Anan Ameri

Michigan Nightlight: What does being a leader mean to you?
Arab American National Museum Founding Director Anan Ameri: Somebody that can come up with an idea and know how to implement it and make it a reality. There are a lot of dreamers, but how can you implement that idea and how can you motivate people and inspire them to join you when you come up with an idea? Leaders lead by example and not by power. You do and they follow.
 
What is your dream for kids?
My dream for kids is to live in a safe, happy environment and to fulfill their dreams regardless of their ethnic background or what class they came from, and for an environment where kids can reach their potential. My dream for kids is that a kid doesn’t have to be shot or see their mother or father shot, that they don’t have to live in war zones; that they have the chance to live their childhood, to play, to have security. That’s what makes a great community.
 
What is one concrete thing that could be done to improve the environment for social sector work in Michigan?
We live in a very segregated society, and people are not aware of the problems that other people have. You go to someone who lives in Livonia and tell them about something that happens in Detroit and they are not even aware. I think this

Thousands of students come here -- if we can change the minds of young people to be more open-minded, that's how I know we're making progress.

segregation is not helping us at all as a community.
 
One thing we should not overlook is to end the way schools are funded in this country; schools in poor neighborhoods get their funding based on taxes, and then you’ll have a school in Grosse Pointe half a mile away from a school in Detroit and the difference in funding and quality in Detroit is mind-boggling. You wonder if we are living in the same society. I think we don’t give young people equal opportunity.
 
How do you know you’re making progress?
In my field of work if I get people to come to my museum, if I reach more people in and outside the walls of my museum, if I work more collaboratively with my museum and the people who want to work with me, that’s how I know I am making progress. Thousands of students come here -- if we can change the minds of young people to be more open-minded, that’s how I know we’re making progress.
 
What are you most proud of?
I’m most proud of the fact we have established the first ever Arab American National Museum, and I’m also proud of our museum; we are ethnic-specific, but we do a lot of multicultural programming. We are looked at as a leader in this field despite our young age. That really makes me feel good. Although I am the founder of the Arab American National Museum, I have a mixed feeling about ethnic museums, because on the one hand you create a difficult situation, because groups don’t like the way other museums are representing them, but you can also ghettoize minorities with ethnic-centered museums.

Segregation creates barriers to engaging. I live in a society where for me to serve poor people I have to drive 50 miles.

You want to be sure what you create does not separate you from others as far as the joint experience you have with others that is part of a larger picture. The Arab-American story is the American story -- people coming to this country looking for a better life for themselves. We really wanted to be proud of being Arab-American, and really embrace other cultures – that is what distinguishes us from other museums.
 
What perceptions, messages, historical influences create the most significant barriers to engaging Michigan citizens in helping vulnerable children?
There is a fear to it; the fear lies when people are asking for people to be mentors to kids who are the most vulnerable in Michigan. I live in Ann Arbor, and a few years ago I lived in Detroit. The difference in schools, parks, etc. is huge. I think the barrier is fear, and we are a segregated society so people don’t think of their communities beyond color and beyond their neighborhoods. Segregation creates barriers to engaging. I live in a society where for me to serve poor people I have to drive 50 miles. We live in a class- and ethnicity-segregated society. Unless we overcome that, and the poor and minorities are not segregated, I don’t think we can make a whole lot of difference.