Preface -- Acknowledgments --Introduction -- Generations reunite in Arbeen, Syria -- Seed to the wind : The first wave of Arab immigration (1878-1924) -- The Stuff of Myths: Arab Adventurers in the New World -- The Withered Cedar: Why the Arabs Left Syria and Lebanon -- Who Am I? The Syrians Dock in America -- Transplanting the fig tree: The frist generation on American soil (1924-1947) -- The Depression and the Syrian Americans -- World War II -- Making a Name: First-Generation Notables -- The Palestine debacle: The second wave of Arab immigration (1948-1966) -- Syrian Americans React to the Brewing Palestine Conflict -- Immigrants from a Lost Palestine -- Other Second Wave Immigrants from Arab Regimes -- The third wave: West Bank capured, Lebanon torn assunder, The Iran-Iraq War (1967-1989) -- Iraqis, Yemenis, and Egyptian Copts -- Third Wave Palestinians and Lebanese -- The political awakening (1972-1982) -- The Association of Arab American University Graduates (AAUG) -- The National Association of Arab Americans (NAAA) -- The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) -- Before the Flames -- The Israeli Invasion of Lebanon -- Stumbling toward peace (1986-2000) -- The Cases of Alex Odeh and the L.A. 8 -- The Coleico Doll and the First Intifadah -- The First Gulf War Triggers Hate Crimes -- The Oslo Peace Process -- Access White House or Affirmative Action? -- The Death of Oslo and the Second Intifadah -- After the flames: Arab americans and American fear (2001-2004) -- September 11 and the Patriot Act -- What do Arab Americans Want? -- Ongoing Achievement -- To Be or Not to Be Arab American: A Look at the Literature -- A celebration of community -- Center of the World (Washington, DC) -- Food You Can Trust (Detroit) -- Dance over the Death Home (Brooklyn) -- The Slave of Balfour House (Vicksburg) -- The Sunni Who Sells Insurance (Cedar Rapids) -- The Mosque and the Prairie (Ross, North Dakota) -- A Porch in Pasadena (California) -- Appendixes: Number of Arrivals in the United States from Turkey in Asia, by Sex, 1869-1898 -- Number of Arrivals from Syria in the United States by Sex, 1899-1924 -- Arab Immigration to the United States, 1948-2003 -- Arab Eastern Rite Christian, Muslim, and Druze Population in the United States -- Notes -- Glossary -- Bibliography -- Index.

"Some of this book was published in 1988, in different form, under the title Before the flames, by the University of Texas Press"--T.p. verso.

Generations reunite in Arbeen, Syria -- Seeds to the wind: the first wave of Arab immigration (1878-1924) -- Transplanting the fig tree: the first generation on American soil (1924-1947) -- The Palestine debacle: the second wave of Arab immigration (1948-1966) -- The third wave: west bank captured, Lebanon torn Asunder, Iraq wars with Iran, Kuwait, and the US (1967-2005) -- The political awakening (1972-1981) -- Back to Lebanon (1982-1983) -- Stumbling toward peace (1984-2000) -- After the flames: Arab Americans and American fear (2001-2005) -- A celebration of community. Preface -- Acknowledgments --Introduction -- Generations reunite in Arbeen, Syria -- Seed to the wind : The first wave of Arab immigration (1878-1924) -- The Stuff of Myths: Arab Adventurers in the New World -- The Withered Cedar: Why the Arabs Left Syria and Lebanon -- Who Am I? The Syrians Dock in America -- Transplanting the fig tree: The first generation on American soil (1924-1947) -- The Depression and the Syrian Americans -- World War II -- Making a Name: First-Generation Notables -- The Palestine debacle: The second wave of Arab immigration (1948-1966) -- Syrian Americans React to the Brewing Palestine Conflict -- Immigrants from a Lost Palestine -- Other Second Wave Immigrants from Arab Regimes -- The third wave: West Bank captured, Lebanon torn asunder, Iraq wars with Iran, Kuwait, and the US (1967-2005) -- Iraqis, Yemenis, and Egyptian Copts -- Third Wave Palestinians and Lebanese -- The political awakening (1972-1981) -- The Association of Arab American University Graduates (AAUG) -- The National Association of Arab Americans (NAAA) -- The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) -- Back to Lebanon (1982-1983) -- Before the Flames -- The Israeli invasion of Lebanon -- All fall down -- Stumbling toward peace (1984-2000) -- The Cases of Alex Odeh and the L.A. 8 -- The Coleico Doll and the First Intifada -- The First Gulf War Triggers Hate Crimes -- The Oslo Peace Process -- Access White House or Affirmative Action? -- The Death of Oslo and the Second Intifada -- After the flames: Arab Americans and American fear (2001-2004) -- September 11 and the Patriot Act -- War with Afghanistan and Iraq -- Front and Center -- What do Arab Americans Want? -- Ongoing Achievement -- To Be or Not to Be Arab American: A Look at the Literature -- A celebration of community -- Center of the World (Washington, DC) -- Food You Can Trust (Detroit, MI) -- Dance over the Death Home (Brooklyn, NY) -- The Slave of Balfour House (Vicksburg, MS) -- The Mosque and the Prairie (Ross, ND) -- A Porch in Pasadena (Los Angelos, CA) -- Epilogue -- Appendixes: Number of Arrivals in the United States from Turkey in Asia, by Sex, 1869-1898 -- Number of Arrivals from Syria in the United States by Sex, 1899-1924 -- Arab Immigration to the United States, 1948-1985 -- Arab Immigration to the United States, 1986-2003 -- Arab Eastern Rite Christian, Muslim, and Druze Population in the United States -- Religious Affiliations of Arab Americans -- Notes -- Glossary -- Bibliography -- Index.