Skip to content
  • Image
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Youtube
  • Podcasts
  • Email
  • Contact
  • Home
  • Opinion
  • News
  • Features
  • Comment
  • Store
The Arab Daily News

The Arab Daily News

Original news, features, opinions from Chicago to Jerusalem

  • About
    • About
    • Our Writers
    • Subscribe to Ray’s Columns
    • Book Store
    • Contact
    • Submit Book Reviews, Press Releases
    • Advertise
    • Privacy Corrections Policy
    • Profile on Ray Hanania
    • Submit Press Release
  • Features
    • Food
    • Book Review
    • Humor
    • Movies
    • Travel
  • Arab Stores Targeted
  • Arab Community Network Page
    • Arab Community Network Page
    • Arab Heritage America resources
    • Directory
      • Groups & Organizations
      • Mosques, Churches
      • Restaurants
      • 2008 & 2014 Arab Media Directories
    • National Arab Heritage Month
    • Video: Chicago Arab History
    • Video: Photo Array of Chicago Arabs
    • Overview of Arabs in America
    • Hanania standup comedy
    • Arabs on the Titanic
    • Obituaries
  • Podcasts
    • Ray Hanania on Politics Podcast
    • Arab News Ray Hanania Radio
    • Arab Radio Podcast intro
    • Radio Baladi Detroit
  • Hanania on Tiktok
  • Subscribe to eNewsletter
  • Toggle search form
  • Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas, unveils a series of multi language videos to help property tax owners recover overpayments. This one is in Arabic
    Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas releases video in Arabic to help recover property tax overpayments American Arabs
  • Amnesty International ... www.Amnesty.org
    Global: Amnesty International calls for universal social protection, as overlapping crises leave hundreds of millions facing disaster American Arabs
  • Anti-Arab anti-peace U.S. Senator Robert Menendez who has led the fight to censor American who criticize the brutality and human rights violations of Israel
    Menendez and Risch condemn Syria’s re-admission to Arab League American Arabs
  • property tax info event
    Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi hosts property Tax workshop for Arab community Activism
  • US Border Notice. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia
    AHRC Holds Another “Meet, Greet & Open Conversation” Forum Hosting the US Border Patrol (CBP): Human Rights
  • Ald. Raymond Lopez and Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas receive the American Arab Chamber of Commerce 2021 Action Award from Hassan Nijem for their support of the Arab and Muslim American community,
    County Treasurer Maria Pappas celebrates Arab Heritage Month with business and community leaders Activism
  • Congresswoman Debbie Dingell Wikipedia
    Dingell, Tlaib Introduce Resolution Recognizing Eid al-Fitr Christian & Muslim
  • Ziyad Food item
    Essential recipes and ingredients during Ramadan  American Arabs
  • Vote Yes campaign button, Photo courtesy of Ray Hanania
    Low Arab early voting turnout in important Orland Park elections American Arabs
  • Aziz Shihab, long time Arab American journalist and author.
    A memorial to a great Arab American Journalist, Aziz Shihab American Arabs
  • Piotr Hofmanski, president of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Hague
    International Criminal Court arrest warrant issued for Russian tyrant Vladimir Putin Civil Rights
  • Orand First Responders candidates Matthew G. Rafferty and William Bonnar Jr.
    Arab Democrats endorse Rafferty and Bonnar in Orland Fire District race American Arabs
  • Paul Vallas addressing the Arab American Democratic Club on Feb. 12, 2023
    AADC releases its endorsements for the April 4, 2023 non-partisan elections American Arabs
  • Arab Democratic Club Feb 12, 2023 Forum & Brunch flier
    Arab Democrats host forum for Chicago and suburban candidates Feb. 12 American Arabs
  • AHRC Executive Director Imad Hamad
    AHRC’s Humanitarian Mission to Lebanon American Arabs
Mansour Tadros, publisher of Chicagoland's The Future News Newspaper, and Christopher Kennedy, the son of the late U.S. Senator Robert F. Kennedy, speaks at a governor's candidates forum Sept. 16, 2017 at Reza's restaurant in Oak Brook hosted by the American Muslim Task Force. Photo courtesy of Ray Hanania

Arab American empowerment continues to grow

Posted on February 23, 2018October 13, 2018 By rayhanania No Comments on Arab American empowerment continues to grow
SHARE ...
1         
 
  
1
Share

  • Tweet

Loading

Arab American empowerment continues to grow

Arab Americans have been fighting for a place at the American table from the day they set foot in America. But in recent years, their empowerment has increased despite the increased discrimination in the wake of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. In recently years, Arab Americans have been breaking away from the grip of the small groups of extremists who have dominated the community and are more and more becoming engaged in mainstream American politics not just as Arabs but as American Arabs

By Ray Hanania

Many ethnic and racial groups faced discrimination in America, but they eventually overcome it.

Illinois candidate for Governor Chris Kennedy, the son of the assassinated U.S. Senator Robert F. Kennedy, recently reminded Arab Americans that the Irish in America didn’t always have power.

For many years, the Irish faced discrimination and signs were posted that read “NINA,” an acronym for “No Irish Need Apply.”

Mansour Tadros, publisher of Chicagoland's The Future News Newspaper, and Christopher Kennedy, the son of the late U.S. Senator Robert F. Kennedy, speaks at a governor's candidates forum Sept. 16, 2017 at Reza's restaurant in Oak Brook hosted by the American Muslim Task Force. Photo courtesy of Ray Hanania
Mansour Tadros, publisher of Chicagoland’s The Future News Newspaper, and Christopher Kennedy, the son of the late U.S. Senator Robert F. Kennedy, speaks at a governor’s candidates forum Sept. 16, 2017 at Reza’s restaurant in Oak Brook hosted by the American Muslim Task Force. Photo courtesy of Ray Hanania

Arab Americans face subtle discrimination. The people who hate us don’t display “NANA” signs – “No Arabs Need Apply.” It’s built into the system and Arab Americans are excluded in politics and the news media. Our voices are not heard, although we keep fighting to change all that.

Like all Arabs in America, I faced discrimination. After serving honorably during the Vietnam War in the U.S. Military, the FBI still opened an investigation into my life when I was discharged asserting I might be a “terrorist.” The two-year probe concluded I was merely concerned with bettering my community.

Today, 43 years later, many things have changed, but many things are the same.

It wasn’t long ago that elected government officials in America wouldn’t even take our phone calls. Some still refuse to meet with us like Chicago’s Mayor Rahm Emanuel and New York’s Senator Chuck Schumer.

Worse, when we engaged in the election process, and contributed money to their campaigns, we became targets of the bitter election process. Opponents of the candidates we supported pointed to us as “evidence” that the candidate was “bad” because they had support from “Arabs.” So, the candidates we tried to help returned our money, as if our hard-earned income was tainted.

That started to change in the 1990s but after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, candidates shied away from us again. Politicians in America started to distinguish between Arab Muslims and non-Arab Muslims. The majority of Muslims in America are non-Arab, and most, including Pakistanis, Indians, Asians and African Muslims, continued to be engaged in American politics while Arabs were not.

Ray Hanania and Harry Golden Jr., at City Hall in 1982. Photo courtesy of Ray Hanania
Ray Hanania and Harry Golden Jr., at City Hall in 1982. Photo courtesy of Ray Hanania

But the sands are shifting again in favor of Arab Americans. The biggest gains have been in Michigan where Arabs have elected many candidates to public office. That trend is spreading to other areas like Chicago in Illinois.

This week, the Arab American Democratic Club of Chicagoland (AADC), which has been fighting for the rights of Arab American voters since its founding in 1983, hosted a political forum. More than 500 Arab Americans attended the event to show their support for political engagement. But even more significant was that nearly every candidate for every office in Illinois – judges, legislators, mayors, county commissioners and trustees – attended asking for Arab American support, money, and the chance to speak publicly in support of Arab American rights.

In fact, rivals for political office attended together, both vying for Arab American voter support. It used to be that if one attended the rival would use that to attack. Not anymore.

Candidates on both sides of contested races attended like Cook County Assessor Joe Berrios and challenger Kris Kaegi, Congressman Dan Lipinski and challenger Marie Newman, and so many others including 6th District County Board candidate Patricia Joan Murphy, Illinois Attorney General candidate and former Governor Pat Quinn, Gubernatorial candidate Chris Kennedy, and many local regional officials like Lyons Mayor Chris Getty. There were a dozen judicial candidates, and many local trustees there, too.

Although the U.S. Census refuses to count Arabs in a continued effort to suppress our growing influence in America, the Arab American vote is growing. There are other ways to measure our empowerment.

When Americans are canvassed for their vote, ethnicity is identified in the canvass. I have the voter roster for Illinois and for the United States. In Illinois, 83,000 voters are identified as “Arab.” In America, 1.3 million voters are identified as “Arab.” The identification process is flawed, though, because many Arab voters don’t “look” Arab or publicly identify as being Arab. Remember, we have been persecuted in America, so many Arabs change their names from Mohammed to “Mike,” and from Fareed to “Fred.”

Jim Zogby, President of the Arab American Institute in Washington D.C. leads a discussion April 26, 2017 on the failure of the USCIRF to speak out against religious discrimination against Christians and Muslims in Israel.
Jim Zogby, President of the Arab American Institute in Washington D.C. leads a discussion April 26, 2017 on the failure of the USCIRF to speak out against religious discrimination against Christians and Muslims in Israel.

I argue this non-U.S. Census and unofficial canvass is deficient. I think many Arabs hide their identities to avoid being victimized. It could be as much as 50 percent, which means there are 166,000 Arab voters in Illinois and 2.6 million Arab voters in America.

We can extrapolate those numbers to flesh out the real community size.

The Census says 22 percent of Americans who can register to vote don’t. That means that if Arabs are “typical” Americas, the 2.6 million Arab voters really equals 3.2 million voters.

The Census also notes that 75 million of the nation’s 300 million Americans can’t vote because they are under 18. That’s 25 percent, so the real Arab population in America is 4 million people.

Factor in that most Arab families have more children than typical Americans and that increases the 4 million number even more.

In America, the Irish, Italians, Blacks and Hispanics don’t have to do this mathematical gymnastics when assessing their empowerment. But Arab Americans must.

That’s why it was so amazing to see dozens of American candidates from all ethnic backgrounds including the Irish, Blacks, Polish, Italians, and Hispanics ask for the Arab American vote at the AADC event, which is networked with the Arab American Institute in Washington D.C. Even if the Census won’t count us, American officials are starting to recognize our importance as a voting constituency.

There was one other important aspect of the investigation the FBI conducted on me that I should mention. At the very end, it cautioned other FBI agents not to interview me: “It is believed that an interview of the subject [Hanania] would be unproductive. Considering his position as editor of The Middle Eastern Voice Newspaper, mentioned in the enclosed MEMO, an interview could lead to difficulties in future interviews with other Arab subjects.”

That’s when I realized that there is one power that is greater than the right to vote. The FBI was afraid of me because I published a small English language newspaper in the mid-1970s for Arab Americans.

Clearly, communications and journalism are real powers in America, too.

(Ray Hanania is an award-winning Palestinian American columnist and author. Email him at his website at TheDailyHookah.com or at rghanania@gmail.com.)

Some notes:

Census under 18 years of age

Non-registered US voters — 22 percent

  • Author
  • Recent Posts
rayhanania
rayhanania
Op-Ed writer, author, radio host, podcaster at The Arab Daily News
RAY HANANIA — Op-Ed writer, author, radio host, podcaster

Ray Hanania is an award winning political and humor columnist who analyzes American and Middle East politics, and life in general. He is an author of several books.

Hanania covered Chicago Politics and Chicago City Hall from 1976 through 1992 at the Daily Southtown and the Chicago Sun-Times. He began writing in 1975 publishing The Middle Eastern Voice newspaper in Chicago (1975-1977). He later published “The National Arab American Times” newspaper (2004-2007).

Hanania writes weekly columns on Middle East and American Arab issues as Special US Correspondent for the Arab News ArabNews.com, at TheArabDailyNews.com, and at SuburbanChicagoland.com. He has published weekly columns in the Jerusalem Post newspaper, YNetNews.com, Newsday, the Orlando Sentinel, Houston Chronical, and Arlington Heights Daily Herald.

Hanania is the recipient of four (4) Chicago Headline Club “Peter Lisagor Awards” for Column writing. In November 2006, he was named “Best Ethnic American Columnist” by the New American Media. In 2009, Hanania received the prestigious Sigma Delta Chi Award for Writing from the Society of Professional Journalists. He is the recipient of the MT Mehdi Courage in Journalism Award. He was honored for his writing skills with two (2) Chicago Stick-o-Type awards from the Chicago Newspaper Guild. In 1990, Hanania was nominated by the Chicago Sun-Times editors for a Pulitzer Prize for his four-part series on the Palestinian Intifada.

His writings have also been honored by two national Awards from ADC for his writing, and from the National Arab American Journalists Association.

Hanania is the US Special Correspondent for the Arab News Newspaper, covering Middle East and Arab American issues. He writes for the Southwest News newspaper group writing on mainstream American issues.

Click here to send Ray Hanania email.

Follow RayHanania on Gettr.com, the uncensored Twitter Ray Hanania on Gettr, the new Twitter
rayhanania
Latest posts by rayhanania (see all)
  • Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas releases video in Arabic to help recover property tax overpayments - May 18, 2023
  • Global: Amnesty International calls for universal social protection, as overlapping crises leave hundreds of millions facing disaster - May 10, 2023
  • Menendez and Risch condemn Syria’s re-admission to Arab League - May 10, 2023

  • Tweet

SHARE ...
1         
 
  
1
Share
 
1
Share
1         
 
 Tweet 
American Arabs, Arab News, Bloggers, Christian & Muslim, Commentary, mainstream, Opinion, Palestine & Jordan, Politics, Ray Hanania, US Arab Politics Tags:American Arabs, Arab American Democratic Club, Arab Americans, candidates, elections, foreign policy, politics, vote, voters, voting

Post navigation

Previous Post: Man indicted for threatening Arabs in Washington D.C.
Next Post: A CMEP Reflection and this American’s Experience of Jesus at the Pool of Bethesda

Related Posts

  • Stories My Father Told Me by author and artist Helen Zughaib, book cover. Photo courtesy of Cune Press
    Stories My Father Told Me by author and artist Helen Zughaib American Arabs
  • Banner at the Arab American Democratic Club brunch March 19, 2017. Photo courtesy of Steve Neuhaus
    American Arabs deserve respect American Arabs
  • Storms, floods slam Gaza Strip Arab World
  • Palestinians protest the PA President Mahmoud Abbas' sanctions on Gaza on Sunday June 10, 2018 in Ramallah. Photos courtesy of The Committee to Lift Gaza Sanctions
    70 years of Arab World failure needs new strategy Arab World
  • Podcast: Aftab defends Mayor Emanuel; Sonia Khalil on her election American Arabs
  • Minnesota Settlement clears way for Muslim prayer center American Arabs

More Related Articles

Seal of the City of Dearborn, Michigan AHRC congratulates Chief Haddad for his service, and his successor Officer Shahin American Arabs
Cooking Middle Eastern food is a passion and necessity for American Arabs American Arabs
Update to Gaza Sisters Story Bloggers
Promo courtesy of RIDZDESIGN. Photo courtesy of Mike Ghouse Eid Al-Fitr Ramadan Sermons to focus on building a Secure Cohesive America Arab News
Ghassan Rubeiz Israelis could normalize relations with all Arabs with help of Palestinians Arab World
Recipe: Nenae ma’a Lemon (Lemon with Mint) drink American Arabs

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

  • OPINION COLUMNS
  • Hezbollah billboards in Lebanon celebrate Sheikh Hasan Nasrallah and the righteous war against Israeli extremism and fanaticism. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia
    Who will choose the next Lebanese President?
    May 12, 2023
  • The term Arab will be meaningless if we don’t stand behind it and choose “MENA” instead
    April 29, 2023
  • IDF soldiers and Israeli settlers (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
    Ending Israel’s occupation might save its democracy
    April 26, 2023
  • راى حنانيا. Ray Hanania
    Call me Arab, don’t call me MENA writer argues
    March 18, 2023
  • 300x300-ZIYAD02.jpg
  • 300x300-ZIYAD01.jpg
  • NEWS
  • Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas, unveils a series of multi language videos to help property tax owners recover overpayments. This one is in Arabic
    Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas releases video in Arabic to help recover property tax overpayments
    May 18, 2023
  • Amnesty International ... www.Amnesty.org
    Global: Amnesty International calls for universal social protection, as overlapping crises leave hundreds of millions facing disaster
    May 10, 2023
  • Anti-Arab anti-peace U.S. Senator Robert Menendez who has led the fight to censor American who criticize the brutality and human rights violations of Israel
    Menendez and Risch condemn Syria’s re-admission to Arab League
    May 10, 2023
  • property tax info event
    Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi hosts property Tax workshop for Arab community
    May 5, 2023
  • NEWSWIRE
  • Anti-Arab anti-peace U.S. Senator Robert Menendez who has led the fight to censor American who criticize the brutality and human rights violations of Israel
    Menendez and Risch condemn Syria’s re-admission to Arab League
    May 10, 2023
  • US Border Notice. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia
    AHRC Holds Another “Meet, Greet & Open Conversation” Forum Hosting the US Border Patrol (CBP):
    May 2, 2023
  • Ald. Raymond Lopez and Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas receive the American Arab Chamber of Commerce 2021 Action Award from Hassan Nijem for their support of the Arab and Muslim American community,
    County Treasurer Maria Pappas celebrates Arab Heritage Month with business and community leaders
    April 27, 2023
  • Ziyad Food item
    Essential recipes and ingredients during Ramadan 
    April 4, 2023

Creative Commons License
All work on this website is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Do not edit original work. Give credit to the original source.

POPULAR POSTS

  • Who will choose the next Lebanese President? Who will choose the next Lebanese President? By Ghassan Michel Rubeiz Since September of last year the Lebanese parliament has ... posted on May 12, 2023
  • Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi hosts property Tax workshop for Arab community Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi hosts property Tax workshop for Arab community Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi will host a ... posted on May 5, 2023
  • Arab-American influencers Furrha Family share secrets of their success Arab-American influencers Furrha Family share secrets of their success Salem Furrha and his eight children @theFurrhaFamily on TikTok and Instagram represent ... posted on February 6, 2021
  • Menendez and Risch condemn Syria’s re-admission to Arab League Menendez and Risch condemn Syria’s re-admission to Arab League U.S. Senators Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Chairman and ... posted on May 10, 2023
  • Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas releases video in Arabic to help recover property tax overpayments Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas releases video in Arabic to help recover property tax overpayments Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas ... posted on May 18, 2023
  • AHRC Holds Another “Meet, Greet & Open Conversation” Forum Hosting the US Border Patrol (CBP): AHRC Holds Another “Meet, Greet & Open Conversation” Forum Hosting the US Border Patrol (CBP): The American Human Rights Council ... posted on May 2, 2023

Recent Posts

  • Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas releases video in Arabic to help recover property tax overpayments
  • Who will choose the next Lebanese President?
  • Global: Amnesty International calls for universal social protection, as overlapping crises leave hundreds of millions facing disaster
  • Menendez and Risch condemn Syria’s re-admission to Arab League
  • Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi hosts property Tax workshop for Arab community
  • BOOK REVIEWS
  • Glory to God int he Lowest by Author Rev. Donald Wagner
    Book Review: Glory to God in the Lowest: journeys to an unholy land
    February 18, 2023
  • Interlink 2022 Cookbooks Make the Best Holiday Gifts
    Interlink 2022 Cookbooks Make the Best Holiday Gifts
    October 24, 2022
  • ENTERTAINMENT
  • Ziyad Food item
    Essential recipes and ingredients during Ramadan 
    April 4, 2023
  • Hussam al-Mayman, The Mayman Show, podcast Arab News
    Arab News launches third season of The Mayman Show podcast
    December 15, 2022
  • Interlink 2022 Cookbooks Make the Best Holiday Gifts
    Interlink 2022 Cookbooks Make the Best Holiday Gifts
    October 24, 2022
  • Comedian Ramy Youssef courtesy of his Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ramysfaceboo/
    “Ramy” cable series melds Arab world reality with every day American life
    October 22, 2022
  • The Ray Hanania Radio Show Live Wed 5 PM EST in Detroit, Washington DC, Ontario and on Thursday in Chicago. Watch the program live at Facebook.com/ArabNews
    Second Season of “The Ray Hanania Show” Arab American radio launches April 6
    April 4, 2022
  • New-iTunes-1400-x-1400-The-Ray-Hanania-Show-Podcast-Icon-300-x-300.jpg
  • Podcast-iTunes-Logo-Chi-City-Hall-1985.jpg
  • The-Kings-Pawn-Book-300-x-300.png
  • terroristbookcover-300-x-300.jpg
  • powerpr300x300ad.jpg
Arab News Newspaper Logo
Read the Arab News, the leading English language newspaper in the MIddle East

Follow Ray Hanania at Gab.com, MeWe.com and IDobbinate.com, the alternatives to Facebook and Twitter Censorship.

Click here to get information on The Ray Hanania Radio Show and its podcasts

Copyright © 2023 The Arab Daily News.

Powered by PressBook Premium theme