After a long year of and , hundreds of Arab-Americans from across the East Bay finally got to celebrate the grand opening of San Lorenzo's Arab-American Community Center (AACC) Saturday evening.
Housed in what once stood as the Union Jack Pub, a biker bar noted for plenty of brawls and cop calls, the 2,900-square-foot facility will begin after-school activities for local youth as early as next week.
Monir Morar, one of the six founders of the soon-to-be nonprofit organization, said the AACC will not only give the Arab-American community a voice in the East Bay, it will also allow others an opportunity to better understand their culture.
From teaching Dabke (Arab Folk dance) to reading and writing Arabic, the AACC will offer both local Arab-American youth and kids of all backgrounds myriad educational and cultural activities.
To cover the costs of running the facility, a membership fee of $20 a month or $200 a year is required from those interested in joining. About 80 members, ranging from toddlers to high schoolers, have already joined.
For more information on the Arab-American Community Center, call (510)750-9378 or e-mail your questions to aacommunityc@yahoo.com
