As a community that puzzles survey researchers and ethnographers, Arab-Americans are often considered hard-to-reach and hard-to-count. Although they share a complex historical and cultural heritage, Arabs vary in their self-identification and how others identify them. Current estimates of Arab-Americans range between over a million and a half according to the Census-Bureau, and nearly three million per the Arab Americans Institute. In order to produce a more qualitatively nuanced and quantitatively precise picture of Arab-American communities, this paper aims to evaluate alternative conceptualizations of Arab ethnicities and to suggest cultural sensitivity as a significant tool in gaining access to the community. Conceptualizing Arab ethnicities is a complex endeavor that dictates understanding the epistemology of Middle Eastern cultures. The Census Bureau and most surveys consider Arab Americans as an ethnicity within the white race. In 1882, Arabs sought to be classified as white in order to become American citizens. While race is no longer an applicable prerequisite to citizenship, Arabs remain a white ethnic group – a racial identity to which they no longer ascribe. This paper examines the applicability of current ethnically-based models of identity to the Arab-American case. It particularly evaluates the linguistic-based Hispanic model, the nationally-based Asian model and the tribally-based Native American model used by the Census to explore a more precise depiction of the community. An accurate depiction of Arab ethnicities also entails adopting a research approach that is considerate of the community’s cultural norms. Cultural sensitivity is a tool that enables researchers to gain access to community members and to assess the great level of distrust that the population feels towards public information and agents. By understanding the significance of informal social networks to the community and placing them into a practical methodological application, this paper aims to contribute to improving methodical measurement of the Arab-American community.