Arab American Heritage Month Community Partner Spotlight

April is #ArabAmericanHeritageMonth, and to celebrate we wanted to spotlight Arab American Action Network (AAAN), one of Beyond’s community partners. AAAN  is a nonprofit organization that strives to strengthen the Arab community in the Chicago area. AAAN does this by building community members’ capacity to be active agents for positive social change. As a grassroots nonprofit, their strategies include community organizing, advocacy, education, providing social services, leadership development, cultural outreach, and forging productive relationships with other communities.

We interviewed AAAN representative, Nadiah Alyafai, about the importance of Arab American Heritage Month. She articulated that:

“It’s a time to celebrate and honor the historical contributions, culture, traditions, history, arts, and overall social presence of Arabs and Arab Americans in the United States while also acknowledging the challenges our communities face. In Chicago, a city with one of

the largest Arab populations in the country, this month serves as a reminder of the importance of collective action and the ongoing fight to ensure our community’s needs are addressed and our voices are heard.”

We also spoke to Nadiah about AAAN’s programming and why it is necessary for the Arab American community in Chicago. She shared that:

“AAAN is the only Arab organization in Chicago that combines social services with organizing and advocacy to promote social change. Our community base is actively engaged in our organizing efforts through a structured pipeline that begins with individuals seeking social services. We address their immediate needs, which are often overlooked or neglected by the US government. Afterward, AAAN brings these individuals into political education programs tailored for youth and immigrant women. Through these programs, participants build their capacity as organizers, enabling them to challenge the root causes of why their needs are unmet and why our community faces attacks from racist US government policies.”

AAAN shared three different ways to support the organization right now:

  • Oak Lawn PD Campaign

    • AAAN has a campaign against the Oak Lawn police department as they have had a history of violating the rights of Arabs and other people of color, including the beating of Arab teen Hadi Abuatelah in July 2022; and allowing Leanne Cusack, the white driver who struck and killed Arab Murod Kurdi in June 2023, to go free with just a traffic ticket.

    • The next rally is May 7th, 5 pm, at 9446 Raymond Ave Oak Lawn IL

  • CATA

    • AAAN is also a leading member of the Coalition Against the Trump Agenda (CATA), a large local multiracial coalition with over 90 organizations that are ready to fight Trump’s extreme, right-wing agenda. The movements leading the coalition are Immigrant rights organizations, Black liberation, women’s rights movements, unions and other labor organizations, student organizations, Palestinian organizations and many others. We are united in our collective struggle against an agenda that seeks to divide, oppress, and marginalize us.

    • We encourage everyone to check out CATA’s socials: (INSTA: @coalitionagainsttrump TWITTER: @CHICAGO_CATA) and join us in the streets for our week of action on May 1st- 5th. 

  • Citizenship Workshop

    • Lastly, AAAN and Beyond are partnering on a citizenship workshop this Saturday, April 12 9-4pm at 9838 S Roberts Rd, Palos Hills, IL, 60465. Please share with anyone who might be interested.