With exactly seven weeks to go until the election, the Arab American Institute would like to thank all the organizations who have not only endorsed the Yalla Vote ‘08 campaign but supported us and joined in our efforts to energize and engage the Arab American community this election season. Here is a summary of highlights from the spring and summer months.
AAI President Dr. James Zogby spoke on July 18, 2008 at the City Club of Cleveland– “U.S. Middle East Policy & the 2008 Elections: A Critical Moment” (click here to hear Dr. Zogby’s speech). Later that day, he met with members of the local Arab American community, including members of C.A.M.E.O., AACCESS-Ohio, and AAI Ohio members. Dr. Zogby encouraged the community to become involved in this year’s election and answered questions about his talk that he did not get to answer earlier at the City Club.
St. George Festival in Toledo
St. George’s Church in Toledo, Ohio held its annual festival that same weekend. Although it rained on and off, hundreds came to experience Middle Eastern culture and socialize. And Yalla Vote was there with a table and volunteers collected signatures for the National Declaration and registered voters.
C.A.M.E.O. Annual Picnic
On July 20 in Cleveland, the Cleveland American Middle Eastern Organization had its annual picnic at German Central Farm, inviting members of the Arab American community and local elected officials and candidates. I, along with a few volunteers, was also present collecting signatures and telling people about the Yalla Vote campaign.
Until next time…Yalla Vote!
-Nadia
WOW Yalla Vote is in definitely in full swing…
As you may know, we are still in the midst of Arab American Heritage week in NYC which in true Arab fashion actually spans two weeks. For more information about Heritage Week, visit http://arabheritagenyc.net/
Here’s what Yalla Vote has been up to in New York this past week or so:
1. The week began EARLY…around 7am to be exact, at the CBS early show, where I joined members of NAAP, the Arab American Association of Bay Ridge, and more to promote both Heritage Week and the Yalla Vote Declaration. I managed to weasel my way directly behind the interview taking place so my Shirt and sign were prominently displayed on national TV for a solid chunk of time. Here’s a picture of all of us with
CBS Early Show host Harry Smith
2. I went to promote the Declaration at a screening of Sling Shot Hip Hop at Socrates Sculpture Park in Queens. The event was hosted by ArteEast, and was a huge success. The weather even managed to hold out long enough to allow us as a beautiful evening. The movie itself is remarkable, and if you haven’t already done so, go see it. Now. I gathered signatures, recruited volunteers, schmoozed, and saw a great film with the New York City skyline as the backdrop. Does it get better than that? I submit that it does not.
3. Yalla Vote put on a strong showing at Bay Ridge’s own Arab American Bazaar at in the 79th St. Shore Rd. Park. It was a beautiful day and a bazaar filled with vendors, performances, food, and family fun. I got a great tan from working the Yalla Vote table all day, and also got a lot of positive feedback from the community. We even got some attention from local Congressional candidate Steve Harrison, who was very excited to see the Arab American community encouraging one another to take part in the voting process. 
All in all, it’s been an exciting and successful “week,” and it’s far from over. There are more great events on the way, and Yalla Vote will be there front and center! Until next time…
-Matt
We’ve been out-and-about here in Michigan, spreading the Yalla Vote initiative to get out the vote and unite our voices under one declaration. This past weekend, we attended the American Federation of Ramallah’s 50th Annual Ramallah Convention at the Dearborn Hyatt Regency. The huge event gathered some 2000 Palestinian Americans, many of whom trace their roots back to one of the seven major families of the Palestinian town of Ramallah, in the West Bank. Many of the attendees responded to the Yalla Vote campaign with enthusiasm and signed our National Declaration. On the Fourth of July, AAI’s Midwest Director Valerie Smith addressed the convention and explained how the Internet is revolutionizing grass-roots political activism, particularly in regards to the Yalla Vote campaign.
Meeting so many Arab Americans from all over the country on a monumental occasion such as this, and with many expressing great interest in this fall’s elections, it seems that it’s not too late for the larger Arab American community to make its voices heard come November.
So five days into starting my job as a field organizer… Am I exhausted ? Yes. Sore throat from talking so much ? Yes! Need some serious hibernation ? YES!… Yet I find myself waking up at 7:30 every morning with some great idea or someone that I should contact. It’s been a while since I have loved the job I do: I love being a field organizer. This last week was extremely exhuasting, getting up early and coming home late at night just to sleep. Brookhurst has become my home, while my home back in the valley has turned into a “hotel”. The Arab American community in Anaheim is extremely interested and want to help. I guess word spreads fast in our community(surprising?) , for example I had two girls come up to me at hooka bars asking “Are you the Yalla Vote Girl and where can I sign up to volunteer? Whats this all about?” One of the nice things in this community is it is pretty organized , with many resources, and you truly feel like you’re back home . There are several blocks filled with Arab stores, restaurants, Halal grocery stores, Islamic Fashion, Mosques and anything else you can think of. For me, I was taken aback… I live in the Valley, where there are hardly any Arabic stores and if there are any, there hidden in some back alley.
You might have read our recent post about the Yalla Vote training in Michigan that kicked off the month of May with a weekend of voter engagement training for Yalla Vote endorsers and activists.
If you would like another glimpse of this training from a slightly different perspective, take a look at the Wellstone Action website’s write-up of this information packed few days.
The feedback we’ve received from participants is overwhelmingly enthusiastic. The only complaint?
Not long enough!
While space in these training sessions is extremely limited and open only to endorsing organizations and activists, we hope you will benefit from these sessions, even if you cannot attend. Those who attend the training are charged with returning to their communities and, in their own turn, teaching what they have learned to the greater Arab American family back home.
With your help, we can change the course of American politics and make our thoughts, our needs, our hopes, our fears–and our wisdom– a vibrant part of the national dialogue. Don’t forget to sign the petition, register to vote, and help others do the same.
We’re here at the JW Marriot, enjoying a wonderful lunch and getting ready to talk about the Yalla Vote ‘08 campaign. We hope to have a lively discussion on how to launch this initiative into the November elections and make our voice heard loud and clear.
Stay tuned… if you were not able to join us at last night’s gala and today’s discussions, we’ll post summaries and action items here and on our website at www.aaiusa.org.
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