AAFSC provides comprehensive social services to Arab-American families and children, and assists Arabic-speaking immigrants adjust to a new culture. Established in 1993, AAFSC programs, services and activities address the special needs of the immigrant Arab population in the New York City area.

Our goal is to guide Arab-speaking families through American laws and cultural norms in order to share more fully in the life of their communities. AAFSC addresses cultural and language barriers, encourages positive leadership, and promotes a stronger and more united Arab-American community. AAFSC is a vital and relevant institutional presence not only for the valuable social services it provides but also for the voice it has given the Arab-American community.

Since 9/11, Arabs and Muslims in the United States have been targeted purely on the basis of their ethnicity and religion, and singled out for selective enforcement of immigration laws and other forms of racial profiling. The community remains under a general sense of anxiety and fear as families are threatened with separation from husbands and fathers through deportations and detentions, students experience discrimination and harassment at school and shop owners suffer of a significant decline in revenue.

Throughout this period, AAFSC demonstrated a unique ability to mobilize on an organizational level to respond to the backlash and discrimination. It expanded its programs in critical areas - outreach, mental health, youth development, and legal services - to provide the Arab immigrant community with a range of social support programs, and to serve as one of the community's leading advocates.