As a result of two large waves of Arab immigration to the United States, 80 percent of Arab Americans were born in the United States. The first wave began at the end of the 19th century and consisted mainly of Lebanese Christians from what was then Greater Syria. The second wave occurred following the liberalization of United States immigration laws in 1965. This wave was more diverse than the first and consisted of Palestinians, Yemenis, and Iraqis, among others.
However, most Arab Americans were born in the United States.
Although Arab Americans live in all fifty states, one-third live in California, Michigan, and New York, with another third living in Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Ohio, Texas, and Virginia.
Arab Americans are among the fastest growing immigrant groups in major metropolitan areas like New York City/Northern New Jersey, Detroit/Dearborn, Chicago, and Los Angeles/Southern California. The four metropolitan areas with the most Arab Americans are Los Angeles County, CA, Wayne and Oakland counties in Michigan, Brooklyn, NY, and Cook County, IL..
The religious affiliation of Arab Americans is predominately Christian-77% Christian and 23% Muslim. The largest segment of Muslims, moreover, is African American. (Arab-American Institute, 2000)
Although most Arab Americans trace their ancestry to the Middle East, not all people in the Middle East are Arabs. The Middle East has populations of Turks, Jews, and Iranians, who are Persian, Kurds, and Berbers. Catholics from Iraq, known as Chaldeans, constitute large communities in the United States, especially in Detroit.