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On Belonging: The American Adolescent of Arab Descent
Author(s) -
Khouri Lama Z.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
journal of clinical psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.124
H-Index - 119
eISSN - 1097-4679
pISSN - 0021-9762
DOI - 10.1002/jclp.22363
Subject(s) - acculturation , psychology , declaration , immigration , population , stressor , narrative , gender studies , social psychology , developmental psychology , clinical psychology , demography , political science , sociology , law , linguistics , philosophy
Although American families of Arab origin come from 22 countries and from varied backgrounds and cultures, reports suggest that they suffer equally from acculturation stress, stereotyping, discrimination, and the reverberations of the aftermath of September 11 as well as global affairs. However, because children and adolescents from these families, particularly those who are newly arrived immigrants, tend to do well in school, they are rarely targeted by research or policy. This article uses the narratives of 5 middle school age male students from Arab descent who were in a support group that met for 3 years (2004–2007), beginning shortly after President George W. Bush's declaration of the war on the “axis of evil.” I used vignettes from this group to illustrate the stressors this population faces. The final section suggests an option for supporting this population.