Who wants to be white ?
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Gualtieri argues that becoming white was instead a choice for Syrian migrants because they actively participated in the construction of their white identity in order to gain privileges and citizenship. Syrians became "white" only after they claimed it through concrete actions such as hiring lawyers and forming associations, and once the law confirmed it. To access the "holy grail" represented by whiteness, Syrians played on religious lines, as shown by the example of Elkourie, who emphasizes that Syrians are compatible with the West because they are Christians. Seeing that relying solely on religion would not work, they defined their whiteness by opposing themselves to Black and Asian people, explicitly participating in the pre-established hierarchy. An example of this is this citation from Najib al-Sarghani, the secretary of the SSND « no better than blacks (al-zunuj) and Mongolians (al-mughuli). Rather, blacks will have rights that the Syrian does not have." This fear reflects the shift in Syrian discourse on race, moving from a claim of their compatibility with Western civilization to a concern about being seen as inferior to Black and Asian people. Finally, the decision made in favour of Dow (a Syrian seeking naturalization) confirmed the Syrians' belonging to the white race while reinforcing the dominant racial discourse, thus contributing to the exclusion of other immigrant groups, notably Muslim Arabs.
The distinction between Aryans and Semites has profoundly affected the self-perception and nationalist sentiments of Iranians. Even though Iranians are classified as white in the USA, their racial position is often contested. The Aryan myth, which suggests that Iranians are the original Caucasians, has served as the foundation for a dominant ideology of Persian cultural and racial purity. This myth encourages Iranians to identify as white and feel superior to Arabs. This belief is passed down within families. The Aryan myth asserts that Iranians are descendants of people who originated in Western civilization, based partly on linguistic similarities between Persian and European languages. This view leads to a racial hierarchy in the Middle East, placing Iranians at the top. This is notably illustrated by Feri, a second-generation Iranian-American student who recognizes the contradictions in the discourse held by her parents about the whiteness of Iranians and the Iranian community. She describes Iranians as "hottie patotties" to reflect their perception of superiority. However, she, like many second-generation Iranians, questions the validity of the Aryan myth and understands that Iranian identity is more complex and diverse.
In conclusion, for both Syrians and Iranians, identifying with whiteness serves as a tool for social mobility and acceptance in Western societies. By differentiating themselves from other marginalized groups, Syrians and Iranians wish to access white privilege.