Mayor O’Reilly cutting the ribbon at the innauguration of the Annex, March 27

DEARBORN — The Arab American National Museum is growing both in size and reputation. 

As the museum added a 4,700-square-foot performance hall dubbed “the Annex”, it announced that its exhibit “Little Syria” would be displayed at Ellis Island, the gateway of millions of immigrants into the United States the early 20th Century. 

The museum, which is approaching its 10th anniversary, inaugurated the Annex in a celebration attended by community members and elected officials on Friday, March 27.

The speakers at the event stressed the importance of the Arab American Museum and its vital role in telling the history of Arab America and correcting misconceptions about Arab Americans. 

Mayor Jack O’Reilly called the museum a transformative “educational model.”

U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Dearborn) also praised the museum. 

“For nearly 10 years, the Arab American National Museum has been one of the most cultural institutions in this country,” she said. “One of the most important roles that the museum plays is dispelling the myths of the Arab American community. They’re promoting the message of tolerance and acceptance.”

She added that she is proud to support the museum.  

Harold Closter, the director of Smithsonian Affiliations at the Smithsonian Institution, said the AANM defied the odds by gaining a national reputation despite starting with minimal resources. 

“This is not a museum about things,” he said. “This is a museum about people and about real lives and real experiences.”