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Celebrate Arab American Heritage history month, April 2026, by learning about the history of Arab American settlement in Chicago. The book “Arabs of Chicagoland,” authored by award-winning Chicagoland journalist Ray Hanania, is available from the publisher at a special discounted rate
The publishers of the book “Arabs of Chicagoland,” one of the only books to document the history of Arab American settlement in Chicagoland, have dramatically reduced costs to help promote a better understanding of the Arab community.
Normally $24.95, the book is now on sale from Arcadia Publishing for only $18.74 plus shipping, with discounts on larger orders.
Authored by Chicagoland Palestinian American journalist Ray Hanania, the book offers a rare insight into the Arab American community, one that has never been told or documented.
Hanania provides a historical context for how and why Arabs settled in Chicago as a part of a wave of immigration from the Middle East that began in the late 18th and early 19th Century and accelerated through the turn of the 20th Century by way of Ellis Island in New York.
Chicago’s population became a primary settlement location for Palestinians fleeing the violence by Jewish Settlers during the 1948 anti-Christian and anti-Muslim purge that transformed the country from a diverse community into an exclusive nation for one religious group.
While Palestinians today represent the largest population of Arabs in Chicago, there are a significant presence of emigrants from Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, and Egypt.
“Arabs first settled in Chicagoland in the mid-19th century, when immigrants from all parts of the world were flowing steadily into the U.S. As tensions in the Arab world flared, immigration increased–the first to arrive were Lebanese Christians, followed by Muslim Palestinians. Today, there are more than 250,000 Arabs in the Chicago area, with equal numbers of Christians and Muslims. A part of the fabric of Chicago, Arabs serve in many roles, from business leaders to elected officials to judges, doctors, engineers, journalists, and more. In the wake of the tragedy of September 11, 2001, Arab Americans have come under great scrutiny and have suffered much misunderstanding. Now, this book, which explores their integral role in Chicagoland’s growth, is especially important.”
- Pages: 128
- Publisher: Arcadia Publishing Inc.
- Imprint: Arcadia Publishing
- Series: Images of America
- Publication Date: 17th August 2005
- State: Illinois
- Illustrations Note: Black and White
- ISBN: 9780738534176
- Format: Paperback
Click this link below to order your copy today and help generations recognize the important role Arab Americans played in building Chicago and its suburbs, and their migration to America.
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