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A major car rental company terminated a Muslim woman for wearing a head scarf during the holy month of Ramadan. She had been allowed to do so for years, but after 9/11 the company said it prohibited scarves. No such policy existed.
In 2003, employees of a major hotel chain called Muslim, Arab and South Asian coworkers "terrorists," "Osama" and "Taliban." More recently, a car dealer fired a Muslim salesman -- described as congenial and courteous -- and admonished him: "Why don't you go back to where you came from?"
After 9/11: Rising Discrimination Claims
Since 9/11, and continuing through the Iraq War, workplace prejudice against Arabs, Muslims, South Asians -- and those perceived to be -- has risen. Incidents remain high. Between September 11, 2001 and June 11, 2006, more than 990 individuals alleged "backlash discrimination," according to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Termination was an issue in 591 of the charges; harassment was cited in 416. Upwards of 150 people received more than $5 million in monetary benefits, due to EEOC efforts.
However, formal grievances are only the tip of the iceberg. "Lots of people are too nervous to file with the EEOC, or afraid to rock the boat," says Lema Bashir, staff attorney with the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC). "And we hear a lot from office workers with Internet access, but not much from laborers."
Nidal Ibrahim, executive director of the Arab American Institute, says that in areas of the country with high concentrations of Arab Americans, such as Cleveland; Dearborn, Michigan; and Passaic, New Jersey, there is more sensitivity to discrimination than places like the South, where there is less cross-cultural familiarity.
While the numbers are high, the type of harassment has changed since 9/11, Bashir notes. "Today, there are fewer cases of overt, egregious discrimination. Now it's more subtle and less obvious, like denials of promotion. Colleagues are 'smarter' about not making comments, and employers are 'savvier' about not prohibiting religious garb."
Negative Stereotypes
Discrimination based on any type of religion is hard to spot, Bashir says. And, she adds, although 70 percent of the Arabs in the United States are Christian, most Arabs are perceived to be Muslim. "A lot of this comes from xenophobia and ignorance," she says. "There are lots of negative stereotypes about Arabs."
Anti-Arab discrimination takes many forms. Ibrahim said that a study of temporary job applicants in California found that identical resumes submitted under the name "William Smith" elicited much greater requests for interviews than those with Arab-sounding names.
Is discrimination against Arabs different from that against, say, African Americans or gays/lesbians? "It's probably similar," Bashir says. "Individuals get singled out for a characteristic they're perceived to have, which leads to a hostile work environment. But in the United States these days, it's accepted that it's wrong to discriminate against other groups. Arabs have not yet reached that point. Some people still come right out and say it's OK to discriminate against them. They say, 'They shouldn't be here,' or 'They're terrorists.' And these things are being said to third-generation Arabs."
Signs of Change
While employers recognize such discrimination "to a certain extent," Bashir says they could do more. "It's still a struggle for our group to work with them," she says. "They need to be quicker to react, and stricter when something happens. They say, 'It's not a real problem,' or they don't investigate allegations thoroughly."
Ibrahim says that employers should reiterate their nondiscrimination policies; they should issue guidelines regarding nonacceptable behavior and be flexible on issues like allowing employees to attend Friday prayers. "We need a proactive approach, reminding workers to be vigilant against discrimination and against practices that might seem humorous but are actually demeaning."
Bashir advises employees who believe they have been discriminated against to contact the ADC. Her group's representatives contact the employer; if there is no response, they can help the employee file a complaint with the EEOC. The ADC also runs educational workshops.
Despite continuing problems, Bashir is optimistic. "Things have improved since 9/11, and they will continue to improve. The Arab American community is here, we will continue to be here, and we will be entrenched."
Ibrahim agrees. "The positive outcome after 9/11 is that there's been an increase in the willingness and desire of many Americans to learn about Arab culture, their fellow Arab Americans and the Muslim religion."