We Are
Arab American.

In the days before the election for mayor of New York City, a group of rabbis issued a “A Call to Action” attacking public figures like Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani whom they say “refuse to condemn violent slogans, deny Israel’s legitimacy, and accuse the Jewish state of genocide.”

A century ago, Gibran Khalil Gibran wrote a love poem to Lebanon, "You have your Lebanon, I have my Lebanon."

Last week, the Arab American Institute, Churches for Middle East Peace, and the American Friends Service Committee brought a group of Palestinian Americans with family in Gaza to meet with members of Congress and media.

WASHINGTON, D.C., August 5, 2025 – Today, the FBI released the 2024 annual hate crime statistics based on data reported from law enforcement agencies across the nation. While chronically flawed in its underreporting, the annual release of hate crime data provides the best available snapshot of the state of hate crime in the nation. In total, there were 11,679 hate incidents reported to the FBI in 2024, marking the second highest year on record since the FBI began reporting data in 1991. Compared to 2023’s total of 12,498, at this time, 2024 represents a 10 percent decrease.

Poor Syria! That’s an inauspicious start, but it’s honest, as the country is facing myriad problems, internal and external, none of which can easily be resolved.  

If US President Donald Trump really wants to earn a Nobel Peace Prize, he’s going to need to do better than his 20-point “Comprehensive Plan to End Gaza’s Conflict.” While in his characteristic style of exaggeration, Mr. Trump called the release of his plan “one of the greatest days in human history,” poring over Arab, Israeli, and US press reveals that most analysts are not inclined to see it that way.  

A federal judge ruled yesterday that the Trump Administration’s practice of targeting noncitizen students and faculty with arrest, detention, and deportation because of their pro-Palestinian advocacy violates the First Amendment and is therefore unconstitutional. This decision is a historic win for free speech, academic freedom, and our community.

On September 10th, conservative Republican political activist Charlie Kirk was murdered while speaking at a rally on a college campus in Utah. The reactions to his death were immediate and sustained, reflecting the deep divisions that plague American society today. 

Nothing can empower a community or bring us together quite like art - and lucky for us, Arab Americans have a rich and growing artistic legacy to share. To our friends in the DMV, we wanted to share a very special theater performance from the extraordinary Arab American playwright Kareem Fahmy.  

It is because of their legacy, and the knowledge that countless stories are waiting to be told, that we wanted to share this very special project from our friends at the Arab-American Educational Foundation (AAEF), who have announced their inaugural Arab American Short Story Writing Contest.

A new report published by AAI titled, The Arab American Vote 2024: An Analysis of Key Precinct Results, offers new and important insight into how Arab Americans voted. The report compiles precinct level data from around the country to offer a level of detailed analysis never before seen for the Arab American community. 

What to do or say about Israel’s war on Gaza has establishment Democratic consultants and the elected officials for whom they work in a tizzy. 

Tuesday, September 16th is National Voter Registration Day! Across the country partner organizations, community leaders, and neighbors are holding registration drives to ensure their communities are ready to vote in the upcoming election. As part of our Yalla Vote Programming, AAI hosts voter registration drives throughout the U.S. through our committed volunteers. Check Here for materials to run your own drive!