Arab American Institute
Encyclopedia
Founded in 1985, the Arab American Institute is a non-profit membership organization based in Washington D.C. that focuses on the issues and interests of Arab-Americans nationwide. James Zogby
, brother of pollster John Zogby
, is founder and president of the AAI.
The organization seeks to increase the visibility of Arab-American involvement and candidates in the American political system. It issues "Action Alerts" to its members much like the Anti-defamation League
when issues of particular concern arise. According to its website the organization develops policy initiatives much in the manner of a think tank
and encourages its members to contact Members of Congress
.
as the only Census information center
for compiling data on Arab-Americans. According to AAI statistics, only a portion of the population in the Census self-identifies with an Arab ancestry (Many Assyrians, Egyptian Copts, Lebanese
Maronites
, Syriac Christians, Berbers, and Mandeans do not regard themselves as Arab, even though they speak Arabic). Limitations of the sampling methodology, combined with non-response by some, under-response (only two ethnic backgrounds are tabulated and reported), and reporting ancestry as race, results in higher under reporting among Arab Americans. While the 2000 Census accounted for some 1,250,000 persons who self-identify with an Arabic-speaking origin, AAI estimates (based on research done by the Zogby International
polling and marketing firm) place the population at more than 3,500,000. They live in all 50 states—the top 11 by population are (in descending order):
Two-thirds reside in 10 states; one-third of the total live in California, New York, and Michigan. About 94% live in metropolitan areas; Los Angeles
, Detroit, New York City
, Chicago
and Washington, DC, are the top 5 US metro-areas of Arab-American concentration. Lebanese-Americans constitute a greater part of the total number of Arab-Americans residing in most states; however, in New Jersey, Egyptian-Americans are the largest Arab group. The AAI believes that Americans of Arab ethnicity were underrepresented in the 2000 National Census as are most "other ethnic, minority, and immigrant populations" and believes that this undercount occurs because many Arab-Americans simply "do not understand the relevance of the census, its confidentiality, or did not respond to the question on the sample "long form" that measures ethnic ancestry."
in the United States
. According to an AAI 2001 poll of Arab-Americans: "32% of Arab Americans reported having been subjected to some form of ethnic-based discrimination during their lifetimes, 20% reported having experienced an instance of ethnic-based discrimination since September 11. Of special concern, for example, is the fact that 45% of students and 37% of Arab Americans of the Muslim faith report being targeted by discrimination since September 11."
, though the AAI's founder and president is a prominent Democrat.
as Arabs. The organization has criticized the Arab American Institute repeatedly for representing Maronite Christians and Assyrians as Arabs.
In July 2006, during the 2006 Lebanon War, Patrick Syring
left three voice mails and sent four emails to the headquarters office of the Arab American Institute. A Federal Grand Jury
in the District of Columbia returned an indictment on August 15, 2007, charging Syring with violation of Title 18 of the United States Code
, Section 875(c), threatening messages in interstate commerce to injure an individual, and violation of Title 18 United States Code
Section 245(b)(2)(C), by threat of force or use of force, to interfere with the civil rights of the founder and employees of the Arab American Institute. Syring pleaded guilty to the charges June 12, 2008, was sentenced to prison July 11, 2008, and was released in January 2009.
In November 2008, the Arab American Institute sent a letter to Democratic Senate majority leader Harry Reid
, as part of a failed attempt to block the reappointment of Senator Joe Lieberman
to the chairmanship of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. The letter cited in particular a report on Islamist extremism and the "Homegrown Terrorist Threat" completed by the committee in May 2008, which Senator Joe Lieberman
chaired.
James Zogby
James J. Zogby is the author of Arab Voices and the founder and president of the Arab American Institute , a Washington, D.C.–based organization which serves as a political and policy research arm of the Arab American community. He is a senior analyst with his brother's polling firm, Zogby...
, brother of pollster John Zogby
John Zogby
John Zogby is an American political pollster and first senior fellow at The Catholic University of America's Life Cycle Institute. He is the founder, president and CEO of Zogby International, a polling firm known for both phone polling and interactive, Internet-based polling.-Early years:Zogby...
, is founder and president of the AAI.
The organization seeks to increase the visibility of Arab-American involvement and candidates in the American political system. It issues "Action Alerts" to its members much like the Anti-defamation League
Anti-Defamation League
The Anti-Defamation League is an international non-governmental organization based in the United States. Describing itself as "the nation's premier civil rights/human relations agency", the ADL states that it "fights anti-Semitism and all forms of bigotry, defends democratic ideals and protects...
when issues of particular concern arise. According to its website the organization develops policy initiatives much in the manner of a think tank
Think tank
A think tank is an organization that conducts research and engages in advocacy in areas such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, and technology issues. Most think tanks are non-profit organizations, which some countries such as the United States and Canada provide with tax...
and encourages its members to contact Members of Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
.
Stated Goals
The AAI has stated on its website,- "Our domestic agenda includes promoting immigrant rights, community-based social services, educational materials and programming that accurately reflect our community and our heritage, and the full benefits of citizenship for our community. Internationally, we believe that the US should enhance its ties with Arab countries in all fields: cultural, educational, diplomatic, economic, and security. We support a viable Palestinian state, the integrity of Lebanon, US assistance to advance economic and political development in the region, and a balanced US role in promoting regional peace and prosperity."
Arab-American Census
The AAI has been designated by the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
as the only Census information center
Census information center
The Census Information Center program is an integral part of the U.S. Census Bureau's data dissemination network.- History :The Census Information Center Program was started in 1988 to improve access to census data by minority groups and economically disadvantaged segments of the population, who...
for compiling data on Arab-Americans. According to AAI statistics, only a portion of the population in the Census self-identifies with an Arab ancestry (Many Assyrians, Egyptian Copts, Lebanese
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
Maronites
Maronites
Maronites , is an ethnoreligious group in the Middle East that have been historically tied with Lebanon. They derive their name from the Syriac saint Mar Maron whose followers moved to Mount Lebanon from northern Syria establishing the Maronite Church....
, Syriac Christians, Berbers, and Mandeans do not regard themselves as Arab, even though they speak Arabic). Limitations of the sampling methodology, combined with non-response by some, under-response (only two ethnic backgrounds are tabulated and reported), and reporting ancestry as race, results in higher under reporting among Arab Americans. While the 2000 Census accounted for some 1,250,000 persons who self-identify with an Arabic-speaking origin, AAI estimates (based on research done by the Zogby International
Zogby International
IBOPE Zogby International is an international market research, opinion polling firm founded in 1984 by John Zogby. The company polls and consults for a wide spectrum of business media, government, and political groups, and conducts public opinion research in more than 70 countries...
polling and marketing firm) place the population at more than 3,500,000. They live in all 50 states—the top 11 by population are (in descending order):
- CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
: 715,000 - MichiganMichiganMichigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
: 490,000 - New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
: 405,000 - FloridaFloridaFlorida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
: 255,000 - New JerseyNew JerseyNew Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
: 240,000 - IllinoisIllinoisIllinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
: 220,000 - TexasTexasTexas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
: 210,000 - OhioOhioOhio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
: 185,000 - MassachusettsMassachusettsThe Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
: 175,000 - PennsylvaniaPennsylvaniaThe Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
: 160,000 - VirginiaVirginiaThe Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
: 135,000
Two-thirds reside in 10 states; one-third of the total live in California, New York, and Michigan. About 94% live in metropolitan areas; Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, Detroit, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
and Washington, DC, are the top 5 US metro-areas of Arab-American concentration. Lebanese-Americans constitute a greater part of the total number of Arab-Americans residing in most states; however, in New Jersey, Egyptian-Americans are the largest Arab group. The AAI believes that Americans of Arab ethnicity were underrepresented in the 2000 National Census as are most "other ethnic, minority, and immigrant populations" and believes that this undercount occurs because many Arab-Americans simply "do not understand the relevance of the census, its confidentiality, or did not respond to the question on the sample "long form" that measures ethnic ancestry."
Annual Lobby Day
In addition to action alerts on specific issues, and generally encouraging members and supporters to meet with their members of congress, the AAI sponsors an annual "Lobby Day." It encourages members and supporters to visit or call their representatives on a specific date. It also provides talking points and asks for a report on the results of visits.Anti-Arabism
The AAI also conducts research related to anti-ArabismAnti-Arabism
Anti-Arabism or Arabophobia is consistent advocacy of discrimination, extermination, prejudice, hostility, hatred, or genocide toward Arabs.-Arab definition:...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. According to an AAI 2001 poll of Arab-Americans: "32% of Arab Americans reported having been subjected to some form of ethnic-based discrimination during their lifetimes, 20% reported having experienced an instance of ethnic-based discrimination since September 11. Of special concern, for example, is the fact that 45% of students and 37% of Arab Americans of the Muslim faith report being targeted by discrimination since September 11."
Politics
The Arab American Institute is non-partisan. That is, it does not endorse or identify with any particular political partyPolitical party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
, though the AAI's founder and president is a prominent Democrat.
Controversies
In 2001, the Coalition of American Assyrians and Maronites rebuked the Arab American Institute in a letter for categorizing Maronite Christians and AssyriansAssyrian people
The Assyrian people are a distinct ethnic group whose origins lie in ancient Mesopotamia...
as Arabs. The organization has criticized the Arab American Institute repeatedly for representing Maronite Christians and Assyrians as Arabs.
In July 2006, during the 2006 Lebanon War, Patrick Syring
Patrick Syring
William Patrick Syring, who uses his middle name, Patrick, , is a retired American career diplomat who was convicted of threatening and violating the civil rights of James Zogby, the president and founder, and other senior employees of the Arab American Institute during the 2006 Lebanon War...
left three voice mails and sent four emails to the headquarters office of the Arab American Institute. A Federal Grand Jury
Grand jury
A grand jury is a type of jury that determines whether a criminal indictment will issue. Currently, only the United States retains grand juries, although some other common law jurisdictions formerly employed them, and most other jurisdictions employ some other type of preliminary hearing...
in the District of Columbia returned an indictment on August 15, 2007, charging Syring with violation of Title 18 of the United States Code
United States Code
The Code of Laws of the United States of America is a compilation and codification of the general and permanent federal laws of the United States...
, Section 875(c), threatening messages in interstate commerce to injure an individual, and violation of Title 18 United States Code
United States Code
The Code of Laws of the United States of America is a compilation and codification of the general and permanent federal laws of the United States...
Section 245(b)(2)(C), by threat of force or use of force, to interfere with the civil rights of the founder and employees of the Arab American Institute. Syring pleaded guilty to the charges June 12, 2008, was sentenced to prison July 11, 2008, and was released in January 2009.
In November 2008, the Arab American Institute sent a letter to Democratic Senate majority leader Harry Reid
Harry Reid
Harry Mason Reid is the senior United States Senator from Nevada, serving since 1987. A member of the Democratic Party, he has been the Senate Majority Leader since January 2007, having previously served as Minority Leader and Minority and Majority Whip.Previously, Reid was a member of the U.S...
, as part of a failed attempt to block the reappointment of Senator Joe Lieberman
Joe Lieberman
Joseph Isadore "Joe" Lieberman is the senior United States Senator from Connecticut. A former member of the Democratic Party, he was the party's nominee for Vice President in the 2000 election. Currently an independent, he remains closely affiliated with the party.Born in Stamford, Connecticut,...
to the chairmanship of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. The letter cited in particular a report on Islamist extremism and the "Homegrown Terrorist Threat" completed by the committee in May 2008, which Senator Joe Lieberman
Joe Lieberman
Joseph Isadore "Joe" Lieberman is the senior United States Senator from Connecticut. A former member of the Democratic Party, he was the party's nominee for Vice President in the 2000 election. Currently an independent, he remains closely affiliated with the party.Born in Stamford, Connecticut,...
chaired.
Polling of Arab attitudes toward the United States
In collaboration with Zogby International, the AAI conducts yearly polls of Arab Public Opinion Regarding the United States.External links
See also
- Arab lobby in the United StatesArab lobby in the United StatesThe Arab lobby in the United States is a collection of formal and informal groups and professional lobbyists paid directly by Arab governments that lobby the public and government of the United States on behalf of Arab interests. and/or on behalf of Arab-American rights in the United...
- American-Arab Anti-Discrimination CommitteeAmerican-Arab Anti-Discrimination CommitteeThe American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee states that it is the largest Arab American grassroots civil rights organization in the United States. According to its web page it is open to people of all backgrounds, faiths and ethnicities and has over 40 chapters in 24 states and members in all...
- Council on American-Islamic RelationsCouncil on American-Islamic RelationsThe Council on American-Islamic Relations is America's largest Muslim civil liberties advocacy organization that deals with civil advocacy and promotes human rights...
- James ZogbyJames ZogbyJames J. Zogby is the author of Arab Voices and the founder and president of the Arab American Institute , a Washington, D.C.–based organization which serves as a political and policy research arm of the Arab American community. He is a senior analyst with his brother's polling firm, Zogby...
- Anti-ArabismAnti-ArabismAnti-Arabism or Arabophobia is consistent advocacy of discrimination, extermination, prejudice, hostility, hatred, or genocide toward Arabs.-Arab definition:...