VOA标准英语2010年-Bringing Arab-American Voters Out of t

James Zogby is one of the nation's most influential¹ Arab-American leaders.

Through the Arab American Institute, the son of Lebanese immigrants has mobilized the Arab-American electorate², taking it from the margins³ of American politics and forging an identity which is recognized not only by the national parties, but also by the national media and the American public.

Early start

Zogby's activism began in college and was inspired by American poet and peace activist⁴, Daniel Berrigan:

"I was involved in civil rights and anti-war activity in the 1960's. When I was in college, I went on my first marches, was involved in organizing my first protests and demonstrations," says Zogby. "I knew of my heritage, my roots and was drawn⁵ to that but it did not come to life until the 1967 war when I realized that my commitment to peace and my commitment to civil rights should actually apply to the people from the Arab world as well."

James Zogby's ancestral home: a one-room stone structure in the hills of Lebanon.
Zogby's father came to the U.S. illegally in 1922 and became a citizen through a government amnesty program. His mother's family immigrated⁶ in 1898. She was very involved in the Arab community in Utica, New York, where the family lived.

As his involvement with the Arab-American community grew, Zogby joined or formed a number of advocacy groups such as the Association of Arab American University Graduates, the Palestinian Human Rights Campaign and the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee.

 
Arab American Institute
Arab American Institute founder⁷ James Zogby appearing on the NBC Sunday television news program, 'Meet the Press.'
Cultural bridge

His study of Islam at Temple and Princeton Universities in the 1970s was an eye opener for him.

"The study of religion, especially the work I did later on and my post-doctoral work - which was what happens under stress to a religion, what happens to a culture under stress - was so helpful for what I do today," he says. "I think I understand the world better. I think I understand people and how they think better. I understand America better because of that work."

He shares that understanding by acting⁹ as a cultural bridge between the U.S. and the Arab world, through his weekly column explaining American politics to Arabic newspaper readers and his TV talk show on Abu Dhabi Television, which is also broadcast on American cable TV networks.

 
Arab American Institute
James Zogby with President Bill Clinton
Zogby's standing⁸ as a leading spokesman for the Arab-American community was affirmed in 1984, when he addressed delegates at the Democratic National Convention in San Francisco:

"Being the first Arab-American to speak at a political convention, I got to nominate Jesse Jackson for president and stand before the world and say, 'I am an Arab-American. My Dad was an illegal immigrant from a one-room stone house in the hills of Lebanon, and I am nominating somebody for president, the great-grandson of a slave.' How much better of an American story can you get?"

 
Arab American Institute
James Zogby (far right) with President Ronald Reagan
Arab American Institute

Zogby realized that Arab-Americans had to get involved in politics if they hoped to influence U.S. policy and government leaders. So, in 1985, he founded the Arab American Institute, now recognized as the political and policy research arm of the Arab-American community.

Zogby continues to be a prominent figure in the Democratic Party, serving as an advisor¹⁰ in the Clinton and Obama campaigns. He has testified before a number of Congressional committees about U.S. policies in the Middle East and on the civil rights of Arab and Muslim Americans.

 
Arab American Institute
James Zogby and President Jimmy Carter
"We have a lot of fights ahead of us, but the harder it gets, the stronger I think we are and the better we are able to deal with it. Right now, the sun is blocked by a cloud, but that cloud will pass," he says. "I have seen it happen too many times before, and ultimately at the end of the day, justice will win, the strength of our community will survive. We will overcome this mosque¹¹ issue. We will overcome the hatred¹² and discrimination. We will get justice and peace in the Middle East because there is no alternative, but we get stronger as we continue to work and fight."

And Zogby will continue to help lead that battle for Arab-American voices to emerge from the margins to become an integral part of the national discourse¹³.
 

1 influential   

adj.有影响的，有权势的

参考例句：

• He always tries to get in with the most influential people.他总是试图巴结最有影响的人物。
• He is a very influential man in the government.他在政府中是个很有影响的人物。

2 electorate   

n.全体选民；选区

参考例句：

• The government was responsible to the electorate.政府对全体选民负责。
• He has the backing of almost a quarter of the electorate.他得到了几乎1/4选民的支持。

3 margins   

边( margin的名词复数 )； 利润； 页边空白； 差数

参考例句：

• They have always had to make do with relatively small profit margins. 他们不得不经常设法应付较少的利润额。
• To create more space between the navigation items, add left and right margins to the links. 在每个项目间留更多的空隙，加左或者右的margins来定义链接。

4 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

5 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

6 immigrated   

v.移入( immigrate的过去式和过去分词 )；移民

参考例句：

• He immigrated from Ulster in 1848. 他1848年从阿尔斯特移民到这里。 来自辞典例句
• Many Pakistanis have immigrated to Britain. 许多巴基斯坦人移居到了英国。 来自辞典例句

7 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

8 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

9 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

10 advisor   

n.顾问，指导老师，劝告者

参考例句：

• They employed me as an advisor.他们聘请我当顾问。
• The professor is engaged as a technical advisor.这位教授被聘请为技术顾问。

11 mosque   

n.清真寺

参考例句：

• The mosque is a activity site and culture center of Muslim religion.清真寺为穆斯林宗教活动场所和文化中心。
• Some years ago the clock in the tower of the mosque got out of order.几年前，清真寺钟楼里的大钟失灵了。

12 hatred   

n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨

参考例句：

• He looked at me with hatred in his eyes.他以憎恨的眼光望着我。
• The old man was seized with burning hatred for the fascists.老人对法西斯主义者充满了仇恨。

13 discourse   

n.论文，演说；谈话；话语；vi.讲述，著述

参考例句：

• We'll discourse on the subject tonight.我们今晚要谈论这个问题。
• He fell into discourse with the customers who were drinking at the counter.他和站在柜台旁的酒客谈了起来。