The Arab American Congress of Silicon Valley (AAC) was founded in 1989 by a group of mainly immigrant Arabs from various Arab countries. Their aim was to foster, preserve and promote the social, cultural (music, poetry, dance, food, Arabic language) and civic engagement of Arab-Americans in Santa Clara County.
The Arab American Cultural Center of Silicon Valley,(AACC-SV) became a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in 1996, operating under the umbrella of AAC.
In June 2004, it established its independence as a separate organization.
The Center provided vital social and legal service referrals to the large number of Iraqi refugees and immigrants arriving in California since the early 1990s.
In August 2016, responding to the crisis of Syrian refugees arriving in Northern California, Hana Itani, an original co-founder of both AAC and AACC-SV, convened a group of Arab-American community members to discuss assistance strategies. This group included professionals experienced in refugee integration and assimilation, as well as individuals with experience in charitable organizations and relief activities for Syrian and Iraqi refugees in Northern California and Canada.
In December 2016, the 17-member group established AMAAN, a non-profit 501(c)(3) Humanitarian Organization, as an official committee of the AACC-SV under the title AMAAN Charitable Foundation, Inc.
AMAAN: The name carries deep meaning in Arabic, encompassing the concepts of safety, shelter, peace, protection, and security.