Rasmea Odeh, convicted in the 1969 Jerusalem Supermarket bombing is the AAAN's associate director.
[1][2] Its vision is for a strong Arab American community whose members have the power to make decisions about actions and policies that affect their lives; and have access to a range of social, political, cultural, and economic opportunities in a context of equity and social justice.
[3] The AAAN is the brainchild of a number of leading Arab activists and organizers, including members of its precursor organization, the Arab Community Center; academics and intellectuals; business-people; and former Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs Assistant Dean Mona Khalidi.
It is a core member of the Chicago Cultural Alliance,[4] a consortium of 25 ethnic museums and cultural centers in Chicago; the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR); the National Network for Arab American Communities (NNAAC); and the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (CAARPR); amongst other coalitions, alliances, and networks.
English As A Second Language (ESL) In collaboration with the Illinois Community College Board (ICCB) and Chicago's Chinese Mutual Aid Association, the AAAN provides three levels of ESL classes for over 100 women per year on the southwest side of Chicago.