As part of our Arab American Heritage Month celebration, we talked with Dave Serio, curator of education at the Arab American National Museum in Dearborn. We addressed wide-ranging topics, from what it means to be Arab to the impetus behind the museum’s opening 20 years ago to an idea for music to add to your playlist. We kicked things off by asking Mr. Serio about the history of his family, and how they came to America.

Q: To start off, would you mind telling us a little about the personal history of you and your family? 

My family is originally from a small town in Lebanon, and they immigrated to the US in the early 1900s.  They eventually made their way to Detroit, where my family got involved in gardening and opening small businesses.  While our family has expanded and spread out all over the country, my immediate family is still in the metro Detroit area, which is where I was born and raised.  I was very fortunate to grow up with a family who was very proud of our roots (Lebanon) and who encouraged and embraced our culture. 

Q: What motivated you to do the type of work you do? 

When I was growing up, I went to mostly non-Arab schools and grew up in a very non-Arab city.  Most kids and people in general had no idea what or where Lebanon was, let alone anything related to being Arab/Arab American.  There was unfortunately a lot of ignorance, and the little people knew was riddled with harmful stereotypes.  This only expanded after September 11.  After facing some difficult situations and hearing a lot of angry, stereotypical and harmful things about my culture and where my family came from, I went to my family and asked for more details about our culture.  I wanted to know more about where we came from, and to understand why people would say these harmful, ignorant things.  So, my grandfather helped educate me on what it really meant to be Arab American, and he inspired me to outwardly embrace who I am, as a proud Arab American. All of these interactions inspired my desire to educate people and dispel these harmful stereotypes.   

Q: When we talk about the Arab world, what does that encompass? 

There are three unifying factors that bring our 22 Arab countries together.  The first is a shared language, Arabic, which is the official language of all 22 countries (sometimes alongside other official languages).  The second unifying factor is that all 22 countries have a shared history and culture.  And the third unifying factor among the Arab world countries is that they are all part of the Arab League, which was formed in 1945.  Now, even though we have our unifying factors it is important to note that there is a large amount of diversity across the Arab world.  There are many different Arabic dialects spoken across the world, some of which can sound very different from one another.  There are also different cultural components and historical pieces from country to country – at the end of the day, there are 22 different countries and even though there are a lot of similarities, we see considerable differences.  A common misconception is that religion is one of our unifying factors, specifically that all Arabs are Muslim/practice Islam.  While many Arab and Arab Americans may practice Islam, there is a lot of religious diversity among the Arab world and Arab American community.  There is a large portion of Arabs who are Christian (multiple sects), Arabs who are Jewish and Arabs connected to numerous other religions.  And within Islam itself, Arabs only make up approximately 20% of the Muslim population.  So, Arabs are actually a minority when we look at Muslims across the world.  

Q: What was the inspiration for creating this museum when it was founded 20 years ago? 

The Arab American National Museum (AANM) is the only museum of its kind in the United States, dedicated to sharing the story of Arab Americans. It serves as a touchstone that connects communities to Arab American culture and experiences.  For many years, American society has unfortunately had stereotypes about the Arab American community, with most people getting information on Arab Americans through the news and Hollywood cinema.  AANM was created to help share the stories of Arab Americans, dispel stereotypes, educate the general public and instill pride in Arab Americans to be proud of their culture, their stories.   

Q: Is there a feature of the museum that is especially popular? 

One of our most popular exhibits is our immigration exhibit, Coming to America.  The exhibit focuses on four distinct periods of Arab immigration to the US, going back to the 1880s through today.  One of our most impactful stories highlights the story of Zammouri, who is the first recorded Arabic speaker brought to North America as an enslaved person.  Throughout the exhibit, one will learn about many personal stories and hear portions of collected oral histories of how, when and why people came to the US. Many of the stories and exhibits throughout AANM connect to various communities.  You do not have to be Arab American to appreciate and connect with our story. 

Q: Is there any aspect of the museum that people find most surprising? 

One of the big surprises for many guests is the religious diversity that exists in our community.  Many people, sometimes even in our own community, are surprised to learn that Arab Americans can and are connected to many different religious communities.  Our religion case in our main level highlights this reality beautifully.  And our map highlights a few different religious communities throughout the Arab world.  People are also very surprised to find some of the things we use today were developed in the Arab world, like algebra, astrolabes, research on medicines and surgical tools, and coffee! 

Q: There seems to be a lot of emphasis put on storytelling. Why is that? 

Stories, especially personal stories are one of the best ways to learn about another community.  These personal stories make the exhibits and guests' experiences come alive.  The Arab American community is extremely diverse, so in order to tell our vast, beautiful story, using the personal narratives of our community helps to tell that story in a more complete, inclusive and diverse way.  Telling stories is also a great way to learn about history.  Most people will not remember data and specific years thrown at them in large quantities.  However, storytelling is a warm way to deliver information to audiences that is digestible, engaging and inviting.   

Q: One thing the museum does well is highlight all the advances Arab culture contributed to world in regard to art, architecture, science, math, medicine, astronomy, physics, navigation, geography, literature, and philosophy. For you personally, any accomplishment you see as being particularly meaningful or important? 

So much of what we utilize today comes from the Arab world.  Have you ever used Algebra?   Or maybe you have used a camera before?  Do you enjoy the comfort of coffee or using soap to clean with?  All of these and much more came from the Arab world!  We don’t know it but many of the things we use and many of the words for these things we use (the word for coffee comes from the Arabic word, ‘qahwah’ for example) originate in the Arab world.  Most people know and are marveled by the pyramids in Egypt (as we should), but did you also know that there are more pyramids in Sudan than in Egypt, which are equally amazing?  Did you know that some of the first ancient skyscrapers came from Yemen?  It’s impossible to choose just one accomplishment because the Arab world has given us so much! 

Q: There have been many exhibits over the years. Have any been particularly controversial? 

Over 20 years, we have hosted some fantastic exhibits, all that bring their own powerful messages and interesting pieces.  One of my favorites and perhaps one of our more controversial (by some folks' standards) exhibits we hosted was an exhibit titled, “THEM: Objects of Separation, Hate and Violence.”  This exhibit, as it pretty clearly says in the title, was an exhibit that was exhibited from the Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia at Ferris State University in Big Rapids, MI. The exhibit hosted different items – consumer products, objects, photos and newspapers/articles - that targeted and stereotyped not just the Arab American community, but many communities throughout the decades.  We wanted to be careful with this exhibit, so we specifically put permission slips together for parents and teachers to sign off on allowing us to include this exhibit in the tour.  I recall a few classrooms requesting we not take students through the exhibit and some parents objecting to their children going to this exhibit when they visited.  Most visitors did engage with the exhibit.  We had some heavy and often times very difficult conversations with guests. But overall, conversations on race, discrimination and stereotyping are so important to have, especially with the diverse audiences we often see.  Looking at these images face-to-face forces us to have these uncomfortable but necessary conversations. 

Q: Is there any movie you’d recommend people watch? 

One of my favorite Arab American movies is a movie called, “Breaking Fast” which is by the wonderful Mike Mosallam.  The film focuses on a queer, Arab, Muslim American who stumbles into love.  Not only is it a beautifully made film, but it’s a lovely look at a part of our community that we don’t get to see too often on the big screen.  Plus, we get to see our characters in a cute, romcom movie, which we rarely see.  We are starting to see more and more films by, about and for Arab Americans being created, which is a big step in the right direction.   

Q: Any music on your playlist people should listen to? Why? 

One of my favorite groups is the Palestinian group 47 Soul.  I had never really gotten into modern Arabic music (of course, I love the classic greats, like Um Kulthum, Fairuz, etc.) but when I learned of 47 Soul, I couldn’t turn it off!  They created the Shamstep genre, and their music is inspired/influenced by R&B, electronic, hip-hop and also incorporates dabke and other traditional music found in the Levant [historically, the region along the eastern Mediterranean shores, roughly corresponding to modern-day Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and certain adjacent areas]. It’s really awesome music and I love how they incorporate Palestine (subtly or not subtly) into a lot of their music.   

Q: What has you feeling optimistic or hopeful? 

It can seem like it’s pretty hard to be optimistic and hopeful right now, given the times we’re in – with things happening locally, nationally and internationally.  Where I find hope is that most folks really are interested in understanding what’s happening in the world around them.  At AANM, we find many people coming to our doors to understand what’s going on in Palestine, or to teach their non-Arab friends about our wonderful contributions to the world, our culture and our immigration story.  We see people asking us as staff if we are okay, if there is anything they can do to be supportive allies.  So, I’m optimistic about our ability as humans to become educated and spread that education far and wide.  This gives me hope.  It gives me hope that education will help dispel stereotypes, reveal truths, build bridges between other communities and bring us together. 

This post was originally posted on March 14, 2017 and updated on March 21, 2025.

The government has long claimed that Fourth Amendment protections prohibiting warrantless searches don’t apply at the border. The American Civil Liberties Union takes issue with this position generally, especially when it comes to electronic devices like smartphones and laptops. Our smartphones store detailed accounts of our conversations, professional lives, whereabouts, and web-browsing habits. They paint a far more detailed picture of our private lives than, say, a piece of luggage.

The Supreme Court recognized this reality when it ruled in 2014 that the Constitution requires the police to obtain a warrant to search the smartphone of someone under arrest. As the ACLU has argued in various court filings, there’s no reason the Constitution’s safeguards against unwarranted searches shouldn’t also apply when we travel internationally given the ubiquity of these devices, and their ever-growing capacity to track the minutiae of our private lives.

Unfortunately, the government doesn’t agree, and the law on the matter is far from settled. Because of the high-stakes implications of these kinds of searches, and amidst evidence suggesting they’re on the rise, it’s important to understand the landscape so that you can make decisions that are right for you ahead of your travels.

The government claims the authority to search all electronic devices at the border, no matter your legal status in the country or whether they have any reason to suspect that you’ve committed a crime. You can state that you don’t consent to such a search, but unfortunately this likely won’t prevent Customs and Border Protection (CBP) from taking your phone.

If you’ve given CBP agents the password to your device (or if you don’t have one), they might conduct what’s often called a “basic search” on the spot. They might also download the full contents of your device and save a copy of your data. Since 2018, they are not required to return your device before you leave the airport or other port of entry, and they might choose to send it off for a more thorough “advanced” or “forensic” search. Barring “extenuating circumstances,” they claim the authority to hold onto your device for five days — though “extenuating circumstances” is an undefined term in this context, and this period can be extended by seven-day increments. We’ve received reports of phones being held for weeks or even months.

As a result of this policy, even the most universally recognized private information — like communications with your lawyers — are insufficiently protected at the border. If you possess information that is protected by attorney-client privilege, you should tell the CBP agent you’re interacting with. Although CBP policy imposes some limitations, it still permits government employees to search the phone.

Journalists carrying sensitive information about their work or sources are also insufficiently protected. The CBP directive states that “work related information carried by journalists shall be handled in accordance with any applicable federal law and CBP policy” — but it’s unclear what this means. Journalists who feel their rights have been violated at the border should let us know, and those who have upcoming travel should consult with their organizations’ general counsel offices or press associations.

If you leave the airport or other border checkpoint without your device, make sure you get a receipt, which should include information about your device and contact information allowing you to follow up. If, after the forensic search is conducted, there is no probable cause to believe the device contains evidence of a crime, the government says it will destroy any information it copied within 21 days. Yet there’s a caveat here, too. CBP might retain the notes it took during the search of your device or any questioning while you were at the border.

Your legal status in the country may inform what you decide to do if you’re asked for a password to unlock your device.

If you’re a citizen, you can’t be denied entry into the country if you refuse to comply with a request to unlock your device or to provide a password. But you might be detained for longer or have your device seized and not returned to you for weeks or months. The same should be true for those who have previously been admitted to the United States as lawful permanent residents and have maintained their status — their green cards can’t be revoked without a hearing before an immigration judge. If you are not a citizen and are concerned about having your devices searched, you should consult with an immigration lawyer about your particular circumstances before traveling.

Visa holders and tourists from visa waiver countries, however, run the risk of being denied entry if they refuse to provide a password, and they should consider that risk before deciding how to proceed.

Whether you’re a citizen or not, though, we always recommend that you enter the password yourself rather than divulging it to a CBP agent. They still might demand that you share it, but it’s a precaution worth trying to take. If you do hand over your password, it’s likely to end up in a government database, so change it as soon as you have the chance and make sure you no longer use that password for any other account.

Here are a few precautions you can take in preparation for your trip to ensure things go as smoothly as possible:

• Travel with as little data and as few devices as possible. The less you’re carrying, the less there is to search. Consider using a travel-only smartphone or laptop that doesn’t contain private or sensitive information. You could also ship your devices to yourself in advance. (Be aware that CBP claims the authority to search international packages so it is best to encrypt any devices that you ship.) Keep in mind that a forensic search of your device will unearth deleted items, metadata, and other files.
• Encrypt devices with strong and unique passwords and shut them down when crossing the border. A good resource on how to do so can be found here.
• Store sensitive data in end-to-end encrypted cloud-storage account and remove any sensitive data from your device. Disable any apps that connect to cloud-based accounts where you store sensitive communications or files, and don’t keep a copy of cloud-stored data in your physical possession. In July 2017, CBP publicly stated it is against policy for border agents to search cloud-stored data on electronic devices. This means that any search of an electronic device at the border should not extend to data that is only accessible via the internet — such as email or social media messages and posts that are stored on remote servers. Keep in mind that if there are copies of cloud-stored data cached on the device (for example, recent emails), border agents will be able to see that information.
• Upload sensitive photos on your camera to your password-protected laptop or a cloud-storage account. Digital cameras don’t offer encrypted storage, so you should consider backing up your photos and deleting them from your camera and reformatting the camera's memory card.
• Keep devices off. If you must turn them on, ensure that they are in airplane mode, with both wifi and bluetooth disabled, before crossing a border checkpoint. CBP stated in July 2017 that its policy does not permit searches of cloud-stored data that is accessible from electronic devices through the internet. Keeping your devices in airplane mode will help ensure compliance with this policy.
• Let officers know if you have privileged material on your device. The 2018 CBP Directive on border device searches requires certain procedures to be followed before border officers can search attorney-client or attorney work product materials. If you have any privileged or sensitive material on your device, tell the border officers before they begin any search.

Until the Supreme Court weighs in on the constitutional limits of the government’s powers at the border, questions about the government’s authority to conduct these kinds of searches aren’t likely to be settled. Lower courts have issued conflicting rulings on whether individualized suspicion should be a condition for such a search. The Ninth Circuit, which covers several western states, for example, requires at least reasonable suspicion that the device contains digital contraband for a “forensic” search of a seized device, but has not imposed an individualized suspicion requirement for “cursory” on-the-spot searches. The Fourth Circuit, which covers several mid-Atlantic states, requires reasonable suspicion that the phone contains evidence of a border-related offense for a forensic search. The Eleventh Circuit, which covers three southeastern states, imposes no limits at all.

It is crucial that more courts weigh in, given that device searches at the border seem to be on the rise. CBP reports that in 2023, more than 41,000 electronic devices were searched, a huge jump from the 8,503 devices that were searched in 2015. With border officials increasingly exercising authorities that haven’t been sufficiently considered by the courts, the urgency for clear protections mounts. In the meantime, travelers should take the precautions they feel are right for them.

This resource offers a basic snapshot of possible scenarios relating specifically to electronic device searches. For a fuller picture of the many other civil liberties issues that often arise at the border, click here.