ACCESS is the largest Arab American social services organization in the U.S. Its goal is to empower and help the disadvantaged become successful, said Taleb Shalhab, the national Outreach Director of ACCESS, Michigan. The organization provides services such as finding immigrants a job and offering translation, ESL licensing, and legal assistance.

ACCESS California’s success in serving the community has "more than doubled throughout the years," executive director Nahla Kayali said with pride. "It is with the community’s support that we were able to deliver," she added.

The organization also presented an award to Rusty Kennedy, the Executive Director of the Orange County Human Relations Commission for the distinguished contributions he has given to Orange County as well as being an instrumental figure in helping ACCESS California get a solid footing.

The highlight of the evening was the captivating speech by Rita Saenz, executive program director for Affiliated Computer Services Government Solutions. Her main message: "be proud of your heritage and give back to the community."

She cited the example of how Mexican Americans got involved and became part of the fabric of their communities, and as a result, people started to know who they were.

"This community has as much to contribute as any of the waves of immigrants that ever came to this country," she said.

"Mexican Americans used to be synonymous with lazy and stupid, but now they’re not; at some point it will be very clear that Muslims or Arabs are not synonymous with extremists," she said.

Addressing the Arab and Muslim communities, Saenz added, "This country has always been the strongest and most vibrant when it takes on the qualities of a tapestry. The strength of this tapestry is what makes the U.S. beautiful, and this community is the bright vibrant thread in that tapestry."