""V. PATRIOTISM OF ARAB-AMERICANS AND MUSLIMS IN THE UNITED STATES
There are about 3 million Arab Americans living in the United States according the United States Commission on Civil Rights. Most of them are Christians-many of whom came here about a hundred years ago. There are major concentrations in California (Los Angeles), Michigan (Detroit/Flint) and New York (Brooklyn), Illinois (Chicago), Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Ohio, Texas and Virginia. (US Commission on Civil Rights) There are 5 to 7 million Muslims in the USA, most of whom are not from the Middle East. (The Economist, 10/14/00 and The Washington Post, 10/16/00) In the Chicago area alone, there are over 400,000 Americans of Arabic descent and Muslims.
Experts say that Americans of Arabic descent are among America's best-educated and most affluent citizens. Notable Arab-Americans include scientists such as: Nobel prize winners Elias Corey and Ahmed Zewail, famed M.D. Michael Debakey; Apollo/Nasa scientist Farouk El-Baz; Business leaders such as Jacques Nasser of Ford, John Mack of Morgan Stanley, Joseph Aboud, and J.M. Hagger; Political leaders like Senators George Mitchell, Spencer Abraham (Department of Energy), James Abourezk, and James Abdnor; Congressmen Nick Rahall, Pat Danner, Ray Lahoud; John Sinunu, Selwa Roosevelt, Donna Shalala, Phillip Habib, and Ralph Nader; Sports figures such as Doug Floutie, Jeff George, Bill George, Ron Seikaly, Bobby Rahol, and Joe Robbie; Entertainers such as Danny Thomas, Paul Anka, Frank Zappa, Paula Abdul, Tiffany, Casey Kasem, Rosalind Elias, Jamie Farr, Khrystne Hage, Kristy McNichol, Tony Shalhoub, Kathy Najimy, Salma Hayek, and F. Murray Abraham. Only one other ethnic minority has more medical doctors in the United States than Arab-Americans. (Arab-American Business Magazine, 8/02)
Arab-Americans have fought for the United States in every war in the 20th Century. The last of them to have died in the service of America was Albert Haddad (USMC) of Lewisville, Texas, who perished in the Gulf War. The first jet ace in Korea, Colonel James Jabara, was an Arab American. Others were four star General George Joulwan who commanded NATO and Christa McAuliffe, the "first teacher in space" who died in the space shuttle Challenger""
from: IMPACT OF THE SEPTEMBER 11TH ATTACKS ON THE FREEDOMS OF ARABS AND MUSLIMS
http://www.arabbar.org/sept11impact.html