Introduction

Topic

An evaluation of whether the influx of Middle Eastern (Christian, Muslim, Jew, or other) refugees into the United States is significantly represented by the Bay Area. Specific focus will be given to the Iranian Revolution of 1979, the Arab-Israeli conflict 1948-present and the results of American foreign policy from the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act to the 2001 War on Terror. Through expert analysis of government documents, personal accounts, news articles, scholarly articles and books I will try to deduce whether any significant portion any of Middle Eastern refugee group can be represented by their community within the greater San Francisco Bay Area. This is being undertaken with little to no prior knowledge of Middle Eastern immigration to the Bay Area and is intended to use historiographical methods to trace the evolution of the initial displacement of these groups through their eventual relocation to the United States. By analyzing the causes of immigration and their subsequent effects I will determine whether or not there is significant evidence to conclude that the Bay Area is a popular destination for Middle Eastern immigrants.

Why study Middle Eastern Immigration to the Bay Area?

The historical significance of immigration is obvious. Massive movements of people, culture and political ideologies will greatly influence not only the land they immigrate to, but also the one that they left. By analyzing the reasons for immigration, the scale of the immigration and where the communities immigrated to, it becomes easier to understand contemporary political discourses, cultural strife and to some extent, estimate the future nature of domestic/foreign policy of both the sending and receiving countries. On top of these tangible outcomes, by studying immigration into the Bay Area we can more accurately assess the nature of economic and political instabilities within specific communities because greater understanding of the foundations of the community can be achieved. However, moving away from sweeping generalizations that can be deduced from centuries of complex political, cultural and practical experience, this study is being undertaken for the purposes of educating and understanding the effects of massive global events on the Bay Area.

Author

An avid academic and student of history, I have studied the languages, religions and cultures of the Middle East for the length of my stay at California State University East Bay where I am attaining my BA in History. My studies of the Middle East have been contextualized with structured coursework in both Persian and Arabic. While not fluent in either language, I am able to read and translate Persian/Arabic documents with great care and therefore provide a unique historical context that is rarely achieved by Western born writers or historians. Beyond an academic obsession with the complexities of the Middle East I have labored to dissect American political institutions and the history of American domestic/foreign policy. My unique perspective and avid pursuit of academic quality and transparency has won me numerous scholarships, awards and accolades for the pursuit of history, as well as an impeccable academic record. While not born in the San Francisco Bay Area I have grown up here and attended High School at De La Salle in Concord, which allows me to describe and analyze an area that I am exceedingly knowledgeable of its diversity, political workings, culture and people.