essay

Yemeni and Lebanese Muslim immigrant women in southeast Dearborn, Michigan

muslim families in north americaEdmonton, Alta., Canada • Published In 1991 • Pages: 256-281, 333-357

By: Aswad, Barbara C..

Abstract
Aswad examines the changing roles and different experiences of Arab-American women based on interviews with twenty Yemeni and twenty Lebanese, Muslim immigrant women in Dearborn, Michigan. The change has been both good and bad. On the one hand women miss the larger kin networks of home, on the other hand, they value their freedom from their husbands' kin and mothers-in-law. In America, women have less of a role to play outside the home, which is not only boring for them, but also undermines their authority in the home. Women lose control of their children, who acculturate and assimilate more quickly, and they are blamed by their husbands for their children's apparent rebellious behavior. This among other factors, such as the economic recession and massive layoffs in the automobile industry, took its toll on the family.
Subjects
Gender status
Ethnic stratification
Family
culture
Arab Americans
HRAF PubDate
1999
Region
North America
Sub Region
Regional, Ethnic and Diaspora Cultures
Document Type
essay
Evaluation
Creator Type
Ethnologist
Document Rating
4: Excellent Secondary Data
5: Excellent Primary Data
Analyst
Ian Skoggard; 1998
Field Date
1983-1984
Coverage Date
1920-1984
Coverage Place
Dearborn, Michigan, United States
Notes
Barbara C. Aswad
Includes bibliographical references (p. 333-357)
LCCN
92129976
LCSH
Arab Americans