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Blog — California
Tuesday March 26, 2013
By Jennine Vari
Last week, Arab American and Latino lawyer Sam Jammal was hired as chief of staff to California Congressman Tony Cardenas (D-29). Read More »
Posted by Guest at 12:28 pm / / Leave a comment
Monday March 18, 2013
We’ve written a number of times about the lack of transparency around the administration’s drone policy and its constitutional implications. As the administration continues to face scrutiny for its use of drones abroad, state legislators are introducing legislation to combat the use of drone surveillance domestically. More than twenty state, including New Jersey , have considered creating laws that would limit or ban the use of unmanned aerial systems, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Read More »
Posted by Yasmine Taeb at 2:48 pm / / Leave a comment
Wednesday February 27, 2013
Today, the Supreme Court hears arguments on one of the most important legislative initiatives from the Civil Rights era: the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The VRA ensures that all eligible American citizens are able to vote, unimpeded by processes or regulations— from literacy tests and English-only ballots, to moving polling places and redistricting— that could effectively disenfranchise ethnic minorities. Read More »
Posted by AAI at 1:36 pm / / Leave a comment
Friday February 15, 2013
By Jade Zoghbi
The video depicts Tammi Rossman-Benjamin, a UC Santa Cruz lecturer, who made outrageous accusations and comments towards the MSA and Palestinian groups Read More »
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Tuesday February 12, 2013
There is a problem with the way federal law enforcement tracks hate crimes aimed at the Arab American community: they don’t. In the past ten years, there have been more than 800 incidents involving “violence, threats, vandalism, and arson against persons perceived to be Muslim or to be of Arab, Middle Eastern, or South Asian origin.” Federal charges have been brought in only a handful of cases, with only 45 convictions as of March 29, 2011. Read More »
Posted by Omar Tewfik at 2:55 pm / / Leave a comment
Monday January 07, 2013
Arab Americans aren’t the only ones celebrating the appointment of Johnny Khamis as the first-ever Arab American City Council member representing the 10th district of the city of San Jose, California. Khamis’s swearing-in ceremony, which was led yesterday by San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed, received prominent attention from the local San Jose news site, MercuryNews.com which lauded the newly-elected Republican for, among other things, helping San Jose to reach yet “another milestone in the growing diversity of the Bay Area's largest city.” Read More »
Posted by Omar Tewfik at 3:54 pm / / Leave a comment
Thursday November 08, 2012
In California, Johnny Khamis narrowly won a seat on the San Jose City Council over Robert Braunstein. The Michigan State University Board of Trustees election was another close race, but on Wednesday afternoon the final results showed Arab American Brian Mosallam in second place, claiming a seat on the board. Read More »
Posted by Emily Manna at 11:04 am / / Leave a comment
Saturday November 03, 2012
There are only three days left before the election on Tuesday, but there are still ample opportunities to have an impact. Make no mistake, every vote counts. And because this election is so close, Arab Americans can and will make a difference in it. But remember, the Presidential election is not the only contest this year. There are plenty of other races you can also have an impact on. Read More »
Posted by AAI at 11:27 am / / Leave a comment
Wednesday October 10, 2012
A Texas- based group, True the Vote, plans to mobilize millions of poll watchers around the country. But some fear that its real intention is to intimidate minority voters. Their fears were confirmed last month when True the Vote’s national election coordinator told poll watchers that their aim should be to make for voters feel “like [you’re] driving and seeing the police following you.” Read More »
Posted by AAI at 1:38 pm / / Leave a comment
Friday October 05, 2012
Gov. Jerry Brown has vetoed the Trust Act, a proposal to prevent local California law enforcement officials from detaining suspected illegal immigrants and handing them over to federal authorities, except in cases where they have been arrested on suspicion of committing a serious or violent crime. Read More »
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Tuesday September 18, 2012
The Arab American Institute (AAI) and the National Network for Arab American Communities (NNAAC) have adopted a logo for National Voter Registration Day on September 25. The Logo, designed by Nabil Ahmed Khatri, a high school student from Queens, New York with his own graphic design business, will be worn by thousands of Arab American volunteers across a number of states participating in efforts to register voters for the upcoming November elections. Read More »
Posted by Omar Tewfik at 10:35 am / / Leave a comment
Thursday August 30, 2012
Last Friday, the California legislature sent the newly-passed Trust Act to Gov. Jerry Brown. Detractors say the Trust Act provides shields illegal immigrants, preventing police from enforcing Immigration and Customs Enforcement requests for detention unless the immigrant in question has been charged with a serious or violent crime. Read More »
Posted by AAI at 10:45 am / / Leave a comment
Monday July 30, 2012
The 2012 elections are heating up, and AAI has been working to keep you informed of key election developments in your state and nationwide. Now, we need your help to ensure that the Arab American community has a voice in the lead up to November. Read More »
Posted by AAI at 2:14 pm / / Leave a comment
Wednesday July 18, 2012
In an effort to combat the harsh immigration laws of states like Alabama and Arizona, the District of Columbia City Council recently approved legislation to limit the city’s Secure Communities program. Although each state must comply with federal immigration policy, some cities are fighting back by attempting to restrict the ability of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers to detain illegal immigrants. Read More »
Posted by Emily Manna at 4:11 pm / / Leave a comment
Thursday July 05, 2012
Every October since 1995, the Arab Cultural and Community Center hosts an Arab Cultural Festival in the San Francisco Bay Area. The day-long event features all different aspects of Arab and Arab American cultural identity, including music, cuisine, and arts. Read More »
Posted by Samer Araabi at 2:35 pm / / Leave a comment
Thursday June 28, 2012
The Arab Young Organization, a project of the Arab Resource and Organizing Center, has produced entitled “TURATH: Teaching, Understanding, and Representing Arabs Throughout History.” It aims to uncover the representation of Arab identity, culture, and history in high school curricula, using survey findings, and on the ground research. Read More »
Posted by Samer Araabi at 2:46 pm / / Leave a comment
Monday May 07, 2012
Johnny Khamis has big plans for the city of San Jose, and he’s hoping the community agrees and elects him to serve on San Jose City Council this year. Read More »
Posted by Hilary Robertson at 3:16 pm / / Leave a comment
Thursday April 12, 2012
By Danielle Malaty
When The Spiritual Life Center, a Sacramento Christian church, found itself without a venue to hold its Easter Sunday services this past weekend, the church's Reverend Michael Moran came up with what many may call an unconventional solution. He sought the help of a local mosque. Read More »
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Tuesday February 07, 2012
By Dalal Hillou
By 2013, the first liberal arts Muslim college may be established in Berkeley, California. Zaytuna Institute - from which the proposed college stems - was founded in 1996. After its founding, Zaytuna quickly gained a reputation for providing leading educational programs and publications for the surrounding and national Muslim community. In 2009, Zaytuna College was created with the purpose of serving as an institution dedicated to higher learning with a curriculum in Islamic Studies and Arabic, as well as in the humanities and social sciences. Read More »
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Thursday December 15, 2011
Today, Congressman Mike Honda (D-CA), who earlier this week wrote a fantastic op-ed in the Washington Post condemning the King Hearings, has officially weighed in on the controversy surrounded Lowe's decision to pull its advertising from TLC's All-American Muslim. Read More »
Posted by Samer Araabi at 11:36 am / / Leave a comment
Looking at Iran by James Zogby
Kahlil Gibran Awards Gala - April 16, 2013
