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Arabic 101
Arabic Word of the Day
Shami and Levantine Dialect
AraBIT
Arab Trivia
Ebla Ebla is one of the earliest kingdoms of Syria, and home to one of the oldest libraries in the world.
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MISSION STATEMENT
Our mission is to support and empower the Arab Immigrant and Arab American community by providing services to help them adjust to their new home and become active members of society. Our aim is for families to achieve the ultimate goals of independence, productivity and stability.
The founders of the Arab American Association of New York, who were prominent and active members of the Arab and Arab American community and were themselves immigrants, recognized the growing need in the community for a variety of services. They envisioned an organization that would serve the social and economic needs of the growing Arab population in Bay Ridge and the surrounding neighborhoods of Brooklyn, NY. Although the process of establishing the organization began before the September 11th attacks, the founders felt compelled to take more immediate action after they witnessed the heightened sense of fear and the acts of blatant discrimination aimed at their community in the days following the attacks.
It was thus that AAANY officially opened its doors as a not-for-profit organization in December 2001, not only providing invaluable social services to the community, but also empowering and defending the community. Co-founder and current Board President Dr. Ahmad Jaber insisted in a recent Daily News article that "instead of social services, we had to move into empowering the community, defending the community and supporting the community. It was not easy. We had to prove ourselves as Americans, to show that we do care, that we are part of the community." AAANY has served as a bridge between the Arab community and the greater New York City community, fostering more understanding of Arab culture and immigrant issues, serving as a liaison between schools, government and other institutions and residents to address issues of discrimination, as well as providing a variety of culturally sensitive social services.
The American Arab Chamber of Commerce is a non-profit organization dedicated to actively supporting its members as well as providing unique and valuable business solutions to ensure these businesses grow and prosper.
MISSION
The American Arab Chamber of Commerce builds economic bridges by promoting and empowering the business community it serves on a local, national and international level.
GOALS
Domestically, the Chamber is committed to strengthening its members by offering valuable networking opportunities as well as other programs, events, and seminars to promote member businesses. Internationally, the Chamber has made tremendous strides by fostering trade between Michigan-based companies and businesses located in the Middle East. The Chamber provides international referrals, sponsorship of delegations and trade missions and resource information regarding the Middle Eastern business market.
BACKGROUND
In 1992 a core group of Arab American business individuals charted a bold new course that laid the groundwork for what is now the largest Arab American business organization in the country. Through the years, the American Arab Chamber of Commerce has seen its mission and role continuously evolve with the needs of Arab American businesses and the community at large. Buoyed by the vision and leadership of the Chamber, the Arab American business community has become one of the most economically and culturally affluent communities in Michigan and the nation.
THE AMERICAN ARAB MARKET
The State of Michigan is home to one of the largest Arab American communities outside the Middle East. The number of Michiganders who claim Arab ancestry has almost tripled since 1980, currently estimated at over 500,000–a majority located in the Metropolitan Detroit region. As a result, Arab Americans are highly visible, culturally, economically and politically.Arab Americans hold a median income approximately 10% higher than the national household average, and approximately 27% higher than the national average, as of the 2010 U.S. Census. The spending power plus the large base of business ownership in various community organizations and active political participation at the local, state, and federal levels are all testimony to the economic power and development of Arab Americans today.