Dear Friend,

Year three of COVID and so many of you have gone back to a new normal, yet the situation is anything but. Thankfully, our small, committed staff continues to outperform the times. As we all grapple with the aftereffects of a dangerous, anti-democratic policy trend, you may take comfort in knowing that AAI continues to work nonstop to repair the damage done and fight for a future of which we can all be proud. Together, with you, we are a force. On every front, Palestine, Lebanon, 2020 Census and the MENA category, voting rights, free speech, and hate crimes, Arab American concerns are heard because your support makes our work possible.

The leadership role we’ve taken on key policy issues means we’re well placed to start the fight in 2023. But we need your continued support to make the kind of impact I know you want to see. In recent years, AAI has funded most of its work through foundations and grant programs. Yet, for many of the issues I know you hold in your heart, like Palestine, free speech, and privacy, AAI does not receive outside funding. This is why we need your continued support. Looking at the books, I can tell you that AAI must raise $300,000 before the end of the year if you want to see us continuing this much-needed work.

Our record together over nearly forty years has fostered a community commitment to service. Arab Americans win mayoral races, serve on city councils, on school boards, in statehouses, in U.S. Congress, and as leaders in every professional field. You made this possible.

With all that we’ve achieved, ugly obstacles still stand in the way of our full participation. Obstacles that include bigotry and hate, profiling, voter suppression, and challenges to our rights to free speech. Below you will see how we have tackled some of these obstacles, and how, with your support, we will continue to fight.

AAI’s long-standing commitment to a fair and accurate Census count and policy expertise has made us the trusted source on Arab American demographic data. Our decades-long advocacy to secure a Middle East and North African (MENA) ethnic category on the census is in high gear in response to the OMB’s first review of race and ethnicity standards since 1997. We will make it happen! And at the same time, we are fighting for data equity, making sure critical data about our community is available for health research and delivery, education, and so much more. This highly technical work will have an impact for generations, and AAI is proud to lead it!

For some time now, AAI has played an outsized leadership role in fighting the hate crime crisis. AAI’s reporting on missing data in federal hate crime reporting has made AAI a go-to source for hate crime policy and data analysis. So much, that AAI Executive Director Maya Berry was called to testify before Senate and House committees and now serves as the co-chair of the Hate Crimes Task Force at the Leadership Conference for Civil and Human rights, making a difference not just for Arab Americans but for all communities who find themselves targeted by the scourge of hate crimes. Maya and I both attended the recent White House summit on hate crime, where we saw yet again the impact of our work in the form of the Jabara-Heyer NO HATE Act. The law provides resources to train law enforcement and support local communities to identify, report, and better respond to hate crimes, ensuring that all hate crimes are documented and given the attention needed. The quick passage of this legislation was only the first step. AAI is now focused on the law's implementation working with officials at the Department of Justice to this end.

On Lebanon, we partnered with the American Task Force for Lebanon to poll the Lebanese public on the crisis facing their country and what solutions they want to see moving forward. This information is being shared with policymakers and key influencers throughout Washington. Utilizing the unique skills and knowledge set of Arab American public officials, we continue to work with elected officials in Arab countries to develop their leadership and outreach. These partnerships are helping to develop the next generation of leaders in Tunisia, Morocco, and Jordan.

Although 2022 was a midterm election, it had significant consequences putting our Yalla Vote program in high gear. As a premier partner of National Voter Registration Day, Election Protection partner and a partner in Common Cause’s anti disinformation monitoring program, AAI made a critical difference in protecting the right to vote and our democracy. Our bilingual Arabic/English Yalla Vote Election Protection Hotline helped voters, especially those targeted by election disinformation. We helped first-time voters, voters who moved, voters who were redistricted, and even got county officials to deliver an emergency ballot to a voter in their hospital bed.

Finally, an issue that remains at the heart of our community – Palestinian human rights. Following the tragic murder of American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, AAI played a leading role in support of a congressional letter demanding an independent investigation. AAI has also been leading the effort opposing Israel’s campaign to join the U.S. Visa Waiver Program and working to raise awareness regarding Israel’s new, even more discriminatory, COGAT rules. We continue to collect reports from people who have been discriminated against while traveling to the West Bank or Israel, making it clear to U.S. officials that Arab Americans, especially Americans of Palestinian descent, are not treated equally at the border. We’ve also taken up several Palestinian human rights cases directly with the State Department and U.S. officials. While some of these tragic incidents have been resolved, we continue to bring pressure where it is needed.

In the public sphere, I debated in favor of the Palestinian Right to Return at the University of Southern California's Annenberg School of Journalism and joined Combatants for Peace for a special session on the importance of making U.S. aid to Israel conditional on their human rights record. I also joined the Fellowship of Reconciliation to discuss the importance of keeping the focus on Palestinian human rights. My weekly Coffee and Column conversations have brought hundreds together to discuss the significance of Palestine and so many other topics. Of course, reaching out to Congress, the Administration, and the public to elevate the issue of Palestinian human rights will always be at the forefront of our work and thankfully we are seeing many signs of hope. The tide is shifting. Palestinians will never be silent, and, with you by our side, neither will we.

Your support is what keeps these programs going. These critical projects not only help our community but create a more just and inclusive society.

Your $250, $1,000, or $5,000 donation can help change the narrative. A contribution at any level will help—when it comes to advocating for our community, every dollar matters.

-Jim



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Arab American Institute Foundation
1600 K Street, NW, Suite 601
Washington, DC 20006
United States
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