The Arab American National Museum (AANM, ar, المتحف الوطني العربي الأمريكي) opened in 2005 and is the first museum in the world devoted to Arab American history and culture. Located in

Dearborn, Michigan Dearborn is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2020 census, it had a population of 109,976. Dearborn is the seventh most-populated city in Michigan and is home to the largest Muslim population in the United States per ...

, the Museum seeks to show visitors the Arab American story through a timeline of exhibits while dispelling misconceptions about Arab Americans. The museum features three permanent exhibits. The first floor features the contributions of the

Arab The Arabs (singular: Arab; singular ar, عَرَبِيٌّ, DIN 31635: , , plural ar, عَرَب, DIN 31635: , Arabic pronunciation: ), also known as the Arab people, are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in Western Asia, ...

civilization such as

science Science is a systematic endeavor that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe. Science may be as old as the human species, and some of the earliest archeological evidence ...

, medicine, mathematics, architecture, and the decorative arts. The second floor focuses on the Arab experience in America, including a gallery about prominent

Arab-American Arab Americans ( ar, عَرَبٌ أَمْرِيكِا or ) are Americans of Arab ancestry. Arab Americans trace ancestry to any of the various waves of immigrants of the countries comprising the Arab World. According to the Arab American Inst ...

s such as

Ralph Nader Ralph Nader (; born February 27, 1934) is an American political activist, author, lecturer, and attorney noted for his involvement in consumer protection, environmentalism, and government reform causes. The son of Lebanese immigrants to the Un ...

and

Helen Thomas Helen Amelia Thomas (August 4, 1920 – July 20, 2013) was an American reporter and author, and a long serving member of the White House press corps. She covered the White House during the administrations of ten U.S. presidents—from th ...

. Documents and artifacts from Arab Americans related to immigration and the immigration process are displayed, and stories of Arab Americans are portrayed in video or audio recordings. The AANM also includes two large gallery spaces for the exhibiting of art. The Museum's inaugural exhibition ''In/Visible'' featured a number of Arab American and Arab artists (including

Emily Jacir Emily Jacir ( ar, املي جاسر) is a Palestinian artist and filmmaker. Biography Jacir was born in Bethlehem in 1973, Jacir spent her childhood in Saudi Arabia, attending high school in Italy. She attended the University of Dallas, ...

John Halaka John Halaka (born 1957) is a visual artist, documentary filmmaker, and Professor of Visual Arts at the University of San Diego in California. He is considered an expert in painting, drawing, photography, documentary filmmaking, oral history, and ...

, Athir Shayota, Helen Zughaib, Rheim Alkadhi, Abdelali Dahrouch, Sumayyah Samaha, Mariam Ghani, and Doris Bittar)and was curated by Salwa Mikdadi. Construction of the museum cost $15 million. Donors included

Chrysler Stellantis North America (officially FCA US and formerly Chrysler ()) is one of the " Big Three" automobile manufacturers in the United States, headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan. It is the American subsidiary of the multinational automotiv ...

General Motors The General Motors Company (GM) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It is the largest automaker in the United States and ...

, the

Rockefeller Foundation The Rockefeller Foundation is an American private foundation and philanthropy, philanthropic medical research and arts funding organization based at 420 Fifth Avenue, New York City. The second-oldest major philanthropic institution in America, aft ...

Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the Ara ...

and

Qatar Qatar (, ; ar, قطر, Qaṭar ; local vernacular pronunciation: ), officially the State of Qatar,) is a country in Western Asia. It occupies the Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it sh ...

. The museum is also a part of the

Smithsonian Affiliations Smithsonian Affiliations is a division of the Smithsonian Institution that establishes long-term partnerships with non-Smithsonian museums and educational and cultural organizations in order to share collections, exhibitions and educational str ...

. In February 2019, the leader of ACCESS announced Diana Abouali as the new director to the Arab American National Museum.

Mission statement

The Arab American National Museum's mission is to document, preserve, celebrate, and educate the public on the history, life, culture and contributions of Arab Americans. The museum serves as a resource to enhance knowledge and understanding about Arab Americans and their presence in the United States.

Programs and events

''MOVE'' is a first-of-its-kind national gathering that provides a space for artists, activists, scholars, philanthropists, organizations and others from the Arab American community to connect, learn and exchange ideas. ''MOVE 2017,'' produced by ACCESS and its three national institutions – the Arab American National Museum, the National Network for Arab American Communities (NNAAC) and the Center for Arab American Philanthropy (CAAP) – will ''Mobilize'', ''Organize'', ''Vocalize'', and ''Empower'' attendees as they explore intersectionality in a safe environment and have critical conversations about a wide range of issues impacting Arab Americans. DIWAN: A Forum for the Arts is now a part of MOVE. DIWAN unites Arab American artists, scholars and performers representing myriad academic fields and artistic genres for a weekend dialogue that reinforces the AANM's commitment to providing a place for community members and artists to meet, exchange ideas and exhibit their work. Notable presenters at the 2009 DIWAN conference include writer Najla Said, poet

Suheir Hammad Suheir Hammad (born October 25, 1973) is an American poet, author, actress, performer, and political activist. Biography She was born in Amman, Jordan. Her parents were Palestinian refugees who immigrated along with their daughter to Brooklyn, N ...

, artist Wafaa Bilal, and poet Remi Kanazi. Global Fridays is a periodic music program at the AANM that promotes World Music. Though Global Fridays is held at the Arab American National Museum the music is a diverse mix from Mexican American roots music to Chinese Classical and Rock. Arab Film Festival is an annual film festival put on by the AANM that showcases a number of Arab and Arab American films over a weekend. Past festivals have celebrated the career of a particular Arab filmmaker or director. The 2008 Arab Film Festival honored the work of Egyptian film director

Youssef Chahine Youssef Chahine ( ar, يوسف شاهين, Yūsuf Shāhīn ; 25 January 1926 – 27 July 2008) was an Egyptian film director. He was active in the Egyptian film industry from 1950 until his death. He directed twelve films that were listed ...

and showed his films ''The Cairo Station'' and ''The Destiny''. The festival also features short films such as ''Kemo Sabe'' the story of Yussef, a six-year-old Arab-American boy who dreams of being the Cowboy instead of the Indian on the playground. The Arab American Book Award was established in 2006 to celebrate and support the research of and the written work of Arab Americans and their culture. The Arab American Book Award encourages the publication and excellence of books that preserve and advance the understanding, knowledge, and resources of the Arab American community by celebrating the thoughts and lives of Arab Americans. The purpose of the Award is to inspire authors, educate readers and foster a respect and understanding of the Arab American culture.

Permanent art collection

Complementing its regular lineup of solo and group exhibitions of art from the Arab world and its American diaspora, the museum holds a permanent collection of paintings, drawings, sculpture, photography, and installation art. Artists represented in this collection include

, Julienne Jabara Johnson, Mary Tuma, Sama Alshaibi,

Hani Zurob Hani Zurob (Arabic: هاني زعرب; born 1976), is a Palestinian people, Palestinian painter, based in Paris, France. His work addresses concepts of exile, waiting, movement and Forced migration, displacement, and aims to present the collective ...

, Helen Zughaib,

Samia Halaby Samia A. Halaby (born 1936, in Jerusalem) is a Palestinian artist, activist, and scholar living and working in New York. Halaby is recognized as a pioneer of abstract painting. Since beginning her artistic career in the late 1950s, she has exhibi ...

Kamal Boullata Kamal Boullata (1942 − August 6, 2019) was a Palestinian artist and art historian. His works were primarily done in acrylic. His work was abstract in style, focusing on the ideas of division in Palestinian identity, separation from homeland. He ...

, Doris Bittar, Sumayyah Samaha, Afaf Zurayk, Leila Kubba Kawash, Athir Shayota, Wafer Shayota, and Adnan Charara.

References

External links

* {{Authority control 2005 establishments in Michigan Arab-American culture in Michigan Arab-American history Arab-American organizations Arab and Islamic culture in Dearborn, Michigan Buildings and structures in Dearborn, Michigan Ethnic museums in Michigan Museums established in 2005 Museums in Wayne County, Michigan Smithsonian Institution affiliates MotorCities National Heritage Area