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CHAPTER 19 COUNSELING ARAB AMERICANS

CHAPTER 19 COUNSELING ARAB AMERICANS. Statistics on Arab Americans. Arabs generally come from the Middle East and North Africa. The primary language is Arabic. Discrimination and hatred has been directed toward Arab Americans since the 9/11 attacks.

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CHAPTER 19 COUNSELING ARAB AMERICANS

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  1. CHAPTER 19COUNSELING ARAB AMERICANS

  2. Statistics on Arab Americans • Arabs generally come from the Middle East and North Africa. • The primary language is Arabic. • Discrimination and hatred has been directed toward Arab Americans since the 9/11 attacks. • There are over 3,500,000 Arab Americans living in the United States. • They are heterogeneous with respect to race, religion, and politics. • Over half are from Lebanon, 14% from Syria, 11% from Egypt, 9% from Palestine, 4% from Jordan, and 2% from Iraq.

  3. Statistics on Arab Americans • The first wave of immigration happened from 1875 to World War II (mostly Christian), and the second wave happened after World War II to escape the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. • In contrast to the rest of the U.S. population, Arab Americans are more likely to be married, have generally higher incomes, and speak English well.

  4. Stereotypes, Racism, and Prejudice • Arabs and Arab Americans have been stereotyped in movies as sheiks, barbarians, or terrorists. • Islam has also been portrayed as a violent religion. • Also, many believed that it was okay to question and inspect people with Middle Eastern accents or features.

  5. Religious and Cultural Background • Muslims or the followers of Islam believe in one God and individual accountability for their actions. • Quran is equivalent to the Bible in Christianity. • Within Islam, there are two major groups Sunni and Shiite • The Sunni group is largest group, accounting for about 90% of Muslims worldwide. • The remaining 10% are Shiites.

  6. Family Structure and Values • While values and families vary widely, there are some commonalities. • Families tend to be group-oriented, interdependent , and patriarchical. • Women are responsible for rearing the children and for homemaking. • Hospitality is considered very important. • Opposite-sex discussions with those outside the family may be problematic.

  7. Acculturation Conflicts • Many have assimilated—especially the first wave of immigrants. • The second wave has tended to maintain their traditional identity. • Some wear traditional clothing (e.g., hijab or head scarf). • Also, some are bicultural and integrate both identities.

  8. Implications for Clinical Practice • Identify your attitudes about Arab Americans and Muslims. • Inquire about the importance of religion in their lives. • Determine the structure of the family through questions and observation. With traditional families, try addressing the husband or male first. Traditional families may appear to be enmeshed.

  9. Implications for Clinical Practice • Be careful of self-disclosures that may be interpreted as a weakness. This will reduce the therapists’ status among some Arab Americans. Positive self-disclosures are fine. • In traditionally oriented Arab American families, there may be reluctance to share family issues or to express negative feelings with a therapist. • Be open to exploring spiritual beliefs and the use of prayer or fasting to reduce distress.

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