Back when I was more involved with the community, many of our people, myself included, often went out of their way to say that Chaldo-Assyrians were NOT “Arabs”. In saying this, they didn't just say that we are distinct from “Arabs”, but went farther, often including undertones of dislike for “Arabs”, or outright bigoted comments. Dreaded, filthy “Arabs”... who wants to be associated with something that Hollywood has portrayed so negatively for 40 years and counting?
What I have been thinking about is the following: What does the term "Arab" mean? I’m looking for a precise definition.
1. If the term "Arab" is used to define "Arab speaking people", or "People from countries whose dominant language is Arabic", then ChaldoAssyrians who were born in the middle east in countries whose dominant language is Arabic could indeed be considered Arabs. Also, people who were born in America and whose first language was Arabic could also be considered Arabs under this line of reasoning.
Unfortunately, the west seems to define Arabs in this way. I say unfortunately because it is not consistent with the naming conventions applied to other parts of the world. Yes, we refer to "Latin America" (that is, an entire continent of spanish-speaking countries with the exception of Brazil), but we don't call Mexicans, Chileans, and Nicaraguans "Spaniards" ...we refer to them by their nationalities. We don't call Aussies and Americans "the English", we call the BRITISH "the English". So, it seems to be to be incorrect to refer to "Arabs" as some sort of national or ethnic group.
Clearly that way of defining the term is incorrect. It may be incorrect, but if we are to use the term to define speakers of Arabic (even if you DO speak English or Surath), then technically some of our people could be considered Arabs. If we were to follow the logic that all Arab-speaking people are Arabs, then all Americans are English. Isn't that strange?
2. On the other hand, if we are talking about some sort of "general Arab culture/ethnicity" that pervades the Middle East, the result is the same. ChaldoAssyrians are integrated into the countries that they live in, and if they are "Assyrian-American" or "Chaldean-American" (because the general culture in this country is "American", but we recognize that we are unique and so we use the hyphenated term "Assyrian-American"), why is it inappropriate for someone to be "Chaldean-Iraqi", or "Assyrian-Arab?". Again, this definition is flawed because there is NOT a general Arab culture that pervades the region. I don't believe that the term Arab includes the general culture of the entire Arab speaking world. Eqyptians have a distinct culture that is very different from Lebanese, which is different from Iraqis, which is different from Yemeni. Each Middle Eastern country has its own dialect of Arabic, and the peoples in each country come in all shades of skin color and from diverse ethnic backgrounds. So, this criteria for defining Arab is equally inappropriate.
Consequently it is wrong, in my opinion, to call someone a "Chaldean-Arab" (or “Assyrian-Arab”), but it is entirely appropriate to call that same person a "Chaldean-Iranian", or an "Assyrian-Iraqui", or a "ChaldoAssyrian-American", depending on that person’s country of origin. This is acceptable because we are referring to a subgroup (ethnic, linguistic, cultural, whatever...) within a nation. Nation implies nationality. I know it sounds basic, but people just don't seem to get it.
3. The only country whose citizens can be called "Arab" in terms of something more than a linguistic category is "Saudi Arabia". This is a nationality in addition to being a linguistic term. Also, are Iranians "Arabs", or "Persians"? Are Turks "Arabs"? Are all Arabs Muslim? The western world has oversimplified (they are good at that) a complex region of the world with the blanket term "Arab", when instead I think it would be more prudent to focus on nationality.
Conclusion:
The term “Arab”, which is often used in general to refer to all peoples of the Middle East, is incorrect. It refers not to religion, language, nor culture... it is entirely ambiguous.
Below you will find a dictionary definition of “Arab”
(Adjective)
1. Of or relating to Arabia, the Arabs, their language, or their culture.
(Noun)
- A native or inhabitant of Arabia.
- An Arabian horse.
- A member of a Semitic people inhabiting Arabia, whose language and Islamic religion spread widely throughout the Middle East and northern Africa from the seventh century.
- A member of an Arabic-speaking people.
- A spirited graceful and intelligent riding horse native to Arabia. 6. Offensive Slang. A waif.
- One of a swarthy race occupying Arabia, and numerous in Syria, Northern Africa, etc.
French Arabe, from Latin Arabs, from Greek Araps, Arab-, from Arabic 'arab.]
Arabic (noun)
1. A Semitic language consisting of numerous dialects that is the principal language of Arabia, Jordan, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Egypt, and parts of northern Africa.
Street Arab: homeless vagabond in the streets of a city, particularly an outcast boy or girl. --Tylor.
The ragged outcasts and street Arabs who are shivering in damp doorways. --Lond. Sat. Rev.
