The Historian

Arabs have been immigrating to the United States since the late 19th century. These Arabs immigrated for economic reasons, hoping to strike it rich and then go back to their native homelands. Very few of the first Arab immigrants expected to lay down roots in America and establish communities similar to their own in the old country. But they did, like most all other immigrants, and became woven into the fabric of American history. The first Arabs to set foot on American soil came primarily from Syria and Lebanon. They were majority Christian, Assyrian Orthodox, Maronite, or Melkite. When they entered Ellis Island for the first time, they were asked, "Where are you from?" Even further, they were asked to categorize themselves according to race and color, something immigrants knew little to nothing about. Ellis Island officials handled these cases by mislabeling these early immigrants. Historical census sources dated back to the late 19th century and early 20th century had misl