• New York Arab American Comedy Festival
• Seattle ArabFest
• Concert of Colors: Metro Detroit's Diversity Festival (ACCESS/AANM)
• Dearborn Arab International Festival

Arab American Organizations[link]

• Arab Center of Washington
• Arab American Association
• List of Arab American Organizations
• American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee
• Arab American Institute
• Arab Artists Resources & Training
• Arab American National Museum
• Association of Patriotic Arab Americans in Military
• The Arab American Council Of Trade
• Levantine Cultural Center
• Network of Arab-American Professionals (NAAP)

v t e Arab diaspora Africa Côte d'Ivoire Americas Argentina Brazil Canada Chile Colombia Haiti Mexico Peru United States Venezuela Asia Afghanistan Indonesia Iran Pakistan Philippines Singapore Sri Lanka Turkey Europe Bulgaria France Germany (Berlin) Greece Netherlands United Kingdom Oceania Australia

v t e Asian Americans East Asian Chinese (Tibetan1) Japanese Korean Mongolian Taiwanese South Asian2 Bangladeshi Indian Indo-Caribbean Nepalese Pakistani Sri Lankan Tamil Southeast Asian Burmese Cambodian Filipino Hmong Indonesian Laotian Mien Singaporean Thai Vietnamese Other Afro-Asian Amerasian Asian Hispanic and Latino Americans Eurasian Multiracial American Punjabi Mexican History General Immigration Military Topics Arts and Entertainment Demographics Politics Stereotypes 1 The US Census Bureau reclassifies anyone identifying as "Tibetan American" as "Chinese American".[4] 2 The US Census Bureau considers Afghanistan a South Asian country, but does not classify Afghan Americans as Asian.[5]

Greek Americans (Greek: Ελληνοαμερικανοί, Ellinoamerikani) are Americans of Greek descent also described as Hellenic descent. According to the 2007 U.S. Census Bureau estimation, there were 1,380,088 people of Greek ancestry in the United States,^[2] while the State Department mentions that around 3,000,000 Americans claim to be of Greek descent.^[3] In addition, the 2000 census revealed that Greek was spoken at home by 365,436 people older than five.^[4] Greek Americans have a heavy concentration in the New York City metropolitan area,^[5] Chicago, Detroit, Boston, Baltimore, Dallas, and Cleveland. Tarpon Springs, Florida is also home to a large Greek American community and the highest concentration of Greek-Americans in the country (11%). The United States is home to the largest overseas Greek community, ahead of Cyprus and the United Kingdom, which despite having a Greek population of less than 1 million has a larger percentage of Greeks than the U.S.

History[link]

The first Greek known to have been to what is now the United States was Don Theodoro, a sailor who landed on Florida with the Narváez expedition in 1528.^[6][7] He died during the expedition, as did most of his companions.

In 1592, Greek captain Juan de Fuca (Ioannis Fokas or Apostolos Valerianos) sailed up the Pacific coast under the Spanish flag, in search of the fabled Northwest Passage between the Pacific and the Atlantic. He reported discovering a body of water, a strait which today bears his name: the Strait of Juan de Fuca, which today forms part of the Canada – United States border.

In 1768, about 500 Greeks from Smyrna, Crete and Mani settled in New Smyrna Beach, Florida. The colony was unsuccessful, and the settlers moved to St. Augustine in 1776, where their traces, except for the St Photios Greek Chapel, were lost to history.^[8][9]

The first significant Greek community to develop was in New Orleans, Louisiana during the 1850s. By 1866, the community was numerous and prosperous enough to have a Greek consulate and the first Greek Orthodox Church in the United States.^[10] During that period, most Greek immigrants to the New World came from Asia Minor and those Aegean Islands still under Ottoman rule. By 1890, there were almost 15,000 Greeks living in the U.S.

Immigration picked up again in the 1890s and early 20th century, due largely to economic opportunity in the U.S., displacement caused by the hardships of Ottoman rule, the Balkan Wars and World War I. 450,000 Greeks arrived to the States between 1890 and 1917, most working in the cities of the Northeast; others labored on railroad construction and in mines of the Western United States; another 70,000 arrived between 1918 and 1924. Each wave of immigration contributed to the growth of Hellenism in the U.S.

A young Greek immigrant on Ellis Island, New York City late 19th early 20th century - Hulton Archive.

Greek immigration at this time was over 90% male, contrasted with most other European immigration to the U.S., such as Italian and Irish immigration which averaged 50% to 60% male. Many Greek immigrants expected to work and return to their homeland after earning capital and dowries for their families. Two factors changed attitudes and facilitated permanent immigration: 1) Loss of homeland: In 1885, Eastern Rumelia, a Ottoman autonomous territory with a Greek minority^[11][12] became de-facto part of the Principality of Bulgaria (de-jure from 1908). Then, in 1923, after the Turkish War of Independence, a population exchange was agreed between Greece and Turkey, resulting in the flee of some 1,500,000 Greeks from Anatolia, Eastern Thrace and Pontus. In both cases, these Greeks were de jure denaturalized from those homelands and lost the right to return and their families were made refugees.^{[citation needed]} 2) The first widely implemented U.S. immigration limits against Europeans were made in 1923, creating an impetus for immigrants to apply for citizenship, bring their families and permanently settle in the U.S. Fewer than 30,000 Greek immigrants arrived in the U.S. between 1925 and 1945, many of whom were "picture brides" for single Greek men.^[13][14]

The events of the early 1920s also provided the stimulus for the first permanent national Greek American religious and civic organizations. Greeks again began to arrive in large numbers after 1945, fleeing the economic devastation caused by World War II and the Greek Civil War. From 1946 until 1982, approximately 211,000 Greeks emigrated to the United States. These later immigrants were less influenced by the powerful assimilation pressures of the 1920s and 1930s and revitalized Greek American identity, especially in areas such as Greek-language media.

Greek immigrants founded more than 600 diners in the New York region in the 1950s through the 1970s. Immigration to the United States from Greece peaked between the 1950s and 1970.^[15][16] After the 1981 admission of Greece to the European Union, annual U.S. immigration numbers fell to less than 2,000. In recent years, Greek immigration to the United States has been minimal; in fact, net migration has been towards Greece. Over 72,000 U.S. citizens currently live in Greece (1999); most of them are Greek Americans.

The predominant religion among Greeks and Greek Americans is Eastern Orthodox Christianity. There are also a number of Americans who descend from Greece's smaller Sephardic and Romaniote Jewish communities.

Greek settlements in the US[link]

States by percentage of people of Greek ancestry[link]

(according to the 2000 U.S. Census)

1. New Hampshire 1.24%
2. Massachusetts 1.23%
3. New York 0.84%
4. Connecticut 0.81%
5. Illinois 0.77%
6. New Jersey 0.73%
7. Rhode Island 0.62%
8. Maryland 0.59%
9. Utah 0.52%
10. Florida 0.48%

Greek-american building architecture

States by number of people of Greek ancestry[link]

(according to the 2000 U.S. Census)

1. New York 159,763
2. California 125,284
3. Illinois 95,064
4. Massachusetts 78,172
5. Florida 76,908
6. New Jersey 61,510
7. Pennsylvania 56,911
8. Ohio 50,609
9. Michigan 44,214
10. Texas 32,319

Communities by percentage of people of Greek ancestry[link]

American and Greek flags in Tarpon Springs, Florida

The US communities with the highest percentage of people claiming Greek ancestry are:^[17]

1. Tarpon Springs, Florida 10.40%
2. Campbell, Ohio 9.30%
3. Lincolnwood, Illinois 7.60%
4. Plandome Manor, New York 7.50%
5. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey 7.20%
6. Allenwood, New Jersey 6.60%
7. South Barrington, Illinois 6.00%
8. Palos Hills, Illinois 5.40%
9. Nahant, Massachusetts 5.30%
10. Holiday, Florida, Munsey Park, New York and Alpine, New Jersey 5.20%
11. East Marion, New York 5.00%
12. Palos Park, Illinois, Upper Brookville, New York, Grosse Pointe Shores, Michigan and Grosse Pointe Township, Michigan 4.90%
13. Harbor Isle, New York 4.70%
14. Lake Dalecarlia, Indiana 4.50%
15. Barnum Island, New York 4.40%
16. Peabody, Massachusetts 4.30%
17. Livingston Manor, New York and University Gardens, New York 4.20%
18. Oak Brook, Illinois 4.00%
19. Dracut, Massachusetts 3.90%
20. Oyster Bay Cove, New York and Harwood Heights, Illinois 3.80%
21. Yorkville, Ohio, Hiller, Pennsylvania, Fort Lee, New Jersey, Long Grove, Illinois, Oakhurst, New Jersey and Ipswich, Massachusetts 3.70%
22. Garden City South, New York, Plandome, New York, Broomall, Pennsylvania and Norwood Park, Chicago, Illinois (neighborhood) 3.60%
23. Manhasset, New York, Palisades Park, New Jersey, Palos Township, IL, Windham, New York, Norridge, Illinois, Monte Sereno, California and Flower Hill, New York 3.50%
24. Morton Grove, Illinois, Wellington, Utah and Terryville, New York 3.40%
25. Plandome Heights, New York, Watertown, Massachusetts, Banks Township, PA (Carbon County, PA) and Harmony, Pennsylvania (Beaver County, PA) 3.30%
26. Niles Township, Illinois and Niles, Illinois 3.20%
27. Groveland, Massachusetts 3.10%
28. Albertson, New York, Stanhope, New Jersey, Caroline, New York, Graeagle, California, Marple Township, Pennsylvania and Lynnfield, Massachusetts 3.00%
29. Manhasset Hills, New York, West Falmouth, Massachusetts, Winfield, Indiana, Foster Township, Pennsylvania and Worth Township, Indiana (Boone County, IN) 2.90%

Dancing in Greek Fustanella at a folk festival in White Springs, Florida

Communities by percentage of those born in Greece[link]

The U.S. communities with the largest percentage of residents born in Greece are:^[18]

Popular culture[link]

• Greek American novelist Jeffrey Eugenides won the 2003 Pulitzer Prize for his novel Middlesex, about a Greek American family in Detroit.
• The 1970s television-series Arnie ^[19] depicted aspects of Greek American life.
• In 1967, Academy Award-winning film-director Elia Kazan published a novel, The Arrangement: A Novel, about a conflicted Greek American living a double life as an advertising executive and muckraking journalist. Kazan, who died in September 2003, was a Greek American.
• The popular 1970s show Kojak, featured Telly Savalas as Greek American police detective Theo Kojak, and his brother George as detective Stavros. Kojak was originally supposed to be Polish (hence the name), but this was changed to match Savalas' profile.
• The 2002 comedy film My Big Fat Greek Wedding portrayed the love story of a Greek American woman (portrayed by Greek Canadian Nia Vardalos) and a non-Greek American man (specifically a White Anglo-Saxon Protestant). It also examines the protagonist's troubled love/hate relationship with her cultural heritage and value system. The movie spawned an unsuccessful TV series, My Big Fat Greek Life.
• The Famous Teddy Z was an acclaimed but short-lived TV series about a fictional talent agent named Teddy Zakalakis, portrayed by Jon Cryer.
• The TV series Full House was about a family that included Greek American Uncle Jesse, portrayed by John Stamos. Jesse's Greek dad was also a recurring character.
• The Olympia Cafe was a recurring sketch in the early years of Saturday Night Live. More recently, Tina Fey has often joked about her Greek heritage on the show.
• Tom's Restaurant, a Greek American owned business, has become one of the symbols of urban New York life.
• Elektra Natchios is a Marvel Comics superhero, portrayed by Jennifer Garner in the 2003 movie Daredevil and the 2005 movie Elektra.
• In the 1973 blockbuster The Exorcist, Jason Miller starred as Greek American Father Damien Karras, one of the priests who exorcised young Regan. In one scene, Karras’ mother, played by Greek actress Vasiliki Maliaros, is listening to a Greek radio station broadcasting the song Ιστορία μου αμαρτία μου (My Story, My sin) by the late popular Greek singer Rita Sakellariou.
• Several entertainers and other performing artists including Johnny Otis, Kelly Clarkson, Alexander Frey, John Aniston, Jennifer Aniston, Melina Kanakaredes, Zach Galifianakis, Tommy Lee, Demitri Martin, Paul Cavonis, Criss Angel, Elias Koteas, Amy Sedaris, Andy Milonakis and Billy Zane are of Greek descent.
• Writer, performer and radio-commentator David Sedaris satirizes growing up in a Greek American household in Suburban North Carolina in several of his essays.

• Some of the greatest American athletes of all time and sports pioneers, including Pete Sampras, Mike Moustakas, Harry Agganis, Chris Chelios, Dean Karnazes, Alex Karras, Alexi Lalas, Dave Batista, Greg Louganis, Nick Markakis, Kurt Rambis, Tom Pappas and the legendary Jim Londos are of Greek descent.

Greek nationality[link]

Any person who is ethnically Greek born outside of Greece may become a Greek citizen through naturalization, providing he/she can prove a parent or grandparent was born as a national of Greece. The Greek ancestor's birth certificate and marriage certificate are required, along with the applicant's birth certificate, and the birth certificates of all generations in between until the relation between the applicant and the person with Greek citizenship is proven.

Greek American organizations[link]

American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association headquarters in Washington, D.C.

New National Hellenic Museum during the day

There are hundreds of regional, religious and professional Greek American organizations. Some of the largest and most notable include:

• The American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association is the largest community organization of Greek Americans. It was founded in Atlanta, Georgia in 1922 to counter the anti-Greek attacks by the Ku Klux Klan during that time period. Its current membership exceeds 18,000.
• The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America is the religious organization most closely associated with the Greek American community. It was established in 1921, and is under the leadership of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. The church operates the Greek Orthodox Youth of America, the largest Orthodox Christian youth group in the United States.
• The American Hellenic Institute, an advocacy group for Greek Americans, and its lobbying arm, the American Hellenic Institute Public Affairs Committee.
• The Next Generation Initiative, a foundation that works with prominent Greek American leaders and executives to offer educational opportunities such as internships and master classes through a network of more than 5,500 Greek American students and 2,500 professors on 200+ college campuses.
• The Council of Hellenes Abroad is a Greek government sponsored umbrella organization for Greek immigrant organizations worldwide.
• The Hellenic Society Paideia has been promoting Hellenism and Orthodoxy since 1977 by placing Greek and Byzantium classes in high schools and universities, offering study abroad programs to Greece year round, and with various building projects throughout the country. Anywhere from 200-500 students travel to Greece with Paideia per year. Information specifically for the study abroad programs can be found at www.hellenicstudiespaideia.org Currently "Paideia" is constructing a Classical Greek Amphitheater at the University of Connecticut and a Center for Hellenic Studies at the University of Rhode Island.^[20]
• The National Hellenic Student Association (NHSA) ^[21] is the independent network of the Hellenic Student Associations (HSAs) across the United States. By linking all the Greek, Greek-American and Cypriot students of the American educational institutions, the organization can promote ideas and projects and enrich the Hellenic spirit on campuses nationwide.
• Many topika somatea or clubs representing the local regional homeland of Greeks in America. Among the scores of such clubs, larger "umbrella" organizations include the Pan Macedonian Association, the Panepirotic Federation, the Pan Cretan Association, the Pan-Icarian Brotherhood, the Pan Pontian Federation of U.S.A-Canada, the Chios Societies of America & Canada, the Cyprus Federation of America, the Pan-Laconian Federation of the USA & Canada, the Pan-Messinian Federation of the USA & Canada, the Pan-Arcadian Federation of America and several associations of refugees from areas in the former Ottoman territories.
• The National Hellenic Museum

Other famous Greek Americans[link]

• 

  Vice President Spiro Agnew

• 

  Reince Priebus

• 

  Gus Bilirakis

• 

  Michael Bilirakis

• 

  Zack Space

• 

  George Gekas

• 

  John Sarbanes

• 

  Paul Sarbanes

• 

  Dina Titus

• 

  Michael Chiklis

• 

  Constantine Maroulis

• 

  Billy Zane

• 

  Elia Kazan

• 

  Maria Menounos

• 

  Peter Diamandis

• 

  Constantine Papadakis

• 

  Dave Batista

• 

  William Pagonis

• 

  Jason Calacanis

• 

  Alexander Payne

• 

  Tino Martinez

• 

  Yanni

• 

  James G. Stavridis

• 

  John Sitaras

See also[link]

	United States portal
	Greece portal

• List of Greek-Americans
• Greeks in Omaha, Nebraska
• Greeks
• Greek diaspora
• Diaspora politics in the United States
• European American
• Grecian Echoes
• Greek Cypriots
• Greek Festival
• Greektown
• Hyphenated American
• Greek Canadians
• Greek British
• Greek Australians
• Greeks in New Zealand

References[link]

External links[link]

Embassy and Consulates

• Embassy
• General Consulate Los Angeles

Charitable organizations

• AHEPA home page - American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association
• The Hellenic Society "Paideia"
• Greek America Foundation
• National Hellenic Society
• Onassis Foundation (USA)
• Hellenic Times Scholarship Fund

Libraries and museums

• National Hellenic Museum
• Tsakopoulos Hellenic Collection at California State University, Sacramento
• Basil J. Vlavianos manuscript collection at California State University, Sacramento
• The Museum Of Greek Culture at the The New England Carousel Museum constructed by The Hellenic Society Paideia housing a Macedonia exhibit.

Trade organizations

• Hellenic-American Chamber of Commerce
• Greek-American Chamber of Commerce

Affiliate trade organizations

• Hellenic Canadian Board of Trade
• Hellenic Canadian Lawyers Association
• Hellenic-Argentine Chamber of Industry and Commerce (C.I.C.H.A.)

Websites

• Famous Greek-Americans - A comprehensive list of famous Greeks and Greek Americans.

Media

• KUED - Tribute to Utah's Greek-Americans

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Elizabeth Kucinich
Born	Elizabeth Jane Harper (1977-10-22) 22 October 1977 (age 34) North Ockendon, England, UK
Occupation	Director of public affairs for the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine
Spouse	Dennis Kucinich (m. 2005) «start: (2005)»"Marriage: Dennis Kucinich to Elizabeth Kucinich" Location: (linkback:http://en-wiki.pop.wn.com/index.php/Elizabeth_Kucinich)

Elizabeth Jane Kucinich née Harper (born 22 October 1977) is director of public affairs for the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, and wife of the U.S. Congressman and former Democratic Presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich.^[1]

Early life and education[link]

Born Elizabeth Jane Harper, she was brought up in North Ockendon in Havering, Great Britain. She attended Coopers' Company and Coborn School in Cranham from 1989-96. According to her mother, as a girl Harper "was always into human rights and the environment and delivered a petition on animal rights to Parliament when she was just 14."^[2] After leaving school she went to Agra, India to volunteer at one of Mother Teresa's homes for India's poorest children.^[3]

On her return to the UK she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Religious Studies and Theology and Master of Arts degree in International Conflict Analysis (both from the University of Kent at Canterbury). The subject of her MA thesis was "Conflict Resolution in World Politics".^[4]

Career[link]

After university she spent 16 months in a rural Tanzanian village and worked as an advocate for regional development.^[3][5] After leaving Tanzania, she volunteered with a British Red Cross refugee unit, earned a certificate in Peace Studies from Coventry University and was employed as a fund-raiser for a seafarer's charity in London. Her volunteer work often brought her to the Forum for Stable Currencies at the House of Lords.^[3]

At that time, she heard financial analyst Stephen Zarlenga speak about monetary reform. She was impressed and was soon hired to become Zarlenga's assistant at the Chicago-based American Monetary Institute.^[3][5][6]

Kucinich is currently the director of public affairs for the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.^[1][7]

Personal life[link]

In the course of her work with Zarlenga, she met Dennis Kucinich, who proposed to her during their second meeting^[8] and they married in 2005 in his native Cleveland, Ohio.^[6]

The Sunday Times noted that one of her heroines is Diana, Princess of Wales, partly for her bringing "compassion back into public life".^[5]

Harper has her tongue pierced with a silver stud.^[9] Like her husband she is a vegan.^[7]

References[link]