Researching Arab Americans: Public Opinion, Identity, and Methods

Estimates show that the United States has roughly 3.5 million Arab Americans, a population with an increasingly active political voice(s). A number of important questions emerge as we try to understand this population (or populations). First, who are 'Arab Americans'? How do we begin to understand their opinions, identities, and voting behavior? and In what ways are these questions and categories shaped by the data we have, and the methods we use?

Dr. Lama Mourad, an Assistant Professor at Carleton University and executive member of APSN, moderated an exciting and informative discussion with Dr. Claudia Youakim, a sociologist at the American University of Beirut with expertise on the identity formation of Arabs who grew up in the U.S, and Dr. Youssef Chouhoud, a political scientist at Christopher Newport University and an expert on Arab and Muslim public opinion in the United States.