Brief
Abdul El‑Sayed’s 2011 Columbia paper on Arab women sparks backlash
The paper, published in the Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health, linked interethnic mating to higher preterm‑birth risk and was condemned as racist by several public figures.
By Felo News Desk · Published
Senate candidate Abdul El‑Sayed is facing renewed criticism after a 2011 Columbia University research paper he co‑authored resurfaced, concluding that Arab women should have children only with Arab fathers to reduce preterm‑birth risk.
What happened
The study, titled “Interethnic mating and risk for preterm birth among Arab American mothers,” appeared in the Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health in 2011. It reported that Arab mothers who partnered with white men had an 18% higher odds of preterm birth (before 37 weeks) and a 24% higher odds of late preterm birth (34‑36 weeks) compared with those who partnered with Arab men. The paper noted no statistically significant difference for very preterm birth (before 32 weeks) when the mother was non‑Arab white.
What the reports add
The New York Post article details that the research was partially funded by NIH grants and that El‑Sayed, then publishing under Abdulrahman M. El‑Sayed, highlighted “interethnic mating” as a risk factor for adverse birth outcomes among Arab‑ethnicity mothers. It also points out that the paper claimed Arab mothers had “systematically better birth outcomes” than white mothers, citing El‑Sayed’s own 2008 study showing a 16% lower preterm‑birth rate for Arab women, though that study’s gap disappeared after adjusting for maternal and socioeconomic factors.
What was said
Sen. Ted Cruz (R‑TX) wrote on X, “This is ‘science’ with a pre‑ordained racist & eugenics outcome,” calling the findings “scary stuff.” John David Haltigan, an Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Buckingham, called the research “odd” and questioned El‑Sayed’s motivation. The article also notes that El‑Sayed has repeatedly described himself as a physician despite never completing a medical residency.
How it came about
The paper emerged amid El‑Sayed’s broader political campaign, including recent scrutiny over a 2012 HuffPost essay criticizing former President Obama and a recent town‑hall exchange with Vice President JD Vance. The resurfaced study adds to a series of controversies surrounding the candidate as he seeks a Senate seat in Michigan.
Key facts
- The 2011 Columbia paper linked Arab‑white interethnic mating to higher odds of preterm birth. (nypost.com)
- The study reported an 18% higher odds of preterm birth and 24% higher odds of late preterm birth for Arab mothers with white partners. (nypost.com)
- Sen. Ted Cruz condemned the paper as having a pre‑ordained racist and eugenics outcome. (nypost.com)
- El‑Sayed has described himself as a physician despite not completing a medical residency. (nypost.com)
- The research was partially funded by NIH grants. (nypost.com)
Sources
- [1] nypost.com — originally reported as “Abdul El-Sayed slammed for ‘racist’ Columbia research paper he wrote concluding Arab women should mate with their own”
