The New Face of Arab America: Immigrant and Refugee Communities

FAIN: GE-250082-16

ACCESS (Dearborn, MI 48120-1556)
Matthew Jaber Stiffler (Project Director: January 2016 to present)

Research and planning to inform the Museum’s exhibitions, collections, and programming about Arab Americans’ experiences, culture, and history.

This project will examine recent patterns of migration to the US from the Arab world for the purpose of current and inclusive representation in the Arab American National Museum’s public programs, collections, and permanent exhibits. We will partner with leading scholars to conduct community-based research with a representative selection of recent immigrant and refugee communities across the country. Collectively, we will produce a compelling and inclusive portrait of Arab immigration to the US from the 9/11 era until today. NEH planning funds will enable us to: 1) explore specific post 9-11 immigration and settlement patterns to the US from the Arab world, including statistics, qualitative data, and a range of cultural, social, and political influences on the larger landscape of American society; 2) consider important thematic issues that are of greatest significance to our communities; and 3) synthesize findings to draw up an interpretive plan for the AANM's collections and exhibits.