Effects of Stereotyping on Arab American Students and Educators
By: Marvin Wingfield and Bushra Karaman
March 1995
When American children hear the word “Arab” what is the first thing that comes to mind? Maybe the image of Disney’s Arabian Nights fantasy film Aladdin, a film that has been immensely popular in theatres and on video, and is occasionally shown in classrooms.
Even though it is charming, artistically impressive and one of the few American films to feature an Arab hero or heroine, a closer look reveals some disturbing features.
Nick, who offers services like to do my economics homework with TAE says, The light-skinned lead characters of the film, Aladdin and Jasmine, have featured anglicized and Anglo-American accents. This refers to the other characters who are dark-skinned, swarthy, and villainous-cruel palace guards or greedy Arabic-accented merchants with grotesque facial features.
The film‘ opening song sets the tone
Oh, I come from a land, From a faraway place, Where the caravan camels roam, Where they cut off your ear If they don‘t like your face, It‘ Barbaric, but hey, it‘ home.
Thus the film instantly characterizes the Arab world as strange, exotic, and “other.” Arab Americans see this film as perpetuating the Arab world’s tired stereotype as a place of deserts and camels, of arbitrary brutality and barbarism (see more on Arab stereotypes).
Arab Americans have thus raised a cry of protest about Aladdin. The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC challenged Disney) and persuaded the studio to change a phrase in the lyrics for the film’s video version to say: “It’s flat and immense, and the heat is intense. It’s barbaric, but hey, it’s home. “While this is an improvement, there are still problems.
Former ADC President Candace Lightner, founder of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, says, “When I listened to the Aladdin lyrics while watching the film, I was angry and ashamed. I could only hope that the viewer didn’t pay close attention and wouldn’t take home with them a negative picture of the Arab world. “She continues,” I only wish Disney had consulted us first before they created a film that reached millions based on our culture. That’s why an ADC exists.’
Grassroots protests were also active in combating this film’s disturbing elements. Lucky, an expert from whom students approach to pay for research paper says, A 10-year-old Arab American girl in Illinois convinced a music teacher heading the school chorus to remove Aladdin’s offensive lyrics-though she had to clarify three times why the lyrics were offensive before the teacher “got” it.
Arabs in Popular Culture
Disney is not the only culprit. Popular culture aimed at children is full of negative images of Arab women as belly dancers and harem girls, and Arab men as violent terrorists, oil “sheiks,” and marauding tribesmen who kidnap blonde Western women.
A few years ago, Spencer Gifts stores sold horrific physical features of “Arab” Halloween masks along with their regular collection of goblin, ghost, and vampire masks. The chain had no other ethnic masks in stock.
Comic books often have Arab villains in their plot as a free element: Tarzan battles with an Arab leader who kidnaps Jane, Superman foils Arab terrorists who hijacked a U.S. nuclear carrier, and the Fantastic Four fights a hideous oil sheik supervillain.
Kelly who provides services like to do my assignment says, Many famous films such as True Lies, Back to the Future, and Raiders of the Lost Ark have derogatory depictions of Arabs. Computer games often feature Arab villains in a cartoon where kids rack up top scores and win games by killing Arabs. Ethnic stereotypes are harmful when positive ethnic images are not present.
Arab Stereotypes Among Educators
Nick, working with PaperDoers and providing research paper writing service says, Popular films and television hallmarks young children with countless negative images of Arabs, and American educators are not doing enough to address this prejudice. Many don’t see anti-Arab racism as an issue either. Educators who have not been alerted to this issue yet and are unaware of the potential harm being done are part of the problem themselves.
Despite the multicultural philosophy prevailing in American education, ADC has found many teachers and the public not yet sufficiently sensitized to the anti-Arab and anti-Muslim stereotyping problem. Although multicultural papers, books, and curriculum teaching units that discuss the heritage of African American, Hispanic, Native American, and Asia / Pacific American cultures, ignoring Arabs and the Middle East is not uncommon for them.
Effects of Stereotyping on Arab American Children
What does it feel like to have Arab-American children growing up surrounded by a culture that does not positively recognize their ethnic identity?
Judy, senior manager at TrumpLearning which provides the devops certification training says, They can find that the school message about the Arab world contrasts with the values and traditions that were passed on at home. The photos of Arabs being communicated in the classroom that has little in common with their families and experiences at home or their neighborhood friends and family, church/mosque, or elsewhere. They also find that misleading and distorted representations and preconceptions about the Arab heritage are affecting their peers. These circumstances lead to hurtful experiences.
Effects on Arab American Students and Some Classroom Solutions
What effect does this stereotyping have on the rising number of Arab American students in schools in the United States? What can teachers do about those issues in the classroom?
It is acknowledged that the more positive the self-concept of a student, the higher its level of achievement is.
Teachers use different techniques to make the students feel appreciated and important. But when Arab students see in films and on television negative and erroneous portrayals of Arabs, they feel inferior and humiliated, or even beleaguered and violent.
Because of this, students suffer. And it is learning that hurts. Caught in this spiral Arab American students may believe they are inferior as people. They can stop trying to do their best and become convinced they will be nothing like that. It’s becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy for many as pointed out by one user on his ThanksForTheHelp Review. We need to interrupt this loop, as educators, by seeking ways to interfere effectively.
Some 300 million people speak the Arabic language, which is a major language of the world. The Middle East is a strategically critical political and economic area for the United States. Today, only a handful of U.S. schools teach the Arabic language. Also in Dearborn, where 30% of students are Arabic, Arabic is only available in East Dearborn high schools attended by Arab students. They do not offer it with a higher proportion of non-Arabs in West Dearborn schools.
In schools with minority communities, teachers will strive to reject political prejudices and draw on the personal experiences of students and established knowledge bases rather than neglect or diminish their significance.
Check out Arab America’s Blog here!