Our History and Mission

 
 

Our Mission

The mission of the Arab American Association of New York is to support and empower the Arab Immigrant and Arab American community by helping them adjust to their new home and become active members of society. Our aim is for families to achieve the ultimate goals of independence, productivity, and stability.

Our History

The Arab American Association of New York (AAANY) was founded in 2001 by prominent and active members of the Arab­ American and Arab immigrant community to respond to the needs of low-income, recent Arab immigrants in NYC. AAANY formed not even a month before the attacks of September 11th, 2001, as a one-­room social service agency run entirely by volunteers. After 9/11, AAANY stepped into an advocacy role, recognizing that the onslaught of surveillance tactics, hate crimes, and community isolation would not be solved by direct services alone.