In the past 15 years, Laila Lalami has emerged as the voice of the Arab American immigrant experience. Herself an immigrant from Morocco, Laila is the best-selling and award-winning author of four novels which explore the themes of home and belonging, and in her words “of people that don’t quite fit anywhere.”
Read MoreAAI joins The Leadership Conference and 87 other organizations calling for the passage of the Jabara Heyer NO HATE Act
Read More“[T]he food was a reminder, despite the weight of what we were witnessing, that we were still alive with plenty for which to be grateful,” wrote Reem Kassis at the beginning of the COVID-19 lock down in April 2020. In this column for the Los Angeles Times, she compared the experience of cooking during a global pandemic to her time growing up in Jerusalem in the 1990s – when shelter in place orders were given during the Gulf War, and daily life often revolved around culinary comforts.
Read MoreApril is Arab American Heritage Month! Join us as we celebrate our culture, art, and people!
Read MoreYalla, Count Me In! 2020 Census Campaign
Read MoreArab Americans’ footprint on American culture is everywhere, but in Hip-hop – a music genre that arose from the poetry of struggle and perseverance – it has found a home.
Read MoreWhy do we feel so connected to her? Perhaps we each hear our own story in her songs.”- Omar Sharrif Today marks forty-five years since the passing of Umm Kulthum, one of the greatest Arab singers of the twentieth century. Umm Kulthum is beloved because of recognition of individual stories within her story, and within the larger narrative of Egyptian history. Her voice and concerts inspire people across the world to this day.
Read MoreArab American Institute Executive Director Maya Berry issued the following statement on President Trump’s “Peace to Prosperity” Plan
Read MoreThirty-two years ago this month, I was arrested sitting-in and blocking the entrance of the Israeli Embassy in Washington, DC. The Embassy was hosting an event that evening in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Looking back at what we did that day, I'm confident that it was the right way to remember Dr. King's legacy.
Read MoreThe Arab American Institute Foundation is delighted to launch The MENA Artisan Initiative - a new endeavor that aims to connect American small businesses with local artisans from across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The Artisan Initiative launches with a focus on Tunisia and will be expanding to neighboring MENA countries.
Read MoreToday, President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order that constitutes a direct assault on academic freedom, First Amendment rights, and advocacy for Palestinian human rights.
Read MoreGlance, unlock. Accessing your beloved electronic companion has never been easier as the key is now your unique face. Simple enough? Not so fast. The convenient technology of facial recognition has not made it into our daily lives without controversy, and with good reason.
The René Moawad Foundation honored Dr. James Zogby with an Outstanding Community Service Award during their 26th annual benefit gala held Oct. 26 at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Washington D.C. under the motto “Giving Hope… Making a Difference.”
Read MoreEarlier this week, J Street held its annual conference in Washington. Arab American Institute Executive Director Maya Berry spoke on a panel called “Fighting Anti-Semitism and its Weaponization in American Politics,” moderated by Rabbi Jill Jacobs, Executive Director of T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights.
Read MoreIraq reels from news reports that a masked gunmen fired upon protesters in Karbala earlier today, killing 18 people. The event caps off a dark month of October in country, over 16 years since the U.S. invasion. In total, at least 240 people have been killed and at least a staggering 8,000 people have been injured in widespread protests which have been met by an authoritarian response of violence and repression.
Read MoreLast week, over 1,100 people convened in Detroit to work towards realizing the “New American Dreams” of immigrants and refugees. Almost 200 speakers, including the Arab American Institute’s Suher Adi, spoke at the National Partnership for New Americans’ 12th National Immigrant Integration Conference (NIIC).
Read More“A revolution within the constitutional legitimacy,” that’s how Kais Saied, the 61-year old newly elected president of Tunisia described his landslide victory, having secured more than 73 percent of the votes.
Read MoreThe Arab American Institute Foundation (AAIF) led a delegation of 10 Arab American elected officials and policy practitioners on an experiential learning trip to Tunisia between March 7 and 18th, 2019.
Read MoreOn Friday, March 29, 2019, the Virginia Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights held a public briefing seeking to examine hate crimes in the state. AAI Policy Analyst Kai Wiggins provided written and oral testimony to the Committee.
Read MoreIn response to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) revealed that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) tracked “Anti-Trump” protests in New York City last summer.
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