AUB CASAR Lecture - Arab Americans_ The New Black

Acknowledgments

  • Thanked Alex Lubin, Nancy Ptakji, and CAZAR staff for organizing the visit.

  • First-time experience has been amazing.

Project Overview

  • Current project focuses on race and popular culture post-9/11.

  • Builds on previous book about black and Latino filmmakers' role in the modern civil rights movement.

  • Explores Arab American racialization linked to U.S. imperial ambitions since September 11, 2001.

Central Claims

  • Understanding contemporary Arab American racialization requires examining shifts in African American racial positioning post-9/11.

  • U.S. popular culture, particularly television, illustrates imaginary solutions to real socio-political issues.

Key Questions

  1. Pre-9/11 racialization of Arab Americans?

  2. Did this racialization shift post-9/11? If so, how and what mechanisms were involved?

  3. Are there parallels in the racialization of African Americans over the last decade?

  4. What political and ideological consequences arise from these intersections?

Case Studies

  • Sleeper Cell and Traitor: both use African American actors as devout Muslims working undercover against terrorism, mirroring racial narratives.

  • Explores how prior to 9/11 Arab Americans were viewed in relation to whiteness; after, being Muslim became conflated with being Arab, leading to broader stereotypes and racialization.

Example of Racialization

  • Boston Marathon bombing suspects, Tsarnaev brothers (Chechens), debated as to their whiteness rather than their potential Muslim identity.

  • Arab Americans branded as suspect populations, compared to African Americans under systemic racial oppression.

Historical Context of Arab Immigration

  • Initial Arab immigrants before WWII questioned on their "whiteness" for U.S. citizenship.

  • Early categorizations by U.S. officials fluctuated between identifying them as Syrians or Turks; judicial decisions varied on their racial classification.

  • Significant cases impact citizenship and race perception; Christianity managed greater legal favor in naturalization cases.

Legal and Political Mechanisms Post-9/11

  • Post-9/11, Arab Americans faced mass arrests and detentions, alongside policy initiatives like the Patriot Act that emphasized broad definitions of terrorism.

  • Countries predominantly Muslim associated with terrorism, reflecting a broader societal linkage of Muslims to criminality.

Racial Dynamics

  • Cultural representation shapes perceptions; portrayals in media such as in Sleeper Cell reinforce racial stereotypes while presenting individual characters with complex backgrounds.

  • Black representation in the War on Terror narrative underscores a historical memory of racism, where black Americans become mediators between U.S. imperialism and ethnic communities.

Conclusion

  • The intertwining of racial narratives in contemporary politics illustrates significant shifts in how marginalized groups are perceived and treated in America.

  • Analysis of shows like Sleeper Cell and Traitor highlights these dynamics, reflecting both societal fears and the complexities of black identity in the context of terrorism.