A minority’s relationship with nationalism depends on two very important variables: the first is the defining features of the particular nation. Equally important are the elements of the minority group’s self-identification. This paper examines the variety of ways that different minorities’ identification was shaped by Arab nation. The category ‘minority’ can be deceiving because each group is a minority in different ways. At times religion, ethnicity, and language each played a role in determining who belonged, and who did not. Minority categories also shift depending on the perceived characteristics of the majority’s identification. This was particularly true in the transition from Ottoman to nation-state structures in the Middle East when traditional forms of belonging were no longer applicable to many in the Middle East. My paper examines three case studies to highlight the divergent experiences and efforts of politically active minority groups as they sought to make their case for greater respect in their respective nations. The first is Palestinian Christians who supported secular Arab nationalism with in the Palestinian nationalist movement and focused on shared linguistic and ethnic categorizations. The second group is the Iraqi Kurds who, as an ethnic/linguistic minority, were excluded by definition from ‘Arab Nationalism’ so they sought greater independence with the new state structure. Third, I explore the changing identification of Arab Jews who, due to the political situation caused by Zionism and the Palestine Mandate, were compelled to reimagine their collective identity. While these three examples are not exhaustive of minority relationships to Arab nationalism, they do provide enough breadth to suggest the wide range of variables and responses. Kurds, Copts, and others continue to negotiate space within the Arab context, and an understanding of this past can help provide context and depth to contemporary tensions.