Celebrating Arab American Heritage Month
April 23, 2021
This post was written by Malala Raharisoa. During her time with Gii, Malala Raharisoa hopes to expand her perspective lens and contribute to efforts toward globalization. She is currently an MSBA candidate specializing in Economic Analysis; She hopes that with what she learns in the classroom along with a wide-ranging experience, she can make an impact that reaches the international community.
For the month of April, here at GII, we celebrate with you, Arab American Heritage Month (AAHM). AAHM is a month dedicated to Arab culture, traditions and important contributions in the United States. This month we will be posting informative blogs to commemorate AAHM.
Although not officially recognized as a national heritage month, AAHM has been celebrated in years past in several cities and states across the country, including Arkansas, Hawaii, Michigan, New York, North Carolina and Virginia. On April 1st, 2021, the U.S. Department of State for the first time recognized AAHM as a heritage month, marking a significant step to full national recognition of heritage for the Arab American community.
The first generation of Arab immigrants arrived in the U.S. in the late 19th century, made up of mostly ambitious young Christian men from the greater Syria region and the Ottoman Empire (modern-day Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Palestine and Jordan).
Much like all immigrants, Arab immigrants came to the U.S. for a better life. There were an estimated 25,000 Arab immigrants by the 1920s, mostly living in the major cities such as New York City, Detroit, Boston, and Los Angeles. The second wave of Arab immigrants occurred following World War I, but this time, about 70% of were Muslims from across the Middle East.
Later in the century, political crises and ethnic wars such as the Arab-Israeli War and the events of September 11, 2001 sparked a movement of ethnic and political consciousness of the Arab heritage within the Arab American community. Professional and family organizations like the Arab American Institute (AAI) and the American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) formed to advocate for Arab American rights and promote a genuine image of the Arab identity.
Notable Arab American Contributions
Arab Americans have contributed greatly to the social, political and cultural spheres of the U.S.. The Arab American community has a noteworthy history of prioritizing advocacy for cultural awareness, political rights and social justice; Not only for the Arab community in the U.S., but also for all Americans. Organizations like AAI and ADC that emerged in the late 20th century and into the 21st century dedicated their missions to these advocacy efforts.
The Arab American political contributions are also demonstrated by increased political participation. The first Arab American elected to Congress was George Kasem in 1959. Recently, the first Arab American woman, Rashida Tlaib, was elected to Congress in 2018.
Academically, Arab American intellectuals have made important contributions to the innovative sciences including chemistry, space and planetary science and medicine. Culturally, many Arab Americans have held roles in the entertainment and news media industries, as well as religious practice in the U.S.. Read more about the first Arab Americans in varied fields here.
How You Can Celebrate AAHM Too
Here are a few things you can do to celebrate this month:
Educate Yourself. Do a little bit of research on your own. The internet is truly your best friend. You can browse different Arab American organizations to learn about more history and culture.
Converse. Talk to your Arab American friends and neighbors and ask about their experiences. Gain some perspective in what it is like to be an Arab American in the U.S.. Ask about traditions and cultural celebrations!
Attend Events. Arab cultural awareness events are especially prominent this month. Due to the current situation the pandemic has brought us to, many of these events are held online. The advantage here is that these events are very accessible as long as you have the internet. So if you have free time, maybe find an event you are interested in.
