YAA

In 1993, members of the Yemeni and Arab American community recognized the growing need of services needed for their community. They envisioned an organization that would serve the social and economic needs of the growing Yemeni population in Dearborn. Although the dream of finding the organization began early on in the 1970s, the founders felt compelled to take more immediate action after they witnessed the lack of representation and supported needed by the Yemeni American families. It was then that the Yemeni American Association opened its doors as a non-profit organization in January of 1993; not only providing invaluable social services to the community, but also in empowering and defending it. Founder and current executive director Mohamed Saeed Abdulla insisted that the YAA break boundaries, form bridges, and show support to members of his community that success is obtainable. In 1997, the Yemeni American Association established the Annual Scholarship Awards Program. This program identified academically successful high school seniors of the Yemeni-American community and awarded them with a monetary scholarship. This Annual Scholarship Awards Program continues today and has grown to recognize now 21 high school senior recipients. The Yemeni American Association has served as a bridge between the Arab community and the Dearborn community, fostering more understanding of Yemeni/Arab culture as well as and is not limited to immigrant issues, serving as a school and community liaison, supporting government and other institutions, as well as providing a variety of cultural social services.