YALLA VOTE ‘08 Our Voice. Our Future.

After a blogging hiatus for a 2 week Jury Duty stint, and some beginning of school/ LSAT prep madness, I have returned to update everyone on the happenings in the world of Yalla Vote New York. As you know, the congressional primaries are fast approaching, and the 13th District will choose its candidate tomorrow, September 9th.

As the Yalla Vote Field Organizer in New York, I have had the opportunity and the privilege to interact with the major players in the race for the 13th District. All of the candidates are out in full force looking for votes, and trying to pick up the pieces left over from the Vito Fosella scandal, which rocked the 13th District, and upset the balance of what has historically been a Republican-leaning voting population. Among the hopefuls are Steve Harrison (D), Michael McMahon (D), and Jamshad Wyne (R), all of whom I have had an opportunity to connect with. In particular I have had conversations with Mr. Wyne and Mr. Harrison about the importance of Arab American political involvement, and about the concerns of many Arab American voters.

Regardless of who emerges from the fray on September 9th, Arab American voters in the 13th District will have the opportunity to grill those candidates at the Yalla Vote Candidates Night. Yalla Vote will be hosting the Democratic and Republican nominees at Widdi Catering Hall on 56th St. and 6th Avenue at 6:30pm on October 23rd. Of course food will be served, and the dialogue between candidate and voter promises to be interesting. Stay tuned for the thrilling conclusion of the 13th District congressional primary. Until then…

-Matt

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

The Yalla Vote campaign is truly grateful to all of the sponsoring organizations that endorse it, and lend support. Recently, a Yalla Vote volunteer named Thomas Zraick paid a visit to one of our endorsers, the American Mideast Leadership Network at their Astoria office. The occasion was a pair of workshops for Arab Americans looking for help getting their resumes together, and making some networking connections. A number of the attendees were recent immigrants, and Yalla Vote was there stressing the importance of civic engagement and voting in the upcoming election. The event was very successful, and allowed for some great collaboration between the AMLN and Yalla Vote in building a strong and prosperous Arab American community. It’s always gratifying to see a Yalla Vote representative getting hands on with the community, but it’s even better when it’s one of our volunteers…and it’s EVEN BETTER when it’s a volunteer representing Yalla Vote in conjunction with one of our amazing sponsoring organizations. Bravo all around.

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

Last week I had an opportunity to attend the New York leg of the Voices for Change Tour sponsored by MAS Youth, which featured hip-hop trio Outlandish. Composed of two Muslims and a Christian (sounds like the setup for a bad joke) Outlandish’s unique brand of socially and morally conscious hip-hop has struck a chord with many members of the Arab American community. There was a great turnout, and of course Yalla Vote was there recruiting volunteers, talking up the petition, and generally schmoozing. I even had one attendee say, “Hey aren’t you the Yalla Vote guy? You were at the NAAP BBQ… you’re everywhere these days!” Yes my fellow Arab American… Yes I am.

Everywhere present and filling all things (just kidding),
-Matt Ellias

At last week’s Outlandish concert, I had the pleasure of meeting Sarah Malaika, who hosts Radio Tahrir on 99.5 FM WBAI in New York at 7:00PM on Tuesdays. She invited me to be a guest on her program, discuss the Arab American Institute, the Yalla Vote campaign, and my thoughts on Arab American political empowerment as a whole. The interview went very well, and I got the opportunity to spread the petition to the masses via the airwaves. Today WBAI, tomorrow CNN.

The experience was very exciting, and really got me thinking about the importance of involving our community in the media. Too often we are misrepresented or underrepresented, and it is long past time for the articulate voices of our community to speak for themselves. Sure, we are encouraging Arab Americans to use their figurative voice through voting, but it is also of the utmost importance that we use our literal voices to speak up for ourselves in the media. When we fail to do so, the job is left to false interlocutors who do little but create misconceptions about our community and perpetuate hostility and stereotypes. I mean come on, if there were more silky smooth voices like mine representing the Arab American community in the mass media, surely we would be better able to represent our issues, our concerns, and our cultures. Incidentally, I’m just kidding about my silky smooth voice. It’s more like velvet.

Signing off,
Matt Ellias

I’m writing today about two fantastic groups of people to which my Yalla Vote travels have led me. First, I was lucky enough to attend NAAP’s Summer BBQ kickoff hafli in Prospect Park, Brooklyn. NAAP is an incredible organization that brings together Arab American professionals for networking, socializing, and of course, fun. It was approximately 200 degrees the day of the BBQ, but everyone came out in full force, with enough charcoal for both the grills and the numerous argilehs. I was able to get a whole slew of signatures, recruit some volunteers, and engage in some solid political discussion. I remember in particular talking to one man who was very impressed with the Yalla Vote campaign, and echoed the sentiment that the only way for the Arab American community to gain representation from our elected officials is to get out and vote!

One couple I was talking to was made up of a wife who was a citizen, and her husband who had his green card. I approached the wife about the petition, and she was slightly hesitant to sign, but immediately her husband spoke up and said that she had to vote because it is the most important right that citizens of this country possess. In fact, he was envious of her ability to participate in the voting process whereas he could

not. It’s good to know that even the members of the Arab American community who are not eligible to vote understand the seriousness of our project, and are eager to get involved. I’m trying to get my hands on some pictures of the event, but here’s beautiful Prospect Park to but the NAAP event in context for you.

The second event I want to tell you about, was a meeting of Fort Hamilton High School’s Muslim Students.

I attended their end of year meeting, and was blown away by the enthusiasm for Yalla Vote that these kids had. Firstly, they are extremely organized, serious about helping their community, and serious about their faith. All good things. Ironically, I was around on a day when they were doing some self-examination about ways they could remain productive during the summer months. Heh. Little did they know that I had PLENTY of volunteer work to keep them thoroughly occupied. We had pizza, laughed at how bad my Arabic is, and I recruited some wonderful volunteers from the Bay Ridge community. Yet another indicator that there is a large, active, intelligent group of Arab Americans waiting to be tapped in New York. I can feel momentum starting to build. Every connection that I make, contact I add to my growing database, volunteer I recruit, and signature I get is taking our community one step closer to realizing its own hidden strength, and cooperating in a way heretofore unheard of. Game time, baby.

I have a big weekend ahead, dj’ing parties as my non-AAI alias, and then back to Yalla Vote on Sunday for the big New York Outlandish concert at the New Balance Track Center. In fact, I think I have a volunteer or two to join me. Does it get any better? I submit that it does not. If you’re there, find me for T-shirts and buttons and scintillating conversation. You may even end up on the blog with your smiling face next to mine. Til’ then…

-Matt

The other day, I had an opportunity to go around Steinway St. in Queens and meet a few of the local businessmen, and see the churches and mosques that make up the Arab American community here. First, let me just say that this neigborhood is truly vibrant and beautiful. There is a tremendously diverse Arab American community here that meshes together into one unique whole. Morroccans and Palestinians next to Lebanese, Yemeni, Egyptians, and Syrians- truly a beautiful thing. However, when discussing this neigborhood with Mr. Rami Nuseir, who heads the American Mideast Leadership Network, I came to understand that despite the positive environment, and strong community, there is very little in the way of political organization out here. This realization was at once troubling and encouraging.

On the one hand, trying to get large communities of Arab Americans to do anything at the same time can feel a bit like herding cats, and the prospect of recruiting volunteers, and getting signatures for the Yalla Vote National Petition seems daunting. On the other hand, the community that already does exist is so proud of its various cultures, and open to sharing it with the rest of the world. I see the potential in this neighborhood to utilize the network of good will and the true commitment to Arab American values that already runs deep in Queens. As a field organizer, I need to take what already exists in this cultural and social community and figure out how to transform that energy and enthusism into a cohesive political force to be reckoned with. I feel that the microcosm of Steinway Street in Queens examplifies the struggle for Arab American political assertion on a national scale. We’re here, we are proud of who we are, but for some reason we have difficulty banding together, organizing, and using the channels available to us as Americans to galvanize positive change. Hopefully, by the end of the Yalla Vote campaign, my hefty contact lists and business directories, which will eventually manifest themselves as signatures and actual voters, and serve as a new start for Arab American political empowerment in Queens and beyond.

*Our Yalla Vote Field Organizers are hitting the ground running. For information about these amazing young men and women, and how to contact them, please visit the Field Organizers page here at Yalla Vote. Without further ado, we bring you Matt, our Field Organizer in New York:

Well, I’ve heard that any time you start a new job, the first few days are the hardest, but I have a feeling the most challenging tasks are yet to come. That being said, the first few have been no joke. I’ve been spending this week just trying to get my bearings and set up a solid game plan. I’ve gotten my calendar all set up, brainstormed some great event ideas, and spent the last couple days scouring the streets for grocery stores, shisha lounges, and arab-owned businesses. I’ve also just begun to build my spreadsheet of contacts. I had a mixup today where I was supposed to meet with Rami Nuseir, who heads the Mideast Leadership Network, but essentially dropped the ball and spent the morning trying to get recruits instead.
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Matt Ellias is the Field Organizer for the New York City branch of the Arab American Institute’s “Yalla Vote” Campaign. Matt is honored and excited to be working for an organization led by James Zogby, who has been such an inspiration to politically interested members of the Arab American community. Matt is a political creature by nature, feels a special connection to his community, and is looking forward to becoming a more active member of both the Arab American community, as well as the community of politically active Americans at large. In the pluralist political system that governs these United States, Matt is excited to be an active participant, for it is in large part the political process itself that makes this country great.

Matt was immersed in the Arab American community from birth due to his father’s vocation as an Antiochian Orthodox Priest, and has had the honor of knowing some truly great Arab Americans from the various church communities he has been a part of and has been connected to. Matt has seen the strength and efficacy of tightly knit Arab American communities working in concert with one another, and hopes to break down the superficial barriers that divide segments of the Arab American population to allow the Arab American community at large to control its own destiny through voting. Matt brings enthusiasm, creativity, and relentless hustle to the “Yalla Vote” campaign, and is proud to be a representative of the Arab American Institute.

He can be reached at aai-newyork@yallavote.org

Read about Matt’s experience and thoughts in his own words:

“I am sitting at the desk of one of my new offices, (that’s right, I have two…eat your heart out other interns) writing my first of many blog entries for AAI this summer. More on my first day in my next post, but first- some reflections on the amazing experience that was training at the AAI Washington DC office.

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