Arab American Institute

Founded in 1985, the Arab American Institute is a non-profit membership organization based in Washington D.C. that focuses on the issues and interests of Arab-Americans nationwide. James Zogby, brother of pollster John Zogby, is founder and president of the AAI.

The organization seeks to increase the visibility of Arab-American involvement and candidates in the American political system. It issues "Action Alerts" to its members much like the Anti-defamation League when issues of particular concern arise. According to its website the organization develops policy initiatives much in the manner of a think tank and encourages its members to contact Members of Congress.

The AAI has stated on its website,

Our domestic agenda includes promoting immigrant rights, community-based social services, educational materials and programming that accurately reflect our community and our heritage, and the full benefits of citizenship for our community. Internationally, we believe that the US should enhance its ties with Arab countries in all fields: cultural, educational, diplomatic, economic, and security. We support a viable Palestinian state, the integrity of Lebanon, US assistance to advance economic and political development in the region, and a balanced US role in promoting regional peace and prosperity.

The AAI has been designated by the United States Census Bureau as the only Census information center for compiling data on Arab-Americans. Limitations of the sampling methodology, combined with non-response by some, under-response (only two ethnic backgrounds are tabulated and reported), and reporting ancestry as race, results in higher under reporting among Arab Americans. While the 2000 Census accounted for some 1,250,000 persons who self-identify with an Arabic-speaking origin, AAI estimates (based on research done by the Zogby International polling and marketing firm) place the population at more than 3,500,000. They live in all 50 states—the top 11 by population are (in descending order):

Two-thirds reside in 10 states; one-third of the total live in California, New York, and Michigan. About 94% live in metropolitan areas; Los Angeles, Detroit, New York City, Chicago and Washington, DC, are the top 5 US metro-areas of Arab-American concentration. Lebanese-Americans constitute a greater part of the total number of Arab-Americans residing in most states; however, in New Jersey, Egyptian-Americans are the largest Arab group. The AAI believes that Americans of Arab ethnicity were underrepresented in the 2000 National Census as are most "other ethnic, minority, and immigrant populations" and believes that this undercount occurs because many Arab-Americans simply "do not understand the relevance of the census, its confidentiality, or did not respond to the question on the sample 'long form' that measures ethnic ancestry".

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