Although discrimination towards Arabs and individuals of Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) descent in the United States was reported as early as the 1900’s (Naber, 2000), the events of September 11th, 2001 led to a sharp increase in prejudice and discrimination towards persons of Arab and Middle Eastern descent (Ajrouch, 2005; Ibish, 2003).   Instances of prejudice and discrimination toward other minority groups in the United States have been well documented throughout U.S. history (Dovidio & Gaertner, 1986; Jones, 1997; Nelson, 2002).  Due to the fact that Arabs and individuals of Middle Eastern descent are not recognized by the U.S. government as a minority group many instances of discrimination fail to get recorded. Furthermore, the lack of recognition may increase feelings of invisibility and isolation for Middle Eastern Americans.   Previous studies have found a link between instances of discrimination and psychological variables such as psychological distress (Moradi & Hasan, 2004).  Additionally, differences in the experience of discrimination for Middle Eastern Americans have differed based on acculturation level and religious identification (Awad, 2010).  This talk will examine how psychological research may serve as an indispensable resource for deepening the understanding of experiences of discrimination for individuals of Middle Eastern descent.

Germine Awad, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor in the Human Developments, Culture and Learning Sciences and Counseling Phsychology Programs in the Department of Educations Psychology at the University of Texas at Austin. She is co-editor with Mona H. Amer of the 2017 Arab American Book Award non-fiction winner, The Handbook of Arab American Psychology (Routledge, 2016).

Sponsored by: the Provost’s Office; the CAHSS Dean’s Office; the Social Science Forum; the Depts. of Political Science and Psychology; and the Global Studies Program.

For questions and additional information, please contact:

Dr. Mejdulene Shomali mshomali@umbc.edu.

Please note: UMBC is committed to creating an accessible and inclusive environment for all faculty, staff, students, and visitors.  If you would like to request accommodations (e.g., ASL interpreters, captioning, wheelchair access, etc.) for this event due to a disability, please notify us at least two weeks prior to the event. Requests received after that time cannot be guaranteed, but we will do our best to make arrangements for program access. Please contact the event host (eaever@umbc.edu) with your specific request and be sure to include the event title, date, and time.