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May 16, 2013 Posted by admin in Blog

Mayoral Candidates Square off for the First-Time on Issues Affecting NY Muslims, Arabs and South Asians

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Over 350 community members packed the room on Sunday, May 5th at a forum hosted by the Arab American Association of New York and the Islamic Center at New York University to hear from candidates vying to be the next mayor of New York City. Amidst one of the most contested mayoral elections in our recent history, candidates participated in the forum titled "NYC 2013: Electing the Right(s) Mayor" and were questioned by the event’s moderator, NY1’s Errol Louis, on issues facing American Muslim, Arab and South Asian communities including religious freedom, civil liberties, public safety, education and immigration. Some candidates condemned the NYPD’s spying program. All the candidates who attended, Sal Albanese, Adolfo Carrion, Jr., Bill deBlasio, John Liu, Christine Quinn, Erick Salgado, Bill Thompson, agreed on adding Muslim school holidays into the public school calendar!

Here’s some of media coverage of the event:

VIDEO: Mayoral Candidates at a Muslim and Arab Forum

Capital New York: Video "Mayoral Candidates at a Muslim and Arab Forum"

 

Mayoral Candidates Weigh in on Muslim Issues

Voices of New York: "Mayoral Candidates Weigh in on Muslim Issues"

Which NYC Mayoral Candidates Think Spying on American Muslims is Unconstitutional?

The Village Voice Blogs: "Which NYC Mayoral Candidates Think Spying on American Muslims is Unconstitutional?"  

Liu: NYPD surveillance of Muslims is unconstitutional. Other Democratic mayoral hopefuls condemn practice. But controller goes further.

NY Daily News: "Liu: NYPD surveillance of Muslims is unconstitutional"

Through the work of AAANY and community organizations, our communities continue to become increasingly active in the civic process. In a recent article about the upcoming elections, the New York Times called Muslims a "long-neglected" community (See: http://nyti.ms/ZTUsn6). This candidate forum was a sign of the community's growing civic and political power. Our participation doesn’t end here. Don’t forget to vote on September 10 (primary) and November 5 (general)!

-Faiza N. Ali

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May 2, 2013 Posted by admin in Blog

Mayoral Candidates to Square off for the First-Time on Issues Affecting NY Muslims, Arabs & South Asians

Contact: Faiza Ali, 718.724.3041, alinfaiza@gmail.com or Linda Sarsour, 917.306.3323,lindasarsour@gmail.com

 

--FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE--

Mayoral Candidates to Square off for the First-Time on Issues Affecting NY Muslims, Arabs and South Asians

(New York City, NY – 5/2/13) – Amidst one of the most contested mayoral elections in the recent history of New York City, candidates will take to the stage to address issues facing American Muslim, Arab and South Asian (MASA) community members at a mayoral forum hosted by the Arab American Association of New York and the Islamic Center at New York University. This November will be the first time in 12 years that New Yorkers head to the polls to elect a new mayor to lead the City and bring necessary reforms on issues important to MASA communities including religious freedom, civil liberties, public safety, education and immigration.

MASA communities continue to grow and become increasingly active in the civic process. In a recent article about the upcoming elections, the New York Times called Muslims a "long-neglected" community (See:http://nyti.ms/ZTUsn6).

Who: Mayoral candidates Sal Albanese, Adolfo Carrion Jr., Bill de Blasio, John C. Liu, Christine C. Quinn, Erick Salgado, William Thompson and members of the Arab American Association of New York, Islamic Center at NYU, Alliance of South Asian American Labor, Coalition for Muslim School Holidays, Interfaith Center of NY, Islamic Circle of North America-NY, Muslim Bar Association of NY, Network of Arab-American Professionals of NY, UNITED SIKHS

What: "NYC 2013: Electing the Right(s) Mayor" - A Mayoral Forum Moderated by NY1’s Errol Louis

When: Sunday, May 5, 2013 at 2pm (Doors Open at 1:30pm)

Where: NYU’s Kimmel Center, Rosenthal Pavilion, 10th floor This forum is a non-partisan event meant for educational purposes. RSVP is Required.

-END-

The AAANY is a non-profit grassroots social service and advocacy organization located in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, dedicated to serving and empowering Arab-American, Arab immigrant and Muslim communities.

The Islamic Center at NYU is the first fully established center for Muslim Life at a major university in the United States and is dedicated to fostering a sense of awareness, activism and scholarship amongst the Muslim community both on and off NYU's campus.

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April 26, 2013 Posted by admin in Blog

Youth at AAANY learn about Summer Opportunities

The Arab American Association of New York  in partnership with the Mayors Office of Immigrant Affairs and their Know your Rights initiative coordinated a forum for youth to learn about summer jobs and internship opportunities. Our DYCD & Summer Opportunities Forum was widely successful, it had a high turnout, great information, and great speakers. Our incredibly driven youth were eager to help set up, buy the pizza,  and get the forum started. They all came eager to get informed and figure out what they will be doing this coming summer. Some youth came because of their friends, and some parents came to accompany their teenagers.

The event began with delicious pizza and casual conversation as everyone got settled in and finished setting up. Lourdes Vazquez began the forum by speaking about the Neighborhood Leadership Institute which is held throughout the five boroughs and offers free skill building workshops. She felt that the forum turnout was great and she joked that she was “shocked that all the pizza was gone”. She also felt that the youth employment opportunities guide we made for them were excellent. Emily Rowland-Kain, also from the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs  thought the forum was very worthwhile, “You had so many kids attend and they were really enthusiastic about finding summer employment-- it's great that you can help them”. Emily also spoke to everyone about how their parents can apply for citizenship at their service events, one of which will be held in Sunset Park on May 18th.

Kenneth Scott, a Senior Community Liaison from the Department of Youth & Community Development, spoke to a group of over 20 youth about the Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) for which the deadline is May 10th 2013. He gave out paper applications and explained the type of information they would need to complete it. The Summer Youth Employment Program provides part time jobs for youth ages 14 to 24 in community organizations, government agencies and the private sector. The program runs for six weeks from July 8th to August 17th. In the past the AAANY has been an SYEP worksite and has hosted SYEP participants during the summer who have been incredibly helpful during the summer months.

Some other opportunities for youth during the summer besides SYEP are the Sadie Nash Leadership Project- Summer Institute for which the deadline is May 3rd. This great program for young women runs from July 8th to August 16th Monday through Friday 10:00-4:30 PM. Youth in this program take interesting classes and workshops and also meet women in different leadership positions. At the AAANY we currently have a participant from the Sadie Nash Leadership Project, Nancy Uddin is an incredible young lady interning with us every Friday and is heavily involved with Brooklynat. Ayisha a community organizing fellow at the AAANY strongly feels that “Nancy has served as a bridge to other women's’ empowerment initiatives across the city, and that is the essence of what an organizer does.”

Another wonderful summer opportunity is the FUTURESandOptions Summer Internship Program through which students participate in paid internships in NYC. The deadline to apply to this program is June 15th. One of our remarkable youth, Ehlame Kaid had a few words to say about the forum “I went to the forum to see what type of opportunities I could get involved with in and outside of my community. I actually really liked it because I didn't think we had these types of things in my community, that I could have joined a long time ago. I wish I knew about all of these opportunities earlier on, so that I could have gotten involved since my freshmen year of high school instead of my senior year. I recommend that everyone go to these forums.”

Regardless of whether you participate in a program, there are great summer opportunities in the city to volunteer and get involved. We love to help youth get involved and connected with their community. We love to help them get engaged in activities that will further their professional and personal development. At AAANY we always have something awesome going on that you can get involved with. If you are interested in art, we will have the RASMI Summer Arts Programs with Katherine Toukhy. Katherine believes that “An image can show the power and nuances of who you are, and your experiences, if you are given the right tools to build it”. If you want to help children in need please get involved with our School Supply Drive for Syrian and Palestinian children in a refugee camp. Our amazing and dedicated caseworker Arwa Aziz is coordinating this wonderful relief effort/ humanitarian effort, she believes, “Arwa quote  “. If you want to help more locally come with us to Staten Island on May 11th to participate in a Sandy Relief project during which we will be painting and helping families affected by Hurricane Sandy.

Stay connected, give back and pass it forward!

-Evelyn Garcia

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April 17, 2013 Posted by admin in Blog

At Last:Bipartisan Bill Introduced in Congress

For Immediate Release

Wednesday, April 17th, 2013

Press Contact:
Thanu Yakupitiyage; New York Immigration Coalition
tyaku@thenyic.org; Office: 212-627-2227 x235; Cell: 413-687-5160

*Press Release*

At Last:  Bipartisan Immigration Bill Introduced in Senate
Immigrant, Labor, and Faith Leaders Acknowledge this Historic Step and Discuss What Comes Next in the Fight for Immigration Reform

(New York, NY) After more than a decade of fits and starts, steps forward and back, in the immigration debate, we welcome the introduction today of a bipartisan immigration reform bill drafted by the Senate Gang of Eight, including New York’s Senator Chuck Schumer. On the steps of Judson Memorial Church, New Yorkers for Real Immigration Reform, the largest and most diverse statewide coalition of immigrant groups in the nation, called the introduction of the bill an historic step forward toward a fair, humane and workable immigration system, while raising concerns nonetheless about some aspects of the bill.

“We thank Senator Schumer and the bipartisan group of Senators for bucking partisan divides to craft a long overdue bill that provides a solid starting point for fixing our immigration system,” said Ms. Chung-Wha Hong, executive director of the New York Immigration Coalition. “The bill’s introduction is the result of years of effort to raise up the stories and voices of immigrant families, workers, and businesses to highlight the harm done by the broken system, and ways the public interest can be served by repairing it.  Work remains, no doubt: it’s not a perfect bill, and we have some real concerns. But we recognize the hard work and care that went into crafting it, and the historic opportunity this bill provides. We’ll rise to the challenge of moving the best bill forward, so the end result is an immigration system that honors family, respects human dignity, serves the economy, and upholds our core values as a nation.”

Summary Overview of Bill Provisions (not comprehensive):

The bill provides for:
·         A path to citizenship for the undocumented. For most immigrants, the path will take thirteen years—ten years under the new status of “Registered Provisional Immigrant” (RPI), after which they can apply for lawful permanent resident status (LPR, or a “green card”); after three years as an LPR, they can apply for US citizenship.
·         Certain immigrants (namely, farm workers and many of those who came to the U.S. before the age of 16) will have an accelerated path. These individuals will only have to stay in RPI status for five years before applying for LPR status, at which time they will be immediately eligible for US citizenship.
·         Work authorization and travel outside the US. Under RPI status, immigrants will be authorized to work and allowed to travel outside the U.S.
·         “Border Triggers.”  Certain conditions pertaining to border security must be met before RPI’s can apply for LPR status.
·         Eligibility requirements to apply for legalization. These include passing background checks, establishing continuous physical presence in the U.S.; and arrival in the US no later than December 31, 2011. Immigrants who have final orders of removal, or who have previously reentered the U.S. after deportation, are eligible to apply for RPI status.
·         Bars to legalization. Individuals with certain criminal convictions may be ineligible for legalization.
·         Fines and fees.  Applicants must pay $2000 in fines and additional processing fees.
·         Family unification for certain deportees.  Certain immigrants previously deported for non-criminal grounds and who have a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident spouse, parent, or child, as well as DREAM-Act eligible individuals, are eligible to apply for a waiver to reenter the United States in order to apply for legal status.
·         Creation of a merit-based visa system in the fifth year after enactment. This system will award points to individuals based on their education, employment, length of residence in the U.S. and other considerations.

The bill includes provisions of concern to the New Yorkers for Real Immigration Reform campaign, including:
·         Border triggers as a condition for a path to citizenship.
·         Prolonged period of provisional status.
·         Arbitrary cut-off dates, other obstacles, and further limitations on who will be eligible for legalization and a path to citizenship.
·         Eventual elimination of the U.S. citizen sibling visa category and diversity visas.
·         Shift away from a family-based immigration system to a new merit-based visa system.
·         Cap on age for adult married children visa category. Adult married children can only be sponsored by their parents if they are under age 31.
·         No provision for family visas for same-sex partners. The campaign is calling for an amendment to include this provision.
·         Billions of additional enforcement dollars.
·         Mandatory electronic employment verification program. The program would be phased in over a period of five years until it includes all U.S employers. It would include new due process and privacy protections.

New Yorkers for Real Immigration Reform pledged to fight for a wide and inclusive path to citizenship that is not thwarted by costly and unnecessary border security triggers or other obstacles and called for families, including adult children of all ages and the siblings of U.S. citizens, to be given a chance to reunite with loved ones.

Immigrant, faith, and labor leaders from across the State also responded to the bill.

“Introduction of the Senate’s immigration bill is a historic step, yet a first step in many to come,” said Angela Fernandez, executive director of Northern Manhattan Coalition for Immigrant Rights. “One of America's founding principals is that all people are created equal under the law. We have a responsibility, as a democracy, to uphold this principal. The decades-long dysfunction of our present immigration system has led to generational injustices that can only be remedied with expanded due process and civil rights protections. An immigration reform bill must include a fair hearing and access to counsel for anyone who is detained or in danger of being deported.  We hope that as we enter the debate process that Congress votes on a new bill which creates an immigration system that is consistent with our American values of protecting our civil and human rights.”

“The introduction of the Senate Gang of 8’s immigration bill represents a historic moment.  Today, we are closer to an America where hardworking immigrants can stand proud, side by side, amongst their peers and contribute to the American economy, and where DREAMers like me can truly envision our future here,” said Max Ahmed who is a DREAM Act-eligible youth and DACA recipient. “I recognize the efforts of the Senate Gang of 8 to address the monumental task of creating bipartisan immigration legislation; that is certainly no small feat. However, today is just the beginning and there is more work to be done to ensure no family is left behind. Together we will stand united to protect what we need in the bill and to fight for improvements in the bill that are missing.”

“The introduction of this immigration bill begins the legislative process that we have been waiting for and we thank the Senate Gang of 8 for rising to the challenge to create bipartisan legislation," said Graciela Heymann, Executive Director of the Westchester Hispanic Coalition. "This is an important first step toward our goal of passing fair and just immigration reform that reflects the needs of our communities, keeps families together and provides a direct path to citizenship. While we have a ways to go, we remain optimistic. We pledge to work with Congress to improve upon this bill and move it forward in the coming weeks.”

"The introduction of this bill is a good start to repairing our broken immigration system, and we hope that the national conversation on the passage of immigration reform moves forward with kindness and steers clear of anti-immigrant sentiment. We look forward to working with New York advocates in the New Yorker for Real Immigration Reform Campaign to pass a bill that has all of our communities best interests at heart,” said Rev. Dr. Donna Schaper, Senior Minister at Judson Memorial Church.

"The introduction of the bill is a major step toward fixing our broken immigration system. And while we applaud Senator Schumer and the Gang of 8 in putting forth a bill, there is much work to be done to ensure that the final bill is a just and humane one,” said S.J Jung, board president of the MinKwon Center for Community Action. “Our Korean, Asian and immigrant community members from Jackson Heights to Chinatown to Flushing marched on the Capitol last week for immigration reform that will keep families together, but this bill eliminates the right of U.S. citizens to sponsor their sisters, brothers and adult children. This simply does not reflect the values of our country, and we will push forward to demand that Congress preserves the family-based immigration system that has helped keep this nation strong.”

"Undocumented Immigrant workers are very pleased to see real movement in the Senate with the introduction an immigration reform bill" says Valeria Treves, Executive Director of New Immigrant Community Empowerment, "There are concerns however, about the length and conditions that must be met during the 10 year Registered Provisional Immigrant status including workplace problems that could arise from the work requirement provision, about being able to proved continuous physical presence and the arbitrary cut off line to qualify for the legalization program." “Too many times I have stood by helplessly watching immigration agents removing fathers and mothers from their families and communities. I have held the hands of too many children as they watched their parents being ripped from their lives. I applaud our Senators for working together in an attempt to stop these nightmares. We can only hope that this is the beginning of decriminalizing all those farmworkers who are trying to sustain their families,” said John L. Ghertner, Rural and Migrant Ministry, Western NY Council and Migrant Support Services of Wayne County.

Linda Sarsour, executive director of the Arab American Association of New York said, "Arab American communities welcome the first steps taken by our elected officials to pass reform aimed at fixing our broken immigration system. Comprehensive reform must reflect our nation's values and include prohibitions on profiling and the preservation of the entire family system."

“The new proposal, which restricts family reunification while expanding the numbers of highly-skilled immigrant workers, represents a significant shift in our nation's immigration policy,” said Margaret Fung, Executive Director of the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund. “Bipartisan immigration reform could be a landmark achievement if the bill ultimately reflects the family values that have been so important to the Asian American community and to all Americans.”

"This bill is a response to the power Latino and immigrant communities showed at the polls last November. We are glad that the legislative process will now begin, and plan to use all the power we have built to ensure that the final product keeps our families together and provides a pathway to citizenship with respect and dignity," said Javier Valdes, Co-Executive Director of Make the Road New York.

“We are optimistic and cognizant that this bill is the beginning of a process to address this long standing issue,” said Estela Vazquez, Executive Vice President, 1199 SEIU United Healt
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March 28, 2013 Posted by admin in Blog

NYPD Inspector General: FACT v. FICTION

NYPD Inspector General: Fact vs Fiction
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March 25, 2013 Posted by admin in Blog, Media

My experience at AAANY

“Be the change you wish to see in the world,” the notorious maxim purportedly first said by Mahatma Gandhi, should be the motto of the Arab American Association of New York. Each employee that works there embodies a sense of social justice that drives him or her to create positive change for one of the most marginalized communities in America. And they do it well. I had the privilege of interning at the AAANY during my Winter Trimester, a time when my college requires students to find an internship.

Read more

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Community Leaders Eager for Reform to Register New Voters, Build Immigrant Power

IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Contact:

Linda Sarsour (English and Arabic) (917) 306-3323

Daniel Coates (English and Spanish) (347) 489-7085

Community Leaders Eager for Reform to Register New Voters, Build Immigrant Power

WHAT: Community leaders will register new voters and engage residents about importance of civic engagement and immigration issues. Press conference to follow.

WHEN: Thursday, February 28th, 12pm (Noon)

WHERE: 86th Street and 4th Avenue, Brooklyn

WHO: Teams from Arab American Association of New York, Make the Road New York, El Centro del Inmigrante, Project Hospitality, and others.

As the immigration debate heats up, teams from Staten Island and South Brooklyn will engage Bay Ridge voters about the importance of reform, and encourage them to sign up in support and to register to vote.

After the registration blitz the teams will hold a press conference to explain why they are demanding just and humane immigration reform that keeps families together, respects workers rights, and provides a path to citizenship for all 11 million undocumented immigrants.

They will also discuss their commitment to ensuring that their communities continue to grow and be heard at the ballot boxes in each and every election.
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Political Spying: Same Tactic, Different Flavor of the Month

More than three decades ago, the NYPD was accused of using extremely invasive infiltration and surveillance techniques on various politically active organizations, reform groups, and activists during the civil rights movement. As a result of a class action lawsuit against the police department, federal courts ordered a series of guidelines to be followed when collecting information on any group, intended to curb unwarranted and excessive surveillance by the NYPD. These became known as the Handschu guidelines.

In light of recent revelations of the NYPD’s extensive surveillance of the Muslim community, the NYPD has repeatedly responded to any criticism by claiming that its actions were consistent with limitations outlined in the Handschu guidelines. Lawyers from the original court case however, seem to disagree with this sentiment. Though the police department was given more flexibility with the Handschu guidelines in the aftermath of September 11th, lawyers from the Handschu case argue that the guidelines have been ignored altogether in the city’s anti terrorism efforts, and that the city’s Muslim population is being targeted simply because of their religious identity and nothing more.

This recent turn of events affirms what police reform activists have been saying all along; that the NYPD had no legitimate basis for its extensive surveillance operations against the NYC Muslim community, and that law-abiding Muslim groups and activists were targeted solely because of their faith. In fact Jethro Eisenstein, one of the civil rights lawyers from the original Handschu case says that the lawsuit "has been about NYPD surveillance of whoever is the suspected flavor of the month since 1971" and that “it seems horrible to me that the NYPD is treating an entire religious community as potential terrorists.” This motion also reaffirms the strong voice within our community calling for the need for independent oversight of our police department. Our community needs to collectively take steps to ensure that that can become our shared reality. The first, and perhaps the most significant, step on that path would be for City Council to pass the Community Safety Act which would establish an Inspector General to oversee any potential abuses and hold the police department to its standards of protecting and serving New Yorkers.

*To be a part of the police reform movement, help us by taking action! Contact your local representative and express support for the Community Safety Act. To find out who your Council Member is and how you can reach them, click here.

By: Arslan Rahman, Community Organizing Intern
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Comprehensive Immigration Reform NOW

We need comprehensive immigration reform now. That’s the message we are hearing across the country from community members, faith leaders and immigrant rights advocates. AAANY in partnership with the New York Immigration Coalition and other allies recently launched “New Yorkers for Immigration Reform” . Together, we are working to ensure that 2013 is the year we pass common sense and meaningful reforms that create a pathway to citizenship, reunites and keeps families together and safeguards civil rights.

Pressure from communities is intensifying and as a result, momentum for comprehensive immigration reform continues to build amongst our elected officials. Earlier this month, President Barack Obama and the Senate “Gang of 8” led by Senator Chuck Schumer of NY released two sets of principles to guide the legislative process. To learn more about the proposal and how they compare, click here. As the legislation is being drafted, we must continue to build political power through organizing and list up stories of families and community members that have been victim to unfair policies and a broken system.

We need you to join the movement for comprehensive immigration reform! Here’s how you could get involved:

Join our voter registration team! Our communities made a huge impact at the polls last November and we’re not going to stop building our political power. To sign up as a volunteer for voter registration, email community.aaany@gmail.com with “2013 NYC Vote Volunteer” in the subject heading.

Sign up to be a part of “ New Yorkers for Real Immigration Reform.” Join thousands nationwide in support of immigrant rights and reform. Click here to sign up today!

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Kitaab Club working to leave no child behind

For the past 7 years, the Arab American Association of New York (AAANY) has offered Kitaab Club, an after-school math and English literacy program with the goal of providing essential learning support for children in the areas of math, reading, writing and listening comprehension. The program is offered to students ranging from 1st to 5th grade that are English language learners and/or below grade level. With overcrowded English Language Learner classes in the NYC public schools, and diminishing resources to help these students, AAANY works to leverage its cultural competency and connection to the community to fill the gap. More than just a homework-help session, Kitaab Club provides interactive activities, educational games, and a focus on outside reading practice to enhance the students’ English capabilities. In charge of the program is Evelyn Garcia, the Community Outreach Coordinator, who joined AAANY through the New York City Civic Corps, one of the Citywide Initiatives to build the capacity of nonprofits through maximizing NYC’s volunteers. Before enrolling the students, Evelyn conducted pre-screenings to test their levels and scheduled meetings with the parents to ensure their child’s involvement. Since our partnership with Primary School 170 in 2011, we have been able to use the school facility and help many of the same students who attend that school.

On January 24th, the program’s “new and improved” version started a new semester, with fresh and enthusiastic volunteers hailing from California, to Syria, and even from the United Kingdom. With more volunteer instructors we have been able to both guarantee more organization and foster a closer one-on-one relationship between the tutors and the kids; one that will feasibly grow into more of a mentor to student relationship. At the end of each day, the tutors are required to fill out an assessment, which keeps the children’s progress on record and functions as a marker from which to move forward with instruction. “Kitaab Club has improved a great deal since last semester and this has been the result of a few important changes we have made,” said Garcia “I definitely think that screening the students and having their parents come into AAANY to verify all their contact information has helped a lot. We want to work together with parents to improve their child’s academic performance so we try to be in constant communication with them. We have also actively recruited more tutors, which has resulted in a more diverse group of tutors, both in age and background. We finally have a tutor to student ratio that works!” she added, with enthusiasm. AAANY is proud to offer such a dynamic program for the community and new volunteers are always welcome to inquire after tutoring positions. For more information on the program, please contact egarcia@ArabAmericanNY.org. Chelsea Estevez

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