Arab migration to Chicago came in ethnic waves of merchants then refugees and professionals

Evidence

The estimated Arab population in Illinois is more than two hundred sixty thousand, with Jordanians (including those with Palestinian passports), Iraqis, and Syrians comprising the majority of Arabs living in the state (Arab American Institute 2015). According to the 2010 U.S. census, the majority of Arabs in Illinois reside in Cook County (Arab American Institute 2014). Arab migration to Chicago, mirrored the general Arab migratory patterns to the United States described earlier in this chapter. The first wave brought Syrian peddlers and merchants while the second and third waves brought political refugees, Palestinian and Lebanese, as well as a large professional class seeking better economic opportunities. — Saher Selod, Forever Suspect_ Racialized…, 113

Categorization

• XREF: The wave pattern of migration (peddlers first, then refugees and professionals) parallels the reader’s existing understanding of how immigrant communities are stratified by migration class.