Arab-Americans are a vastly understudied group in the social sciences. Of the extant research, there is some evidence that racial minority individuals, such as Arab-Americans, tend to have poorer psychological well-being than European Americans (Amin, 2000). Poor psychological well-being in racial minority individuals has been linked to societal risk factors, such as perceived discrimination (Umana-Taylor, 2004). This is especially relevant for Arab-Americans, who have experienced a dramatic increase in discriminatory actions since September 11, 2011 (Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, 2008). There is some evidence to suggest, however, that social context matters, such as living in communities having a large population of one’s racial group. Ethnically dense communities have been shown to protect members of racial minority groups from experiencing and perceiving discrimination, ultimately leading to better well-being. Although Arab-Americans living in racial communities have unique experiences, being an Arab-American (ArAm) adolescent, may pose additional challenges that could affect their experiences with and responses to discrimination. This is an area however, that has received limited attention and little is known about their experiences. The study used resiliency theory (RR) and critical race theory (CRT) as conceptual frameworks to study ArAm adolescents who live in a racial community and how their experiences with and responses to perceived discrimination relate to their well-being. The current study will examine the following questions: How do Arab-American adolescents experience discrimination?; How does perceived discrimination relate to their well-being?; How do Arab-American adolescents respond to their experiences with discrimination?; And how do Arab-American adolescents describe and understand their lived experiences with discrimination in communities where the majority of the population is Arab-American? Participants were 10 female and male Arab-American youth ages 13-17 and were recruited using purposive sampling. Data were collected using semi-structured individual interviews with adolescents and parents. In addition, the adolescents kept an online journal. The data were analyzed using interpretive phenomenological analysis, guided by RR theory and CRT. Validity was assessed via member checks and triangulation of data using multiple participants and sources. With the growing population of Arab-Americans in the United States, psychologists are more likely to encounter these youths in schools. It is thus, vital, that psychologists understand how Arab-American adolescents experience and respond to perceived discrimination and the role of their community in their well-being.
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