While “Arabs” now attract considerable attention – from media, the state, and sociological studies – their history in Canada remains little known. Identifying as Arab in Canada begins to rectify this invisibilization by exploring the migration from Machrek (the Middle East) to Canada from the late 19th century through the 1970s. Houda Asal breathes life into this migratory history and the people who made the journey, and examines the public, collective existence they created in Canada in order to understand both the identity Arabs have constructed for themselves here, and the identity that has been constructed for them by the Canadian state. Using archival research, media analysis, laws and statistics, and a series of interviews, Asal offers a thorough examination of the institutions these migrants and their descendants built, and the various ways they expressed their identity and organized their religious, social and political lives. Identifying as Arab in Canada offers an impressively researched, but accessibly written, much-needed glimpse into the long history of the Arab population in Canada.

This groundbreaking work identifies the challenges facing the Canadian-Arab community vis-a-vis racism, integration, government policy and community building. The first Part provides a comprehensive snapshot of the position of Arabs in Canada in a post September 11 world. The second Part outlines the internal and external barriers to community development from a conflict management framework. Together, these primary narratives provide insight into an often-misunderstood community.

"This volume, with one hundred new articles, supplements the award-winning 10-volume Encyclopedia of World Cultures ... organized and prepared by the Human Relations Area Files"--Preface

While "Arabs" now attract considerable attention - from media, the state, and sociological studies - their history in Canada remains little known. Identifying as Arab in Canada begins to rectify this invisibilization by exploring the migration from Machrek (the Middle East) to Canada from the late 19th century through the 1970s. Houda Asal breathes life into this migratory history and the people who made the journey, and examines the public, collective existence they created in Canada in order to understand both the identity Arabs have constructed for themselves here, and the identity that has been constructed for them by the Canadian state. Using archival research, media analysis, laws and statistics, and a series of interviews, Asal offers a thorough examination of the institutions these migrants and their descendants built, and the various ways they expressed their identity and organized their religious, social and political lives. Identifying as Arab in Canada offers an impressively researched, but accessibly written, much-needed glimpse into the long history of the Arab population in Canada.

When the Canadian government went to war against Iraq in 1991, many Canadians of Arab or Muslim background became the targets of hostility, harassment, and racism. This book recounts and analyzes their experiences during the Gulf War. Journalist Zuhair Kashmeri interviewed over seventy Arabs and Muslims across Canada before finally focusing on the experiences of nine families. The nine case studies illustrate the reaction of different social institutions, including schools, the media, police, municipal governments, the work place, and churches. The Gulf Within also includes a detailed discussion of the actions of police and security services who targeted Canadian Arabs and Muslims during the first Gulf War.