Arab American Immigration

This lesson focuses on Arab immigration to America, diversity within the community, and discrimination that Arab Americans have faced. Students and teachers will use primary sources from the Arab Americans and the Automobile: Voices in the Factory collection located at the Arab American National Museum in Dearborn, Michigan to learn more about these topics. Additionally, the lesson plan will also utilize other primary and secondary sources from a variety of collections and libraries that address these themes.

Arab Americans and the Automobile: Voices in the Factory is a collection of oral histories gathered by the Arab American National Museum in the 1980s and 1990s to preserve the stories of Arab American automobile workers in Detroit. Each interview weaves in themes related to immigration, diversity and discrimination.

This lesson explores Arab immigration to America, diversity within the community, and discrimination the community has faced since the 1880s to the 2000s.


Teacher Materials

The Instructional Resources are to be printed out and distributed among the students. It includes all primary sources needed for the lesson.The Lesson Template provides the teacher a guide for teaching the material.The power point presentation is meant to accompany the Instructional Resources and Lesson Template.


Primary Source Gallery