Arab Americans have long been a part of life in the United States. A small museum in Dearborn, Michigan is trying to tell their stories.
阿拉伯裔美国人长期以来一直是美国生活的一部分。密歇根州迪尔伯恩的一家小型博物馆正试图讲述他们的故事。
Called the Arab American National Museum, it has an exhibit about Joseph Haggar. He was a Lebanese immigrant who founded Haggar’s clothing company in 1926.
它被称为阿拉伯美国国家博物馆，有一个关于约瑟夫·哈格的展览。他是一名黎巴嫩移民，于 1926 年创立了 Haggar’s 服装公司。
Diana Abouali is the museum’s director. Abouali said, “He settled in Texas, and he started this pant company that was extremely successful in the 20th century.” She added, “He also revolutionized the way that pants and clothing were mass produced.”
戴安娜·阿布阿里 (Diana Abouali) 是博物馆的馆长。阿布阿里说：“他在德克萨斯州定居，并创办了这家裤子公司，这家公司在 20 世纪非常成功。”她补充道，“他还彻底改变了裤子和衣服的批量生产方式。”
Haggar came up with the word “slacks” to describe pants that people would wear while relaxing . His slacks were worn by many American men including the 36th U.S. president, Lyndon Johnson .
Haggar 发明了“slacks”这个词来形容人们在放松时穿的裤子。许多美国男士都穿过他的休闲裤，其中包括美国第 36 任总统林登·约翰逊 (Lyndon Johnson)。
Stories like Haggar’s are important to the museum’s mission to show how Arab Americans have been part of American life since the late 19th century.
像哈格这样的故事对于博物馆的使命非常重要，该使命旨在展示阿拉伯裔美国人自 19 世纪末以来如何成为美国生活的一部分。
“We communicate the American narrative in the voices of Arab Americans. They express their experiences in their own words,” Abouali said. “This provides people with a more authentic and real representation of what it means to be Arab American.”
“我们用阿拉伯裔美国人的声音来传达美国的叙事。他们用自己的语言表达自己的经历，”阿布阿里说。 “这让人们更真实地了解阿拉伯裔美国人的意义。”
The museum attempts to share the Arab American experience, including the path to America, home and work life, and service in the U.S. Armed Forces.
该博物馆试图分享阿拉伯裔美国人的经历，包括前往美国的道路、家庭和工作生活以及在美国武装部队服役。
The offerings include an exhibit about the hundreds of Syrian and Lebanese immigrants in North Dakota between 1890 and World War I. Thousands of their descendants still live in the north central state today. Another exhibit includes lists of Arab American passengers on the Titanic , which sank in 1912.
这些展品包括关于 1890 年至第一次世界大战期间北达科他州数百名叙利亚和黎巴嫩移民的展览。他们的数千名后裔至今仍居住在该州中北部。另一个展览包括 1912 年沉没的泰坦尼克号上的阿拉伯裔美国人乘客名单。
The museum also tries to change religious misunderstandings.
博物馆还试图改变宗教误解。
“Half of the Arab American community is Christian,” Abouali said. “And in fact, the earlier immigrants, who came in the late 19th century, early 20th century, were predominantly Christian.”
“一半的阿拉伯裔美国人社区是基督徒，”阿布阿里说。 “事实上，19 世纪末、20 世纪初到来的早期移民主要是基督徒。”
A “wall of fame” shows other well-known Arab Americans. They include reporter Helen Thomas, known as the first woman to end a White House press conference by saying, “Thank you, Mr. President.” Others are actress Kathy Najimy, former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Donna Shalala, and Candace Lightner, who founded Mothers Against Drunk Driving in 1980.
“名人墙”展示了其他著名的阿拉伯裔美国人。其中包括记者海伦·托马斯，她被认为是第一位在白宫新闻发布会结束时说“谢谢你，总统先生”的女性。其他人包括女演员凯西·纳吉米 (Kathy Najimy)、前美国卫生与公众服务部部长唐娜·沙拉拉 (Donna Shalala) 以及 1980 年创立“母亲反酒驾”组织的坎迪斯·莱特纳 (Candace Lightner)。
Stories of Arab immigrants are often misunderstood among Americans.
阿拉伯移民的故事经常被美国人误解。
Jasmine Hawamdeh is the director of arts and culture at the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee. She said people often think of “the angry Arab, the terrorist Arab,” or are “afraid of the Arab that comes from abroad.” Another harmful idea, she said, is “the oppressed Arab woman.”
茉莉花·哈瓦姆德 (Jasmine Hawamdeh) 是美国-阿拉伯反歧视委员会的艺术和文化主任。她说，人们经常想到“愤怒的阿拉伯人、恐怖分子的阿拉伯人”，或者“害怕来自国外的阿拉伯人”。她说，另一个有害的想法是“受压迫的阿拉伯妇女”。
The museum tries to correct these false narratives about Arab Americans. But Abouali said the museum also tries to present Arab Americans as “ourselves.”
该博物馆试图纠正这些关于阿拉伯裔美国人的错误叙述。但阿布阿里表示，博物馆还试图向阿拉伯裔美国人展示“我们自己”。
Although Arab Americans come from 22 countries, from northern Africa to western Asia, she said once they settle in the U.S., they become as American as they are Arab.
她说，虽然阿拉伯裔美国人来自22个国家，从北非到西亚，但一旦他们在美国定居，他们就变得像阿拉伯人一样美国人。