The Topical series (1962-1996; 1 linear foot) contains a wide variety of materials, including information on Arab culture and religion, related clippings, education and research connected to the Arab-American community, and materials connected to the city of Dearborn, Michigan. The bulk of this series consists of papers or reports about the Arab-American communities of metropolitan Detroit, many of which were written by former students or colleagues of Aswad.
The Organizations series (1967-2000; 1 linear foot) documents Aswad's involvement in various local and national Arab-American groups. These organizations include the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), the Arab Community Center for Economics and Social Services (ACCESS), the Arabic Outreach Program of Wayne County Community College, the Association of Arab American University Graduates (AAUG), the (Detroit) Islamic Center of America, the Middle East Studies Association (MESA) and the Southeast Dearborn Community Council (SEDCC). Topics covered include activism surrounding the "Southend Struggle," a City of Dearborn, Michigan effort to displace Arab-Americans, community outreach on health issues, and both the internal and external activities of ACCESS.