A community finding its feet

an interview with James J. Zogby

BI: What role do Middle East issues play in the political consciousness of Arab-Americans?

Zogby: Over the years they have played an increasingly significant role. What we find in polling is that despite the diversity that exists within the Arab-American community--three and a half million coming from many countries and of different generations--their concern about issues in the Middle East is very strong. It is obviously stronger and more intense in the direct connection that immigrants have with particular countries, but among the second and third generations born here, there is also a very deep attachment and a generalized concern about the region as a whole. I think it is very interesting for example that you have second and third generation Lebanese Christians becoming incensed about negative stereotyping of Saudis. In some ways, some of the issues are even felt more strongly, and there is a really strong concern that American policy is unfair and biased. And we find that that has increased over the last couple of decades.

BI: Clearly Iraq is a major issue at the moment. How will Iraq affect the voting patterns in the community in the upcoming elections?

Zogby: It is true Iraq is a concern. It is a concern for all Americans. It is true that it is a particular concern for Arab-Americans, who will feel the issue deeply in a number of ways, both because their country is engaged in a war, they have children, neighbors or friends in uniform, and because it is a war that brings their country into conflict with a part of the world to which they have an attachment. Arab-Americans decidedly tilt against the war. Today, the war, or the president's conduct of the war, would be supported by about 20+ percent [of the Arab-American community] while in the country as a whole about half support the effort.

But that will not be necessarily an indicator for how people will vote. Arab-Americans will not necessarily move their vote if they are not happy with the way the war is handled. And that will be the case in particular with those who are in the second or third generations who will make, like the rest of America, their decision based on a complex grid of issues. They'll vote on the economy, education, health care, taxes, national security, as well as Iraq. There will be no single issue that is a predictor for voting behavior. It'll factor in, but it won't be, in and of itself, enough to determine the outcome of the vote.

BI: Do you think the Palestinian issue has a unique place in Arab-American awareness?

Zogby: It always has. If you look back at the literature of the immigrant community in the 1930s here in the States, you will find that they were very concerned about what was happening with Palestine then, and certainly even more so in the 1940s and as the tragedy of 1948 occurred, into the 1950s and 1960s. I've also found that despite internal differences among the immigrant population--the Lebanese for example being divided as some of the population in Lebanon is divided on this question--there's always been something about the basic cause of justice for Palestinians and the fact that America has not pursued a balanced policy that has gnawed at Arab-Americans. In some ways they also feel that they and their progress in this country have been hampered by the fact that this issue has so skewed American politics and the policy discussion.

I remember when my son was working at the State Department and a couple of Jewish groups began a campaign against him. The people I heard from who thought it was unfair, were not just the activists in the community or career diplomats in the [US] State Department, but second, third generation career diplomats in the State Department, Arab Americans, who in some cases I didn't even know were Arab-American, but would tell me: "I know what your son is going through. It is terrible, and believe me it angers me so much because I always feel that it is something that could happen to me if I spoke my mind."

There is a real sense of hurt, a sense of injustice, a sense that this is an issue that they want to talk about, but feel sometimes that they can't, and they resent that.

BI: Yet, on this issue and perhaps in general in the Middle East, the Jewish American lobbying efforts have been so much more effective. Why is this? The Jewish community is bigger of course, but the Arab-American community is not insignificant.

Zogby: It's not, but let's understand a couple of things. I am a co-chair of the Ethnic Council, which brings together ethnic Democrats from all the European and Mediterranean communities. No group is equal to what the Jewish community has done. In fact, when you look at lobbies in Washington, their ability to leverage money both to create fear and to intimidate politicians is rivaled only by groups like the gun lobby or some of the HMO's and the health care industry. It is an enormously powerful political force that brings a great deal of money in a very targeted way.

I think one of the things the Holocaust did was create a sense framed by the expression "never again." A small group of people were able to resolve that at any expense, and at any effort, they would get the job done. I don't think Arab-Americans have ever felt as personally threatened or as vulnerable and therefore as resolved to never spare any expense to make their pressure felt. You have PACs [Political Action Committees] of four or five hundred people that put together almost three-and-half million dollars by themselves. We certainly have four or five hundred individuals in the Arab American community that could do that, but they don't. If an Arab-American decides to contribute to our PAC he'll give me a thousand dollars. On the other side, that same kind of individual will give five thousand to each of five PACs. It's a completely different story.

No other ethnic community comes anywhere close. In some way we have the misfortune of having to square off not just against a controversial issue, but against a very dedicated and well-organized group that has written the book on how to do this. [But] I think we're making progress. If you look at where we were 30 years ago, the difference is significant. But it remains a very difficult battle. And, yet it is to the credit of this community that we've never surrendered. I think we've established ourselves in the mainstream of American politics

BI: Do you think, particularly after September 11 and the pressures that Arab-Americans have been under, this may sharpen people's activism and bring people together to make the community a stronger political actor in the future?

Zogby: I think it already has, and in several ways. One is that it has certainly brought people together. But it has also made the process more open to us. The threats against Arab Americans have been real and the discrimination has been real. But as important, is the support we've been given by political leaders and elected officials. I think that energized the community, it gave them a sense that they would be protected. I think there's no doubt that we face some difficult challenges, but we've weathered some storms and I think we've turned a real corner. In my experience, looking at the big picture, the progress is absolutely clear. I feel that the last 30 years have been a remarkable record of advances.

- Published 12/8/2004 (c) bitterlemons-international.org. Used with permission.

Dr. James J. Zogby is founder and president of the Arab American Institute (AAI), a Washington, D.C.-based organization which serves as the political and policy research arm of the Arab American community.