Research Guides: Arab American Heritage: Arab American Stories

Arab American Stories

"Arab American Stories is an Emmy Award-winning 13-part series presented by Detroit Public Television that explores the diversity of the Arab-American experience." (http://www.arabamericanstories.org/the-series/series-summary/)

This series originally aired in 2012 on PBS. The linked videos below are currently available for viewing on the PBS website.

Arab American Stories: Unexpected Paths
Arab Americans Diane Rehm lacked a college education but became a national radio host, Robby Ameen was born to Lebanese-American parents made it as one of the top Afro-Cuban Jazz drummers in the world, Rabih Dow, blinded by an explosion in the Lebanese Civil War, found his life's work rehabilitating the newly blind at the Carroll Center for the blind outside of Boston.
Arab American Stories: Bridge Builders
Hip hop artist Omar Offendum is a bridge between his Arab roots and American youth culture, Café owner Frederique Boudouani is bringing Algerian food and culture to Elkater, Iowa, and Aliya Suayah and her parents, Ismail Suayah and Krista Bremer embrace both American and Libyan culture at home in North Carolina.
Arab American Stories: Entrepreneurs
Inspired by the American Arts and Crafts movement, Nawal Motawi started Motawi Tileworks, a successful craftsman tile business in Michigan, Fahid Daoud and his brothers fulfilled the American Dream through a chain of chili restaurants that began in Cincinatti and spread through southern Ohio, and Moose Scheib built Loanmod, to help homeowners facing foreclosure.
Arab American Stories: Art & Life
Author Alicia Erian mines her life's experience for her books, stories and screenplays, Artist Huguette Caland has found America to be the place she can most freely express herself in her art, and Hassan Faraj's life was actually turned into art -- the story of this neighborhood butcher became the subject of a community theater piece.
Arab American Stories: Innovators
Imad Mahawili saw a problem with energy in the third world and set out to fix it. Amir Abo-Shaeer created the Dos Peublos Engineering Academy to inspire students to go into careers in science and math. And Brian and Leon Dewan have inventing in their blood and music in their souls and have married the two by making highly unique electronic instruments as Dewanatron.
Arab American Stories: Traditions
Chef Ali El Sayed's son Esmaeel is just beginning to understand how his father's Egyptian heritage fits in with his own identity as a native-born American living in ethnically diverse Queens, and the family recipes Kamal Al-Faqih learned from his mother led him to his calling as a chef and cookbook author.
Arab American Stories: Creating a Community
Social services provider and activist Linda Sarsour serves new immigrants and youth in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. Imam Taha Tawil maintains spiritual vitality at the oldest mosque in America in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and Dean Obeidallah performs across the country with a group of comedians who shatter popular myths and stereotypes.
Arab American Stories: Serving the Nation
Cardiologist Mahmoud Traina serves the working poor at a county hospital outside Los Angeles. Sergeant Mike Abdeen and deputy Sherif Morsi run the ground-breaking Muslim Community Affairs unit for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. Father George Shalhoub built St. Mary's Antiochian Orthodox Church into a positive force for the people of Livonia, Michigan.
Arab American Stories: Expressions
Oud player/composer Rahim AlHaj fled Iraq for political reasons. Now he fuses Middle Eastern and western influences together in his music, Malika Zarra was born in Morocco and found a creative home in New York's multi-cultural music scene. And Detroit artist Adnan Charara explores the idea of identity, personally and cosmically, in his painting and sculpture.
Arab American Stories: Civic Leaders
Teacher and political candidate Ferial Masry, union organizer Khalil Kaid, and Lawyers Nawar and Kareem Shora all feel a responsibility to uphold the precious rights granted to them as American citizens.
Arab American Stories: Artists
Opera star Hanan Alattar's passion keeps her going as she pursues an international stage career. Najla Said is an actress, playwright and author exploring her identity as a Palestinian-American and a quintessential Manhattanite. Fashion designer Rami Kashou charmed America as a finalist on Project Runway. His designs continue to wow the fashion world.
Arab American Stories: Lasting Contributions
Public Relations Executive Judy Habib talks about the legacy of St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital, Maha Freij helped grow ACCESS into largest Arab-American human services organization in the nation, and researcher/radiologist Dr. Elias Zerhouni had a transformative impact on medical research in the U.S. as Director of the National Institutes of Health.
Arab American Stories: A New Generation
Actress Alia Shawkat, best known for her role on "Arrested Development," is a rising independent film star, Mariem Masmoudi is a student trying to figure out how to merge her American and Tunisian identities to give back to both cultures, and former serviceman and DJ Ace Montaser is making his name on Detroit's airwaves.

Ask a Librarian

Need research assistance? One-on-one help is available via the Library’s Virtual Reference Room in Blackboard or phone (325-486-6534) during the following hours:

Monday-Thursday: 9 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Friday: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Saturday: 2 – 6 p.m.
Sunday: 1 – 5 p.m.

You can also contact us via

email or by posting on the Ask a Librarian Discussion Board in Blackboard.
Messages sent outside of normal service hours will be answered the next day the library is open (check Library Hours of Operation for current schedule).