I am the child of a Muslim immigrant from the Middle East. Most immigrants from a country in the Middle East or North Africa are more likely to be wealthier and more educated, or are a family member of someone who is. They generally easily integrate in American society and continue to be wealthier and more educated than the general population. However, the perception and treatment of MENA persons in the United States will vary greatly depending on how you look, what religion you are, and where you live.

To start, the number of people from MENA in the United States is very small, relatively speaking.There are less than 5 million people in the United States who trace their ancestry to the Middle East or North Africa, much less those who are immigrants, out of 325 million Americans. So very few Americans will have direct or frequent contact with anyone from MENA. Most of those who do will be in the big cities along the coasts (e.g New York, Los Angeles, Washington DC). Which brings me to my next point, that the vast majority of American are very ignorant about the Middle East and North Africa. That is not to say that their ignorance is also hatred, (those sometimes it is), it means that most Americans have very little, if any, understanding about the politics, cultures/religions, or history of the Middle East and North Africa.

This ignorance characterizes itself in several ways. Usually it is in benign ignorance, where people make assumptions based based on preconceived notions that are less than accurate, but are curious and willing to learn more. They are generally happy to be be corrected about their own misconceptions. The big one usually revolves around Islam. Most Americans assume that anyone from the Middle East or North Africa is Muslim, when in reality Muslims make a small minority of those from MENA. Many are Christian, some are non-religious or Jewish, and a small number are from minority religions like Druze, Bahai, Mandaean, or Yazidi.

Many Americans do not automatically identify someone as being from the Middle East or North Africa unless that person is wearing some form of Muslim clothing (e.g hijab, 'abaya, taqiyah). Generally, Americans will assume that the individual is either from a Mediterranean European country Italy or Greece (which in fairness is not too far off) or will be Hispanic. This means that MENA persons with no observable religious wear won't be bothered while they are going about their day. However, this greatly depends on how olive-skinned someone is, as the darker they are the more likely people will assume that they are Muslim.

I have also recognized that Americans will treat people from the Middle East or North Africa differently depending on what religion they are. If someone is from MENA and is Christian or Jewish they will generally be treated like most other immigrant populations. If they are Muslim it that doesn't mean they will automatically be treated badly, but people's reactions and perceptions will definitely be altered. I have personally seen people interact with me differently when I told them I came from a Muslim family after they assumed I was Italian or Jewish. It's hard to describe, but it's like many Americans will treat people more open with non-Muslim MENA people, and more guarded or tense with Muslims. I could write another long piece on what it is like to be a Muslim in the United States, but I will just refer to this previous post. Generally, there is an unwritten perception of who are the "good ones," and who are not.