The Arab-American National Museum
On the podcast, author Ghassan Zeineddine talked to us about Dearborn, Michigan and the Arab-American experience post 9/11. We spoke extensively about the multilayered Dearborn community, the long and rich heritage of Arab immigration and how Ghassan found short stories to be the perfect medium for capturing the city’s many voices.
One space that can help get a better understanding of the layers that make up the community the way it is today is Dearborn’s Arab American National Museum, which is doing critical work in recording, archiving and remembering the Arab-American experience.
Dearborn, Michigan
If you don’t know much about Dearborn, here’s a quick recap: Dearborn is a city in Wayne County in the US state of Michigan that’s home to the United States’ largest Muslim population and the largest mosque in North America. Many of its residents are of Middle Eastern ancestry, the descendants of Arabs who migrated during the 19th and 20th centuries.
History of Arab-American Migration to the US
Arab migration to the US has a long history: the first wave of people were trying to move away from the Ottoman Empire in the 1880s and it’s estimated that 95,000 immigrants arrived from Greater Syria between 1880 and 1924. Political and economic instability were the biggest drivers of migration during this period, and when the Ottoman Empire expanded conscription beyond Muslims to include Christians as well in the early 1900s, many Christians decided to emigrate too.
In 1924, the US implemented controls on the number of migrants allowed to enter the country, with first priority given to Europeans. When these quotas were eventually lifted in 1965, Arab migrations regained momentum.
Arab American National Museum
AANM for short, the Arab American National Museum, seeks to shed light on the ways that Arab Americans have actively shaped American life and society: economically, politically, and culturally. It’s also at the heart of reclaiming the Arab-American experience and narrative, something that is especially critical in the post-9/11 era.
AANM is a Smithsonian Affiliate museum and is part of the Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services (ACCESS). It opened in 2005 and is the first and still the only institution of its kind in the States. It houses one of the richest and most comprehensive archives of historical documents, artifacts and oral histories pertaining to the Arab-American experience since the 19th century.
The building is divided into a few permanent exhibitions exploring the history of the Ancient Arab world and more specifically the Arab-American experience through the lenses of migration, culture and famous Arab-American figures. Its collection successfully weaves together a vibrant historical heritage with contemporary life and its use of individual stories makes the experience feel far more personal.
Today, AANM is an active cultural hub that hosts exhibitions, public and literary programs,film screenings, culinary experiences, performances and community gatherings. So make sure to check out the calendar before you go.
If you haven’t had a chance to watch our conversation with Ghassan Zeinnedine yet, watch it right here: