Reflections on the rise and decline of an Arab-American organization.

AuthorAbu-Laban, Baha
PositionAssociation of Arab-American University Graduates - Organization overview

Americans of all ages, all stations of life, and all types of disposition are forever forming associations.... In democratic countries knowledge of how to combine is the mother of all other forms of knowledge; on its progress depends that of all the others.

Alexis de Tocqueville

Democracy in America

AS AN ACADEMIC WHO JOINED THE Association of Arab-American University Graduates at its inception and was elevated to the presidency, a position of trust and leadership, I am very familiar with the AAUG and many facets of its activities. Over the years I organized national conventions, participated in AAUG-sponsored seminars and conferences both in the United States and the Middle East, interacted with the membership and leaders, and visited many AAUG chapters across the United States and Canada. This essay is a retrospective on the achievements and challenges of the AAUG. Although this essay is not based on archival research, I have endeavoured to provide an accurate and fair account of how the AAUG rose to a position of national and international prominence and how, after 30 years of operation, it began to decline with seemingly no hope of resuscitation.

The discussion that follows is in three parts. First, I highlight the factors that gave rise to and shaped the AAUG. Then, I address both the internal and external factors that constrained the organization and limited its capacity to meet the challenges of the day, thereby rendering it impotent. And finally, I identify the lessons learned from this experience--lessons that might be instructive to new generations of Arab-American activists and intellectuals.

THE RISE OF THE AAUG

The AAUG came into existence in 1967, following that year's Arab-Israeli war and the stunning appropriation of the West Bank, East Jerusalem, Gaza, the Golan Heights and the Sinai Peninsula by the state of Israel. In the wake of the 1967 war, there was an enormous increase in attention given towards Arabs in American mass media, and much of it was stereotyped, negative and racist. In response to this adverse coverage, and at a time when academics were sensitized to the need to challenge racism as a result of the struggles of African-Americans for civil rights, a small group of young Arab-American intellectuals decided to band together to form a professional association to counter the stereotypes and misinformation about Arabs propagated by the electronic and print media. The impetus came from both the American-born and the immigrant generations, although the latter were more numerous. This new association, the AAUG, aimed to inform and educate the American public and protect the integrity of the Arab-American community. The AAUG was an association that derived its strength from the knowledge, expertise and deep commitment of its youthful leaders and ever growing membership. As an association aimed at bringing together university graduates it was, by definition, elitist, yet in appealing to all Arab-Americans in diverse disciplines and professions there was a sense that the AAUG would be a grassroots association.

As de Tocqueville observed crisis frequently prompt otherwise complacent groups to rise to the challenge. This was the case when the AAUG was founded. There was no national organization with a mission statement and goal of addressing the unique issues facing Arab-Americans. It was reasoned that an organization such as the AAUG would help to coordinate efforts across the U.S. and galvanize a spirit of fair play and pride in the Arab heritage.

As the AAUG evolved, its objectives were expanded and further articulated. More specifically, the AAUG sought to create and advance new knowledge about the Arab world, with particular emphasis on the issue of Palestine and the Arab-Israeli conflict; protect the interests of the Arab-American community; assist in the development of the Arab world and the Arab-American community; build understanding between the Arab and American peoples; and forge a community of interest among Arab-American professionals and university graduates. The AAUG had a unique perspective which encompassed a set of fundamental assumptions about the global community--assumptions that set it apart from other professional and discipline-based organizations in the United States. By necessity, the scope of AAUG's activities grew to become wide ranging, in addition to being multidisciplinary.

AAUG Chapters were established in many American cities and special groups formed around topical areas, such as the Medical Section, Science and Technology Section, Youth Section, and Women's Issues Section. The leadership reasoned that it was critical for the success of the organization to serve, and be perceived to serve, a multiplicity of functions that were not addressed by other American organizations in and outside of academe. The membership was made up of highly professional and academic people, many of whom were national or world leaders in their specialty areas. By and large, "AAUGers" were joiners, in that most also belonged to other national or international organizations that served specific disciplinary or professional interests.

The founders and the membership of the AAUG were very enthusiastic about the new organization and its potential. They expended their own resources--money, time, energy, expertise--in order to achieve success. All the basic elements of strong organization, most notably good and democratic governance, coalesced during this early period in the life of the AAUG. A wide range of programs were successfully developed, including, annual conventions starting in 1968, seminars...

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