Arab-American literature (or Arab American literature) is an ethnic American literature, comprising literary works by authors with Arab origins residing in the United States. The Arab diaspora has its beginnings in the late 19th century, when Arab groups from the Ottoman Empire moved to North America. This immigration occurred in three separate phases, with distinct themes, perspectives, style, and approach to Arab culture embedded in the literature created by each respective phase.
In general, literature from the earlier phases features struggles of assimilation and embracing Arab identity in an American society, and conversely features a sense of detachment from Arab culture for later generations born in the United States. Later generations also contained the major theme of homecoming; finding an intermediate identity that encompasses and celebrates aspects of both their Arab origin and upbringing in American society.
As an ethnic literature, early Arab-American literature is not easily understandable to audiences without prior knowledge of Arab culture. Consequently, it lacks a global presence, and is not part of considerable literary discourse. Modern criticism on Arab-American literature focuses on the lack of analysis and criticism of this literature itself.
Some renowned authors include Gibran Khalil Gibran and Ameen Rihani during the first wave of immigration (called the Mahjar group), Vance Bourjaily and William Peter Blatty for the second, and Diana Abu-Jaber and Suheir Hammad in modern-day Arab American literature.
Historical background
The development Arab American literature underwent is strongly related to the historical and sociological factors that accompanied immigration to the United States. Academics have categorized Arab-American immigration into three waves, each characterized by different political conditions, levels of assimilation into U.S. society, and degree of involvement in the Arab world.
First wave (1880-1924) The first Arab group to immigrate to the United States around 1880 consisted largely of Christians (Maronite, Greek Orthodox, and Melchite) from Mount Lebanon, accompanied by some Syrians and Palestinians. The Christian Arabs planned to temporarily reside in the U.S., either to amass a living or escape Ottoman control, ultimately aiming to return home. They worked predominantly as mobile vendors due to the language barrier and their lack of education or training in any professional field. However, interacting with locals across different areas facilitated their familiarization with the English language and American society, leading them to settle in communities and open stores in different parts of the U.S.
A major concern to the Arabs was the integrity of their Arab identity and its endowment to the next generations, especially amidst the assimilationist requisites of American society. This tension is widely discussed in the Arabs’ newly founded newspapers. The communities remained largely dependent on each other's solidarity; interaction and marriage were generally limited to those of the same religious sect or home village.
As World War I ensued deprivation and wreckage onto the Arab region, and alongside the Johnson-Reed Quota Act of 1924, the flow of Arab immigrants arriving to the U.S. waned. The war dwindled the chances that the Christian Arabs would return home, causing them to surrender sectarian prejudice between their respective sects and begin exploring the prospects of establishing an American identity. Their professional success in the U.S. further encouraged them to stay. Thus, they invested effort to assimilate into American society and engage in American politics.
However, complications regarding American citizenship arose. The Naturalization Act of 1790 offered citizenship rights to “free white persons”. While the Arabs put forth that their Arab origin qualified them as Caucasian, several court cases emphasized their darker skin, and affinity to Islamic culture as opposed to European culture. In the end, the census legally attributed Arabs as a white. However, Arabs continually experienced social exclusion, due to a commonly-held belief that ‘whiteness’ was inherently synonymous to ‘Christian’ and ‘European’; a struggle that became a prominent theme in Arab American literature.
This first group established what is known as the Mahjar period of Arab-American literature.