This chapter discusses the history of the Arab American novel, which dates back to the early part of the twentieth century. Since the 1990s, the genre has been flourishing at a rapid pace. Today, there are roughly 3.6 million Arab Americans in the United States, many of whom come from the Levant area. After providing a brief historical background on Arab immigration, the chapter traces the development of the Arab American novel during the three main literary periods: early twentieth century, 1930s–1960s, and late 1960s/early 1970s–the present. It cites novels that portray border crossings and transnational mobility among multiple Arab and US locations, as well as works that tackle anti-Arab racism and Islamophobia before and after 9/11.
Mazen Naous, Poetics of Visibility in the Contemporary Arab American Novel