From its inception, the Arab American National Museum, (AANM) has been attuned to the changes and evolution of its community. Begun in 1987 as the Cultural Arts Program of the Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services (ACCESS), it was established in response to the growing population of Arab immigrants in Dearborn, Michigan, yet it was committed to including and representing other ethnic groups in its cultural and artistic programming, as exemplified by the annual Cinco de Mayo/Umisyyah Fanniyah celebration. AANM continues to demonstrate its commitment to this philosophy, establishing, for example the multicultural performance series Global Thursdays.

Transitioning from its beginnings as a small grassroots program into a mid-sized museum, AANM has tripled the size of its staff and ventured into new program areas. At the same time, AANM has remained attentive to upholding the mission, core values, and connections to its history and grassroots community. The Museum operates on the premise that art is a powerful tool that empowers people and instills community pride.

Before its expansion from an arts program, one of the struggles the Museum faced was in establishing its direction. Although it was committed to the preservation and celebration of Arab American history and culture, it feared that this focus could reinforce the view of Arab Americans as “others”, and might further serve to exclude them from the mainstream. However, it has become evident that AANM is helping to tell more than the Arab American story; it is telling the story of all immigrants within the larger American narrative. It is the American story itself.

Since its opening in May 2005, AANM has been instrumental in moving Arab American culture and history from the confines of a local community to mainstream local and national cultural educational institutions, expanding the discussion of Arab American art. One of the Museum’s many current programs is the Concert of Colors (http://www.concertofcolors.com/), an annual free world music festival held on Detroit’s river front, bringing together metro Detroit’s diverse communities and ethnic groups by presenting musical acts from around the world.