Arab
Arab is a word which refers to an ethnic group as well as a language group. In modern terms, an Arab is anyone of (1) Arab descent and (2) has some facility in the Arabic language. Historically, the term was narrower, referring to only those from Arabia. There is a tendency among Westerners to regard all Arabs as Muslims, but this is incorrect, as there are some Christian Arabs, as well as Arabs of other faiths: actor Danny Thomas was a Christian Arab. There are also many Jewish Arabs, virtually all of whom were expelled from the various Arab countries in 1948 despite having lived there since the time of King Solomon.
The Modern Arabic language is a member of the Arabian Semitic stock (which includes Hebrew) of the Afro-Asiatic family of languages, and with the Berberic languages, display remarkable structural similarities.
Arab American
see also Arab American
Arab-Americans are Americans of Arab ancestry. Over 4 million Americans trace their ancestry to Arab countries, and the vast majority are citizens of the United States. Over 75% are Christians, many having escaped religious persecution in their homelands. Today, one-third of Arab-Americans live in California, New York, and Michigan. They are better-educated than the average American. The average Arab-American entrepreneur may have a higher personal and household income than a non-Arab-American counterpart in most regions of the United States. [1] The overall U.S. population grew by 13% in the 1990s, while the Arab-American increased by 38%. A majority of Arab-Americans, around 62%, originate from Lebanon, Syria, Palestine and Jordan.