Arab Americans

Arab Americans on the Move

Omar Humadi: “Diversify your political portfolio”

Posted on Wednesday July 30, 2008

The Ethnic Outreach Caucus Director for the Ohio Democrats, Omar Humadi recently broke all previous fundraising records by raising $50,000 for Governor Strickland.

Omar Humadi knows just how important fundraising is – not just for candidates, but for politically active individuals and groups too. He explains, “Money in politics is extremely crucial, which is an American reality, and our [Arab American] community is horribly lacking in that department. We’ve got the committees and the discussions, but we don’t contribute to a party and make serious inroads that way.” He adds “We need to get involved and contribute, and if we don’t, there are plenty of other people who will.”

The fundraising event was held at Dr. Wael Khoury’s house, where the governor got a chance to try Arabic food, which he greatly enjoyed. Humadi began organizing the event almost two months beforehand, initially working with Bassam Khawam to organize the event. Over the next six to seven weeks they worked constantly, visiting Cleveland and other cities, and doing face-to-face meetings with people in the community.

“The event was a success on two fronts,” says Humadi. “Number one, we raised money and showed that Arab Americans are political players in the game, and two, we made more friends. The governor has reached out and met with the community, and a lot of folks got to speak with him and meet with him, they had access to him, and many of them also voiced their concerns.”

Humadi points out one crucial step that the Arab American community is missing in their political involvement – a focus on the candidates at a state level. “One thing that many people are missing is that they look at their local and national candidates very seriously, but the difference is that they don’t cultivate people and they especially don’t cultivate the people at state level. You have to engage at all levels and have the politicians involved with our community and in our issues before they reach that state or national level. You play hardball with your state party; they need you for organizing, for endorsements, for field organizers, etc. Local interests are good for local representatives, but otherwise they’re not interested. So it’s crucial you get involved.”

Humadi’s advice for everyone: Don’t ignore people, but diversify your political portfolio. “Start getting involved while you’re in school, and when it comes time to work, start banging on the doors of your local politicians. Start going after them, constantly make phone calls, and show up to speak with them in person. Engage the candidates or your representative, and talk to them; election years are prime time to begin getting involved because everyone is looking for help. Make those contacts whenever you see an opening, and then when you’re in, remember that you’re an ambassador for the Arab American community and do your work hard.”

Humadi is optimistic about the visibility and importance of Arab Americans in the political landscape. He has been seeing a lot more Arab Americans getting involved in campaigns this year and while he says it’s still in an early phase, it’s definitely happening. So what’s the one thing everyone should know about politics? “People should know that it’s absolutely open to them, they just need to go for it.”

For more information on getting involved or upcoming events you can visit www.ohiodems.org or email Omar at ohumadi@ohiodems.org.