For more than 30 years, Jonathan Friedlander has explored Middle Eastern immigration to the United States and conversely the representation of the region and its people in the annals of American popular culture. Friedlander, a leading expert in the field of Middle Eastern American studies, offers a multimedia presentation charting the intersection of Middle Eastern Americans and Middle Eastern Americana and their impact on American society, culture and politics over the last century. His research has appeared in numerous publications (including the pioneering volume Irangeles), exhibitions, and multimedia projects dealing with Middle Eastern Americans and Middle Eastern Americana.
Friedlander served as assistant director of the Center for Near Eastern Studies and is currently affiliated with the Department of Special Collections at the Young Research Library, UCLA. He received grant awards from the US Department of Education, National Endowment for the Humanities, Social Science Research Council, and recently the American Institute for Yemeni Studies. He is the co-founder and first president of the Middle East Outreach Council.
