Arab Immigration In The 1920s

Presenter: Kayla Beaton

Presenter Status: Undergraduate student

Academic Year: 21-22

Semester: Fall

Faculty Mentor: Rim Zahra

Department: English

Funding Source/Sponsor: Class Project, SYRCE Symposium

Screenshot URL: https://drive.google.com/uc?id=1V2qDVHblLCTAc4of4yk7siiz4gJSDntf

Abstract:
This final project addresses Arab American immigration in the 1920s. I use a PowerPoint to show how Arabs immigrated to the United States. But using three different videos to describe this better. To provide background information about the factors driving immigration starting in the 1890s-1910 before I delve into discussing what happened in the 1920s. This project matters because we don’t typically learn about Arab immigrants, but rather focus on immigrants from European countries, Italy, France and Ireland. The project illustrates how Arabs have been ostracized in this country long before 9/11. Throughout the presentation, In the whole project I illustrate how Arabs were trying to obtain the American dream and make their lives better in America just like every other immigrant. My project addresses ways that Arab immigrants during the 1920s navigated a new life in America white is a new idea and the extent to which they identified as white. My key findings is that women made up most of the Arab Immigration, they worked twice as hard as Americans but didn’t necessarily get rewarded. The second generation, however, wanted to experience more of an American lifestyle. My findings are relevant to the 1920s because it was in the thick of when immigrants were coming to the United States, immigration is still a very relevant discussion.