Our heartfelt congratulations go out to Andre Sayegh on his stunning victory for a second term as member of the Paterson (NJ) School Board. The big secret is that Andre is an Arab-American. I have searched his website - and glanced over several of  his  flyers and print ads, but nowhere can you find any reference to his ethnic background.  To be fair, other candidates for the Paterson school board did not overly identify their ethic heritage. But no one would confuse their ethnicity if you read their names.

At the risk of ruffling some feathers, and while I admire and have supported Andre's political ambitions, mine were based on him being one of us- a rising star in the NJ Arab-American community. My support for Andre was also premised on his unequivocal promise to investigate a specific $60,000 state grant to a Paterson-based Arab organization. This grant, which for years was rubber-stamped by the school board, has been the subject of numerous accusations of fund misappropriation, lack of transparency and accountability. I am bewildered as to why he has chosen to completely ignore our request for a through investigation. I remain hopeful that Mr. Sayegh will,  as mandated by the voters who elected him, to  provide us with answers. I was impressed by his eloquence and sincerity  when he wrote recently in the Herald News about his commitment to the children and their education. It is reasonable to wonder if the citizens of Paterson (including our community) should expect anything less.

The thorny question of ethnic identity is a vast one. Scholars of all backgrounds have extensively commented on this evolving and volatile topic. Of course, people are free to choose any identifiable narrative to describe their ethnic or genetic backgrounds. But it is also true that society also sees us in a particular form, extending its own positive or negative perception of what we are and collectively defining us as Arab-Americans. There is an inherent danger when we allow others to define what we are and what we stand for. When we succumb to those fears, we inadvertently perpetuate and deepen those fears and stereotypes. My concern is that this appeasement has the potential for disillusionment when a rising star  chooses to confuse or hide his ethnic and cultural affiliations whilst at the same time expect us to support his political ambitions.

By any measure, Mr. Sayegh is the highest elected Arab-American official in Paterson and we do hope he will heed our pleas. Admittedly, we have a long way before we see an Arab American member of the City Council, a Police Chief, or may be a Mayor. Arguably, being an Arab-American candidate posits serious challenges- especially in these post 9/11 times of racial profiling and unconstitutional infringements upon our collective civil and political rights.
We painfully recall  the political lynching of Sami Merhi who was the darling of the Democratic Party and their chosen candidate for Freeholder (Passaic County, NJ). But Mr. Merhi would not trade in or compromise  his moral integrity when pursued by powerful forces in the Party so as to stay in the race.  It may be that Mr. Sayegh, a close friend of Mr. Merhi, foresaw a determinable  political liability in taking pride in his heritage. By doing so, he hoped to widen his electoral base and ultimately be assured victory at the polls. If this is the expedient political calculation he has opted for, we would argue that he has been ill-advised; a rethinking is imperative and more prudent. With all their nascent political clout notwithstanding, it is only a matter of time when Paterson's Arabs' numerical growth will begin to translate into a decisive political machine. And they will remember those who stood fast with them- then.

Andre has the well-harnessed vigor and needed leadership qualities to make us proud of being fully American and truly Arab.