Records of the Feminist Arab-American Network, 1981-2015

The collection contains papers of Carol Haddad and the records of the Feminist Arab-American Network, whose main objectives were to increase public awareness of issues affecting Arab-American feminists, eliminate negative stereotypes of Arabs particularly within the American feminist community, and to work in coalition with other women in Arab countries. The collection contains correspondence, speeches and papers, conference materials; records of the Feminist Arab-American Network including membership lists, publicity, correspondence; publicity from other groups including the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee and the Arab Movement of Women Arising for Justice. The papers were in some order when received and have been further arranged by the archivist. Additional audiocassettes received in 2021 (accession number 2021-M69) were added to the collection in June 2021. These materials, #T-580.1-T-580.15, are listed at the end of the inventory.

The first part of the collection (#1.1-1.20, 1.25) consists of Carol Haddad's correspondence, conference material, subject files, and writings by Haddad. Letters between Haddad and Arab-American feminists she met at the National Women's Studies Association (NWSA) Conference at the University of Connecticut in 1981 discussing the lack of dialogue within the feminist community about anti-Arab sentiments in the United States. Conference material contain correspondence, notes, reports and other documents pertaining to conferences attended by Haddad including the NWSA Conferences in 1981 through 1983. Also included is a document created by Haddad which details the contents of her papers.

Subject files include a letter and petition to free Dr. Nawal Saadawi, an Egyptian writer, physician and feminist imprisoned in 1981, a poem by June Jordan dedicated to Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, and documents including letters to Arab-American feminists before the formation of the Feminist Arab-American Network. Writings by Haddad contain poetry written after meeting with Arab-American feminists at the NWSA Conference in 1982, speeches delivered on the issues and experiences of Arab-American feminists, and a paper on FAN to be published in a book about Arab-American Women edited by Suad Joseph and Michael Suleiman.

The second part of the collection (#1.21-4.18) contains administrative material including letters from Feminist Arab-American Network members, feminist publishers, and biographical sketches of FAN members and supporters. Conference material consists of correspondence, notes, and reports documenting FAN involvement at various conferences including NWSA (1983, 1984, 1986), United Nations Women's Conference (1985), and the Palestine Human Rights Women's Conference (1987). Printed material contains FAN brochures and stationary designed by artist Mary Haddad, Carol Haddad's sister; press releases regarding the formation of FAN in 1983 and a follow-up letter to feminist publishers, press publicity about a travel ban imposed by Israel on Siham Barghouti (1987), and a resolution of the United Auto Workers Union condemning massacres at Sabra and Shatila refugee camps in Lebanon (1982). Although FAN ceased formal operation by 1986 in terms of publishing newsletters, individual members remained active in their respective feminist/Arab-American/scholarly/political communities, and a core group of feminists stayed in contact by telephone for several years thereafter. Haddad and other FAN members contributed to two Arab-American feminist book projects: "Bint Arab" by Evelyn Shakir, and "Food for our Grandmothers" by Joanna Kadi. Haddad met with a group of Boston feminists in 1992-93 who were interested in reviving FAN ceased as a formal organization, but Haddad did not follow through.

In addition, the collection contains audiocassettes (#T-580.1-T-580.15) of panels, workshops, presentations, and interviews, including from the National Women's Studies Association conferences and American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee conventions. The audiocassettes are listed in alphabetical order.

This collection was previously titled, "Papers of Carol Haddad, 1981-2015." It was updated to "Records of the Feminist Arab-American Network, 1981-2015" in November 2020 per request of Carol Haddad.