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24 May 2005
Arab American Museum Showcases Arab Achievements
$15.3 million museum brings pride to Arab-American community
Dearborn, Michigan -- When Mahmoud Benlarbi, an immigrant from Tunisia, finished his tour of the Arab American National Museum he had one thing to say: “It’s about time.”
With more than 15,000 museums in the United States, not one told the rich history or documented the culture and heritage of the Arab-American people -- until now. But with the opening of the Arab American National Museum in Dearborn this month, this community’s story is finally being told.
The museum, home to approximately 500 artifacts and100 interactive audio and visual displays, provides visitors with knowledge and understanding of the Arab-American community as well as Arabs worldwide.
“I’m very impressed by this museum,” said Tom Jaworowski, who visited the museum from California. “It teaches you not only about Arab Americans and their many contributions, but the museum also teaches quite a lot about Arabs’ historical contributions worldwide.”
The Arab American National Museum is divided into two main galleries. The first gallery, named “Contributions of the Arab World,” includes advancements and discoveries made by Arabs globally in fields such as medicine, law, architecture, mathematics, astronomy, religion and art. This gallery is on the first floor and surrounds a central water fountain where visitors can sit and look up at an Islamic-style dome.
As visitors walk up the stairs to the second floor gallery, they come upon a map detailing each of the 22 Arab countries. Here, the museum establishes the link between the Arab World and Arab Americans, a theme that runs throughout the museum.
“Our mission at the Arab American National Museum is to tell the history of Arab Americans, but to do that we must tell about the roots and ties that go back to the Arab World,” said Sarah Blannett, curator of the museum.
The second floor gallery uses three different exhibits to present the culture and history of Arab Americans.
Coming to America
As visitors walk up to the opening of the “Coming to America” exhibit, they hear voiceovers of Arab Americans describing the dramatic events of leaving their native lands and arriving in the United States. The voices and stories stream together. One man says, “I kissed the land of America.” Another says, “seeing the Statue of Liberty, it was beautiful.” A display introduces visitors to the exhibit and showcases such items as a suitcase, an Arabic Bible and English dictionary belonging to Reverend Fahed Abu-Akel, who arrived in 1966 with only $90, half of which he spent accidentally when he took a limousine instead of a taxicab from the Tampa, Florida, airport.
The exhibit’s first room tells the story of the earliest Arab immigrant, whose name was Zammouri, who came to America as a slave and is said to be the first Arabic speaker in the New World.
In 1511, Zammouri was captured and sold into slavery. After 16 years of captivity, he was brought to America in 1528 as part of a Spanish expeditionary force and is now known as a great explorer of southwestern North America, a famous healer and renowned translator.
As visitors continue through the “Coming to America” exhibit, audio devices broadcast oral histories of Arab Americans describing their migration from countries such as Yemen, Lebanon and Syria.
One part of the exhibit features a life-size statue of Ahmad Ibrahim, a Palestinian immigrant sitting on a replication of his front stoop in Brooklyn. In a voiceover, Ibrahim recounts his thoughts just before getting on the ship to come to America: “We have to take a falafel sandwich before we leave!”
The stories reflect the American dream with Arab Americans telling about coming to the United States with little or nothing and becoming successful.
Mohamed Abdallah, an immigrant from Yemen, came with only $7 and the address of a Yemeni coffee shop in New York City. He had no knowledge of English or a job when he first came to America, but now Abdallah has two children graduated from college.
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Benlarbi, who came to America in 1991, feels his own life is reflected in the Coming to America exhibit.
“These stories of coming over are such an important part of our community, our people,” said Benlarbi.
Living in America
One of the most compelling and dramatic exhibits is part of “Living in America” section of the museum. Here visitors enter a darkened room where pictures and images surround them. A video comes on and an interviewer’s voice asks, “When is the last time you saw an Arab on TV.” The people’s answers show the unawareness regarding the Arab American community.
Another wall shows the stereotypical images of Arabs in the media. The collage of pictures is striking; its shows stereotypical cartoon figures as they portray Arabs as violent and inhumane. These stereotypical portrayals melt into other images of violence seen in the news and Hollywood movies.
While it is a powerful representation, the museum also gives visitors hope for the future. All of these images are contrasted against another wall showing Arab Americans together as families and members of a vibrant community.
“The room is by far the most important part of the museum,” said Benlarbi. “That exhibit uncovers the many myths and stereotypes in the media. Hopefully it can open people’s eyes and make them more aware and able to see us more truthfully.”
Other interactive features of the “Living in America” exhibit include an instructional video for visitors to learn the Debkeh, a celebratory dance performed at weddings and parties that originated in Lebanon, Palestine, Syria and Jordan, and a traditional Arab-American kitchen where visitors can see Arab foods such as khubiz and falafel.
Finally, a map titled “Where did you come from?” asks visitors to find a magnet with the color that corresponds to their particular homeland and put it on the United States. After many pass through this exhibit it is easy to see how diverse America is, with magnets from Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia all placed on the United States by visitors.
Making an Impact
The last exhibit focuses on the hundreds of Arab American individuals and organizations who have made an impact as athletes, activists, scientists, writers, doctors, entrepreneurs, politicians, engineers and entertainers.
Calanit Kedem, while admiring the pictures of Arab-American sports heroes such as Heisman trophy winner Doug Flutie and car racer Bobby Rahal said, “These people are so famous and have done such astonishing work, and I had no idea they are Arab Americans.”
“I think that’s the biggest lesson of the museum,” said Kedem, a resident of Washington, D.C., who was able to visit the museum on a weekend trip to Michigan.
Among the individuals celebrated is George Doumani, veteran of five scientific expeditions to Antarctica. Doumani, a geologist helped prove the theory of continental drift. To the museum, Doumani donated his hand-stitched Lebanese flag, which he made out of his pillowcase and two red trail markers. Doumani painted the cedar tree for the Lebanese flag using green India ink and flew the flag from his vehicle while crossing Antarctica.
Visitors can also see the portable typewriter that was used by the legendary White House correspondent Helen Thomas early in her career. Thomas, who is of Lebanese ancestry, covered the White House for 57 years, was nicknamed “first lady of the press” and was long ranked as one of the most influential women in America.
The “Making an Impact” exhibit is highly interactive with famous names uncovered in fun games for children and adults.
One display case lights up at the push of a button to show a Santa Claus suit that was worn by Robert George, an Arab American who worked for 50 years and served seven different administrations as the official White House Santa Claus.
Another push of a button and visitors hear, “ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country.” The display says that these words, spoken by President John Fitzgerald Kennedy in his 1961 inaugural address, were inspired by Arab American poet and philosopher Kahlil Gibran.
Aside from the two main galleries, the museum also has an auditorium, classrooms, a gift shop and a resource center with information on Arabs and books written by Arab Americans.
The museum will not simply be a place for history to be displayed; it will be a center for Arab artists and musicians to showcase their talent. The Arab American National Museum will be the center for the ACCESS Cultural Arts Program and will help in promoting an appreciation of Arab and Arab American culture through education and presentation of the Arts.
“It’s important to educate and increase awareness of the Arab people, and offer an opportunity for the Arab World to showcase their talents,” said museum curator Blannett.
(The Washington File is a product of the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
