Arab American National Museum

I browsed through the website about the Arab American National Museum and became really interested in what it was all about. I was shocked when I read that it was the first museum in the world devoted to Arab American history and culture. It explains that the museum pays tribute to the diversity of our nation. I think that is absolutely the best purpose to have for a museum. By paying tribute to the diversity of our nation, we are also helping to educate about the diversity of our nation. I believe that education is the most powerful we can teach our children and adults for that matter. When people are informed about the Arab American population through something like this museum, the awareness of this minority group increases. For me, their mission statement sums up these points exactly by stating, "The Arab American National Museum's mission is to document, preserve, celebrate, and educate the public on the history, life, culture and contributions of Arab Americans. We serve as a resource to enhance knowledge and understanding about Arab Americans and their presence in the United States."

Going on the virtual tour of the museum really made me want to go to it. I think that especially after reading articles about Arab Americans and Habibi I have an increased interest to learn about this minority group. I feel that it would serve as a great educational tool for me. In addition, I think this would be a wonderful field trip for a class to take. In our TE401 class we went to the children's garden here at MSU and we discussed what makes for a great field trip. Since then, I have been thinking about the different places that Michigan has to offer for the education of our youth. This museum would be a great extention of learning about diversity in any classroom. I think that getting children out of the classroom is great but only if it is done in a way that is enhancing their learning and interest levels. The museum seems like a wonderful way to do this and is a great resource that should be taken advantage of in Michigan.