Press Room

AAI in the News

Candidates Court Arab Americans

By Julia O'Donoghue
Connection Newspapers
Posted on Wednesday September 26, 2007

Sixty-five sign up to ask ethnic community for their votes.

When Marwan Burgan accepted a community service award from the Arab American Institute on Sunday, Sept. 23, he reminded his peers of the ethnic community’s power in state politics.

“Jim Webb won by 9,000 votes. [The Arab community] had 40,000 to 42,000 votes in Northern Virginia,” said Burgan, at the organization’s 19th annual Virginia Candidates’ Night dinner in the Tysons Corner Marriot hotel.

Burgan may not have needed to point out Arab Americans’ prominent role in local politics. More than 65 Northern Virginia political candidates signed up to present at the event — a handful waiting more than four hours for just one minute before the audience.

This year’s dinner was the largest yet in terms of participation from both the Arab American community and candidates, said Rebecca Abou-Chedid, the institute’s national political director.

“We actually had candidates calling us and asking ‘when is your event?’ this year,” said Abou-Chedid.

Though the institute has similar dinners in other states, Virginia’s candidates night is the organization’s flagship event in local politics.

Ten other states have larger Arab American populations than the commonwealth but the community’s concentration in Northern Virginia can make them a key constituency in local elections, said Abou-Chedid.

The Arab American vote can be the difference between a win and a loss in a local race, said some politicians who attended the dinner.

“The Arab American community has gotten very well organized over the last decade. Their numbers are significant enough that they could make a difference in a close race,” said Gerry Connolly, chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors.

Del. Steve Shannon (D-35) largely gave credit to the Arab American community for helping him win his first election in 2003. Shannon, who faces Republican candidate Arthur Purves in November, thought the event was so important that he flew back from a family funeral just to attend it.

“I know my grandmother would have wanted me to be here,” said Shannon.

For the most part, Arab Americans are no different from other voters and focused on what local political candidates have to say about local issues, like school funding and transportation. But they also want to hear politicians ask for their vote, said Abou-Chedid.

“This is a community that has gone through a lot recently. We want to hear candidates say ‘We think of you as Americans.’ Our community appreciates that,” she said.

Several candidates emphasized their commitment to diversity and immigrants’ rights during the event. Some described their personal connection to minority issues and the Arab community.

“I was the first Asian American elected ever in Virginia when I won a school board seat in 1995,” said Ilryong Moon, an at-large member of the Fairfax County School Board.

A immgrant from Korea, Moon came to Northern Virginia as a teenager in 1974 and sad his own background caused him to push for diversity training among senior leadership at Fairfax County Public Schools and the expansion of foreign language options in the school system.

Another at-large school board candidate, Martina Hone, received a large reaction which she said she would ensure Fairfax County students’ learned to appreciate Arab culture.

“When students learn about the Greeks and Romans. I will make sure they know it was Egypt that they learned about democracy from,” said Hone.

State Sen. Jeannemarie Devolites Davis (R-34) touted her travels to Egypt and Jordan with her husband, U.S. Rep. Tom Davis (R-11).

“I have been to the occupied territories as well,” said Devolites Davis.

Many General Assembly members and candidates also praised the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors for embracing the county’s diversity, at a time when other local governments, Loudoun and Prince William counties, seem to be pushing their minorities communities away.

Both the Loudoun and Prince William boards recently passed measures meant to crack down on illegal immigration that critics, particularly Democrats, say have crossed a line into racial profiling.

“Gerry Connolly has been such a leader on immigration. ... We indeed embrace diversity and recognize how we have to embrace diversity,” said Del. Brian Moran, (D-46) and chair of the Democratic caucus in the House of Delegates.

Fairfax County’s Board of Supervisors has publicly stated they will not pass similar resolutions or employ similar tactics because they are meant to intimidate minority groups.

“When politicians think it is OK to attack one group, it is only a matter of time before they attack you,” said Connolly, who added that 27 percent of Fairfax’s population comes from overseas.

Later in the evening, Connolly also said: “Fairfax County will not engage in practices or use rhetoric that add to fear and intimidation.”