History of National Arab Heritage Month in the United States
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What is National Arab Heritage Month?
National Arab Heritage Month celebrates the Arab American heritage
National Arab Heritage Month
and culture and pays tribute to the contributions of Arab Americans.
History of National Arab Heritage
Month in the United States
Beginning in the 1990s, Arab American heritage was celebrated
sporadically in various states, primarily in school districts. It was
not until 2017 when Arab America began a national initiative to
coordinate all states under National Arab American Heritage Month.
In 2017, Arab America asked U.S. Congresswoman, Debbie Dingell
(D-MI), to issue a congressional resolution proclaiming National Arab
American Heritage Month. It was then introduced to the House on
April 30, 2019, and referred to the House Committee on Oversight
and Reform.
An identical bill was introduced in the House on May 1, 2020, to
support the designation of an Arab American Heritage Month, but it
has not yet been passed.
Some individual states, such as the Commonwealth of Virginia,
observe April as Arab American Heritage Month. However as for
now, National Arab American Heritage Month is not observed by the
U.S. Federal Government.
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Central Arab Cultural Elements
Three dominate themes can be found across the Arab world and the descendents that
followed those who emigrated to the United States.
FAITH plays an important role in the lives of Arabs, regardless of their specific faith
tradition.
FAMILY is an extremely vital element to the lives of Arabs, not only as a source of
support, but also of identity.
COMMUNITY An extension of faith and family is community. It is a connection
to culture for enjoyable and organizational purposes.
Fun and Interesting Cultural Facts
* Given the diversity in the region, it is virtually impossible to create a common Arab
persona.
* Most Arabs are united by a common language, with different dialects, and a shared
identity in Arab history and customs.
* The Arab world is comprised of 22 countries, spanning from North Africa to West Asia,
that are members of the Arab League. Those countries are:
Algeria Egypt Lebanon Oman Somalia United Arab
Bahrain Iraq Libya Palestine Sudan Emirates
Comoros Jordan Mauritania Qatar Syria Yemen
Djibouti Kuwait Morocco Saudi Arabia Tunisia
* The three largest religious groups in the Arab world are Abrahamic: Judaism, Christianity,
and Islam.
* Modes of transportation used include rail/metro, bus, car, camel, ferry, and walking.
Wearing a Hijab
Pictured: Manal al-sharif, a women’s rights activist.
In Islam, the idea of wearing a hijab, or head covering, is rooted
in modesty. Whether or not a woman wears a hijab, and the
manner in which it is worn, is based more in local cultural
customs. Some women will coordinate the hijab worn to match
their outfit. The wearing of the hijab has undergone ebbs and
flows in Arab and Muslim society. In the period after
September 11,2001, many more American Muslim women
adopted the hijab. out of a sense of solidarity to combat the
negative reactions aimed at Muslims.
Other women choose not to wear the hijab at all. This can have less to do with a sense
of liberation than a personal choice. Some women wear it in certain contexts only, such
as religious events or family gatherings.
Greetings in Arab Culture
Marhaba = Hello
Ahlan wa Sahlan =Welcome
Assalaam Alaykum = Peace be upon you (typically used in religious expression)
Greetings in Arab culture can take on a variety of forms, depending on the context and
familiarity between people. Often, a handshake in formal settings will be expected,
although this can be withheld by persons who follow the religious tradition of not touching
members of the opposite sex who are not related. In these settings, a slight nod, a right
hand placed above the heart, or bow will be substituted. For those who are close friends, a
kiss on each cheek may occur. This can occur between men and between women. This is
even the case between heads of state.
Pictured:
Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz al-Saud
and President George W. Bush exchanging
greetings. Mandel Nan/AFP/Getty Images
Notable Arab American Women
Throughout their time in the United States, Arab Americans have contributed in significant
ways to American society. Whether it be through their everyday work, extended family,
broader community networks, and integration into civic life, their presence (along with
that of other immigrant groups), has help to form the nation. This tradition continues
today in ways large and small. The following section identifies prominent Arab Americans
across a variety of areas.
Teacher and Astronaut Christa McAuliffe
Christa McAuliffe, while born in the USA, was of Lebonese
Maronite descent on her mother’s side. She was a Girl Scout.
McAuliffe was selected from more than 11,000 applicants to
participate in the NASA Teacher in Space Project and was
scheduled to become the first teacher in space.
On January 28, 1986, the Challenger Shuttle broke apart
73 seconds after launch. After her death, schools and
scholarships were named in her honor.
TV Personality Hoba Kotb
Hoba Kotb is an Egyptian American broadcast journalist,
television personality, and author. She is a main co-anchor
of the NBC News morning show Today and co-host of its
entertainment-focused fourth hour. Kotb formerly served as
a correspondent for the television news magazine program
Dateline NBC.
Politician and Academic Donna Shalala
Donna Shalala, of Maronite Catholic Lebanese descent, was
among one of the first volunteers for the Peace Corps.
Among her roles in American politics, she served as the 18th
United States Secretary of Health and Human Services under
President Bill Clinton from 1993 to 2001. She was awarded the
Presidential Medal of Freedom by President George W. Bush in
2008. Shalala served as President of the University of Miami,
2001 through 2015.
Activities
How to Make a Handprint Camel
Fun Facts about Camels
A camel drinks 30-50 gallons of water at one time and it only takes about 10 minutes to
drink that much. Exactly how much a camel drink varies with the size of the camel, it
drinks about 80% of its body weight.
A camel’s hump is not full of water, it is actually made of fat. The hump allows the camel
to survive up to two weeks with no food.
Camels can only have up to 2 humps. African camels have 1 hump and Asian camels have
2 humps.Can You Place All 22 Arab Countries? Algeria Bahrain Comoros Djibouti Egypt Iraq Jordan Kuwait Lebanon Libra Mauritania Morocco Oman Palestine Qatar Saudi Arabia Somalia Sudan Syria Tunisia United Arab Emirates Yemen
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