More Arab Christians than Muslims have emigrated from their home countries. Many Muslim Arabs who are conservative in their religious beliefs do not eat pork or drink alcohol. They observe a fast in the daytime during Ramadan. Some Muslim women wear long dresses and scarves to cover the body. Family life Elders have a prestigious status in the Arab family because of their experience.
Family members look to elders for advice.
With expansion of the aerospace industry in the 1960s, many Arab men who had came to the Seattle area as students found jobs here as engineers. They were later joined by a large number of students who came to study at Seattle-area universities and colleges. Many returned to their home countries. But with the civil war in Jordan and Lebanon, many families immigrated to join their sons. Many Palestinian families who fled the recent Gulf war have settled here.