Similar to other immigrants, Arabs came to the United States as a result of economic instability in their homeland. Since Arabs came from a different culture and background, European immigrants judged them based on a Eurocentric point-of-view. The Arabs were also racially misrepresented by the government as Turks or Armenians. The government even contemplated including Arabs in the Asian Exclusion Act of 1882. The Arabs, throughout the first part of the 20th century, struggle to establish their own racial identity in America. It was not until after WWII that a large amount of Arab civil rights organizations began to form. Throughout the 20th century Arab stereotypes began to spread. Negative images of Arabs were being promoted through pop culture outlets such as film, T.V., and newspapers. The portrayal of successful and highly educated Arabs was nonexistent. Also with tensions in Israel-Palestine rising in the 1960s, The United States pro-Israel propaganda was based completely on an anti-Arab ideology. New Arab immigrants, who arrived with the abolishment of the national-origins act, found themselves being outcasts of society. How Americans felt about an event that occurred in the middle usually represented how they treated Arabs.
After the Twin Towers were attacked on 9/11, the mistreatment of Arabs peaked. Anti-Arab sentiment became prevalent within media outlets, who began to racially target Arab culture and beliefs. Shortly after, a new wave of stereotypes emerged that labeled Muslims and Arabs as terrorists, which not only tainted the religion of Islam, but also the history of the Arabic people. This also led to growing hatred from the public, . Anti-Arab Political groups were formed out of fear of Arab assimilation into American culture. These groups felt that Arabs wished to taint the “America Lifestyle” and instill Sharia Law in America. Arab and Muslims