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A majority of Arab-Americans, around 62 per cent, originate from the region of the Levant, comprised of Syria, Lebanon, Palestine and Jordan. Arab-Americans of Egyptian origin form the next largest contingent and constitute around 11%. The remainder is made up of those from Iraq, Morocco and other Arab nations, which although are small in numbers, are present nontheless. The largest Arab-American population is found in California.
In contrast to the relgious composition of Arabs in Arab countries, the overwhelming majority of Arab-Americans are Christian, not Muslim. Christians account for 77% of the Arab-American population, while Muslims account for the remaining 23%. The largest Arab-American religious tradition is comprised by Maronites ( Eastern Rite Roman Catholics) who account for 42%, followed by Orthodox Christians and Muslims, each accounting for 23% of the Arab-American population. Protestant Christians are the smallest religious grouping, accounting for 12% of all Arab-Americans.
For the purposes of statistics, individuals who identify as "Arab" are categorised as whiteWhites is a broad term used to describe people of ethnic European descent, especially those with fair skin. The term Caucasian is sometimes used with much the same meaning in the USA. It is often used in contrast with other racial color terms, such as bla by US government agencies and the US census. This racial classification, however, is seldom the case for most Arab-Americans who are often excluded from the general structural concepts of white-American society.
Famous Arab-Americans include Ralph NaderRalph Nader (born February 27, 1934) is an activist attorney who opposes the power of large American corporations and has worked for decades on environmental, consumer rights, and pro-democracy issues. Nader has also been a strong critic of recent America, Paula AbdulPaula Julie Abdul (born June 19, 1962 in San Fernando, California) is an American dancer, choreographer and singer who began her career as the head cheerleader and choreographer for the Los Angeles Lakers basketball team. She started choreographing the li, Casey KasemKemal Amin Kasem professionally known as Casey Kasem (born April 27, 1932), is a Lebanese American radio personality and voice actor. Kasem is an occasional voice-over actor, perhaps best known as the voice of "Shaggy" in the Scooby-Doo cartoons. He has a, Frank Zappa, and James Abourezk, among others.
See also Arab diaspora
Arab-American Organizations
Arab U.S. ethnic groups