Note to Readers y journey started in Kuwait where I grew up in a mixed Arab and American community with Arab friends who shared the same traditions and foods as my family I also had American friends who taught me how to build the perfect hamburger how to furnish a dollhouse and everything anyone needed to know about Charlie Brown and Snoopy Our neighborhood celebrated the national tradi tional and cultural holidays both Arab and Ameri can like Eid Thanksgiving and Easter I was an Arab Muslim girl who helped untangle Christmas tree lights sang in the choir and one year played the piano to accompany the choir I loved it all When I attended college in the United States I brought this sense of intercultural exchange and shared it with my college friends some of whom visited me in the Arab world Years later I had the opportunity to immigrate to the United States and make America my home My children were born here I wanted to keep the balance of Arab and American in their life which grows ever more challenging Arabs Arab Americans and Arab cultures are often treated in a very negative way in
the United States The idea behind A Kid's Guide to Arab American History was to bring to light real Arab American culture people who have con and the tributed to the fabric of the United States Maha Addasi My dear friend and coauthor of many books Arlene Hirschfelder and my wonderful husband Roger Den nis pushed me to write A Kid’s Guide to Arab American History Over the years I had become more angry and dismayed at the untruths and stereotypes aimed at Arabs and Arab American people For most of my life I have addressed racism directed at all groups but particularly First Nations peoples I am fortunate to be both Indigenous American and Arab American two of the most misrepresented peoples in history Through my books I have tried to set the record straight about Native peoples it is time to do the same regarding Arab Americans Much like the Hol lywood Indian who was violent and not too smart Arab Americans are portrayed as unrealistic and unpleasant characters None of these portrayals resemble anyone in my family or community people who are hard working brilliant loyal and deeply spiritual citizens My very Syrian grandparents would be proud that I wrote a book that tells a bit about their history in America and my very Cherokee Sand Hill grandparents would be proud that I walk in bal ance and honor all of my ancestors Yvonne Wakim Dennis
Time Line 800 BCE 1000 CE Ancient mariners from the Mid dle East are thought to have traveled to the Americas They call it Ard Majhoola and Maples YM 1492 At least one Arab guide Louis de Torre accompanies Columbus on his famous voyage to the Americas 1528 Moroccan Zammouri guides a Spanish expe dition into
1539 Estaphan the Arab a Moroccan guide explores the Southwest 1776 Private Nathan Badeen from Syria dies fight ing in the American Revolution 1777 The Kingdom of Morocco is the first country to recognize the new United States as a sov ereign nation 1790 South Carolina rules that Moroccan Arabs liv ing in the state should be treated according to the laws for whites not the laws for blacks from Africa However enslaved Moroccans are not freed in spite of the law 1840 Captain Ahmed bin Naaman from Oman sails into New York Harbor making him the first Arab delegate to visit the United States it was the beginning of trade between the two Countries 1850 1920 Called the Pioneers the largest group from Greater Syria comes to the United States during these years Most work in factories or as peddlers setting up vast trading networks across the
