Introduction.

• Author: Terry, Janice J.

DURING THE FIRST YEARS OF THE twenty-first century, the Arab world has been assaulted by multiple crises, including but not limited to the U.S. war and occupation of Iraq, the 2006 Israeli invasion of Lebanon, infighting among various Palestinian factions, the ongoing struggles against the Israeli occupation and for Palestinian statehood, and civil discontent over authoritarian regimes that systematically crush civil society. Given that these serious conflicts are not likely to be resolved in the near future, it is an appropriate time to look back forty years to another moment of crisis and tragedy. In the aftermath of the disastrous Arab defeat in the 1967 Arab Israeli war, a small group of Arab American academics and professionals gathered together to discuss what might be done to redress the stereotypes and misinformation about Arab history, culture, and people in the western world, especially in the United States. They determined that a venue for balanced scholarly debate, publications, and exchanges was vitally needed. The Association of Arab American University Graduates (AAUG) was the result of their efforts.

For the following two or more decades the AAUG was the premier Arab American organization for the dissemination and publication of information on the Arab world. It also helped to popularize and define the term "Arab American." During those years, the AAUG published an impressive number of books and information pieces on all aspects of the Arab world as well as the peer review journal, The Arab Studies Quarterly. It also confronted the issues of Apartheid and racism by hosting intellectuals, politicians, and artists from Africa, India, and elsewhere in the Global South.

From its inception, the leaders of AAUG were determined not to be beholden to any Arab or other government, political or religious party, or corporation. It refused to take money from Arab governments or to adopt the "party line" of any state. While this independent stance earned the AAUG credibility it also left it without a solid and dependable means of financial support. In contrast, others, especially those on less progressive fronts and among Zionist organizations, enjoyed massive outside financial support. The lack of a dependable financial base or endowment continuously impeded AAUG efforts and was one of the main reasons for its ultimate decline.

Although some individual AAUG members were affiliated with specific political parties in the Arab world, the...