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__The Arab American Institute__ [|www.aaiusa.org/]

The Arab American Institute defines its mission as “promoting the concerns of the Arab-American community in the United States society and abroad.” There are many sites available on the internet that highlight the contributions of different kinds of minority groups, and the Arab-American Institute is one of the best that I found. The on-line resources that the Institute offers go beyond simply documenting cases of Arab Americans who have contributed in the areas of science, technology, medicine, and so on. It engages the current issues around the identity of Arab Americans and offers complex portraits of engaged citizens around the world who do not fit the common stereotypes so often promulgated in the mass media.
 * What is it?**

I see this as a rich resource for both language arts teachers and history teachers. For example, the site makes the recent speech by Ahmed Maher available for viewing: [] This speech could be viewed by students and contrasted with the more common images that our society shows us of Arab Americans. This would be a good way to show the complexity of an issue that often, and at first glance, looks black and white. It would also be an excellent way for a U.S. or world history teacher to tie events of the past to events of the present in a way that makes them both more meaningful and deepens student understanding.
 * Ideas for using this in a classroom:**

Other sites with a similar idea: The Nathaniel C. Standifer Video Archive of Oral History: Black American Musicians: [|www.umich.edu/~/afroammu/standifer.html]

Hispanic-American contributions: [|www.neta.com/f~1stbooks/dod2.htm]

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