Arab American students and parents see US schools very differently − political tensions are widening the gap

Sixty-four percent of Arab American students say their parents don’t fully understand the U.S. school system.

That finding, from my recent nationwide survey of 411 Arab American students and parents – distributed through community centers, Facebook groups and school newsletters – reveals a growing generational divide.

The parents, many of whom are first-generation immigrants, see schools through a complicated lens. They fear being discriminated against by other Americans and have a strong desire to preserve their culture.

Their children, raised in U.S. classrooms, are quicker to adopt American norms – from language use to classroom behavior and social interactions – which often puts them at odds with their parents’ expectations.

As a researcher of immigrant education and a doctoral student at Ohio State University, I study how Arab American families navigate the U.S. education system and the transition to college. My work draws on my experience and training as an Arab immigrant mother and educator.

A growing but overlooked population

More than 2 million Arab Americans live in the U.S., comprising 1.07% of the population. Arabic is the seventh most common home language among English language learners.

The Detroit area, including nearby cities of Warren and Dearborn, has the most Arabic speakers of any U.S. metro region – about 190,000 in 2021.

Yet, Arab students are often invisible in education policy discussions. They are often categorized as “white” and sometimes as “Muslim.” However, not all Arabs are Muslim, and not all Muslims are Arab. Arab students are rarely recognized as a distinct group with their own cultural and educational needs.

This invisibility matters. Previous research shows that when teachers and schools misunderstand immigrant communities, students’ sense of belonging and achievement suffers.

What the data shows

In my study, parents and students were asked about barriers to education, including their own cultural background, school practices and self-confidence.

Several clear patterns emerged: 64% of students said their parents do not understand the U.S. school system, 58% said political and media messages increased their parents’ fears about safety and belonging, and 72% believed they understood American culture better than their parents did.

Slightly more than half – 54% – of students said they felt pressure to follow cultural norms at home that conflicted with their school experiences. Some of this pressure centered on wearing modest clothing. Others reported their parents restricted their involvement in extracurricular activities such as sports, dances or mixed-gender clubs, limiting opportunities.

Parents, on the other hand, expressed strong concerns about their children losing cultural identity. Many worried that schools did not respect Arab traditions or values.

Why the gap exists

This divide reflects what scholars call intergenerational cultural dissonance. This is the conflict that arises when immigrant parents and their children adapt to U.S. culture at different speeds.

Many of the parents I surveyed were shaped by memories of discrimination in the United States. After 9/11, Arab and Muslim families experienced heightened Islamophobia, racial profiling, workplace bias and exclusion in schools.

Research shows that many Arab American students and their families were labeled as outsiders, faced negative stereotyping in media and were subject to incidents of harassment and discrimination in educational settings.

Together, these experiences help explain why parents remain protective and cautious about their children’s schooling and the need to preserve their culture. Students who are immersed in American schools adopt new norms more quickly. This cultural gap has also been observed among Latino American and Asian American families.

For Arab Americans and Muslim Americans, the post-9/11 climate and recent political debates make the gap especially sharp. Many Arab American communities say the climate since the Israel-Hamas war broke out in 2023 is echoing the same wave of fear, suspicion and discrimination they experienced after 9/11. This renewed anxiety – linked to surveillance, hate crimes and political rhetoric – has shaped how students, parents and educators from Arab backgrounds experience U.S. schools and campuses.

Why it matters now

Recent incidents show that these concerns of parents are not just imagined. In Connecticut, two Arab Muslim middle school girls were physically assaulted by classmates during gym class in what police are investigating as a bias-motivated attack. In Michigan, a Palestinian American teenager was told by her teacher to “go back to your country” after she refused to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance – a choice shaped by her identity and the ongoing violence in Gaza.

According to Reuters, anti-Arab and anti-Muslim incidents in the U.S. rose by more than 180% in the months following Oct. 7, 2023. Parents are responding to real examples of violence and discrimination, not just abstract fears.

For students, however, the reality is more complicated. At school, Arab and Muslim students often feel pressure to assimilate and fit in with peers. At home, they carry the burden of parental fear and cultural preservation. Balancing two sets of expectations can be difficult.

This double bind can be traumatic. Research on intergenerational cultural dissonance shows that this kind of constant negotiation can produce stress, identity conflict and feelings of alienation in young people.

To a certain extent, parents also adapt to U.S. culture through workplaces, neighborhoods and everyday life. They navigate new social rules when shopping, engaging with neighbors or managing community relations. Yet schools remain central in shaping how they perceive their children’s identity and safety. And they exert powerful influence in molding adolescent identity through peer interactions, academic expectations and cultural practices.

This is not only an Arab American story. It is a case study of how polarization and identity politics ripple into classrooms and homes, widening divides between immigrant parents and their children.

My research highlights several implications for educators and policymakers.

• Explain academic expectations: Parents’ lack of understanding of the U.S. school system fuels mistrust. Schools that provide clear, culturally accessible information can ease tension and foster engagement. Parents often need clear explanations of how the U.S. school system works, starting with grading scales and standardized tests that may differ from what they knew in their home countries. Beyond academics, parents want reassurance that schools have strong policies on bullying, safety and discrimination.

• Sports and clubs: Guidance on extracurricular activities is also important, since many families are unsure how clubs, sports and school events fit into academic and social development.

• Applying to college: When students reach high school, families especially benefit from support navigating the college application process, including information on financial aid and scholarships.

• Respect diverse needs: Parents also look for accommodations that respect cultural and religious needs – for example, offering menus that take dietary restrictions into account, providing spaces for prayer, and recognizing gender boundaries in certain activities. When Arab students do not see their culture reflected in school practices or curriculum, parents’ fears of cultural loss intensify.

• Acknowledging fears can build trust: Understanding that parental concerns are rooted in lived experiences of discrimination, rather than dismissing them as overprotective, may help bridge gaps.

The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.