Arabs Stereotype in U.S.

Abstract

The stereotyping is a negative attitude which generally reflects biased opinion for an individual or groups. The stereotyping of Arabs in the United States is not a new issue and its roots can be traced years ago. However, the act of stereotyping has also received huge criticism from various American circles as it is an unethical as well as illegal act in the country. This papers aims to discuss the issue of Arab stereotyping.

Table of Contents

Abstract2

Introduction4

Discussion5

Stereotyping5

Stereotypes in the U.S. Media7

Analysis of Arab Portrayal in Newspapers9

New York Times9

Los Angeles Times10

Washington Times10

Government, Media and Arab Americans11

Conclusion15

References17

Arabs Stereotype in U.S.

Introduction

The relations between the Arab world and the Western Countries have always received a widespread attention from various media and sociological circles. Prejudices, terrorism and war usually determine the way of thinking on both sides as the attacks of the September 11, 2001 and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq seem so emotionalizing to pull almost all the attention (Semmerling, 2006). No one can deny the fact that Arab Americans can be identified as an ethnic group who migrated to many western countries including the United States due to political, economic and social reasons. In addition, it is also a fact that Arab Americans population can be found in all the fifty states of the country where 63 percent of the Arab Americans are Christians and only 24 percent are Arabss (MSU, 2010). No doubt, there is no difference in terms of community in the law of the land as everyone is equal in the eyes of the law and justice system of the country. However, the incidents of stereotypes of Arabs and their culture have been observed at many occasions in different media in the United States.

The Arab stereotypes is a negative image as Arabs are usually presented in American media as oil rich people who want to buy the United States (Wingfield & Karaman, 1995). It is also a fact that American movies and shows on television also show that Arabs are not civilized ruler in the Middle East and they do not have capabilities to innovate their lifestyle as well as system of ruling. It is also a reality that Palestinians are presented as terrorists in the media with different unethical names such as sandsuckers, ragheads and camel jockeys (Semmerling, 2006). No doubt, much has been written by many American researchers about the issue as they attempted to prevent the negative stereotyping of Arab American as they believed that it is no fair to discriminate others just because of their ethnic background (Devaney, 2011). This paper aims to discuss the issue of stereotyping faced by Arab American population in the United States and the role of media in this regard. This paper will also deal with a brief definition of "stereotyping" and then try to follow the trends of the stereotyping of Arabs in American literature, the media, and foreign policy.

Discussion

When dealing with this subject it is imperative to put focus on ...