Anan Ameri: Starting a Museum from Scratch

Dear Anan Ameri, My name is Fern Harris, an undergraduate student at Eastern Michigan University studying business management. I was led to the Michigan Innovators website by one of my professors. In listening to your recent video I was encouraged to know learn that Arab Americans are doing their part in educating the community on their history. As you state in your interview, most people associate all Arabs, American or not, with Islam and do tend to think Arabs and Islam are the same thing. Most people don’t realize that you can follow the Islamic religion and not be Arab or vice versa. Personally, I am African American and have two African American brothers that are Muslim. I am a Christian, but two of my brothers are Muslim. Talk about diversity. You also said you are using art to build bridges in the community between Arab Americans and other cultures in the community and that you will also combine the histories of other cultures with that of the Arab American community in your museum. I think this is a good idea because all cultures are linked together. It would be good to see how the Arab American community is tied historically to the different Michigan communities and cultures. One thing you mentioned in the video was that you did not have previous experience in starting or operating a museum and that this proved to be a plus because it did not hinder the creative process. I was encouraged by this because my husband and I plan on opening a K-12 grade school that will place a large emphasis on diversity training. For the most part, this venture will be new for us too. We also desire that our students be well-rounded with intercultural awareness. It was also good to hear that you and the group of professionals chosen for this museum project kept moving forward with your vision after September 11, 2001. It was exciting to hear of your courage. Sincerely, Fern Harris, Student Eastern Michigan University