SUNY Empire Library News & Alerts

National Arab American Heritage Month Info & Resources

Greetings from your Arab American SUNY Empire librarian. Did you know that April is National Arab American Heritage Month? A proclamation was made by the White House on March 31, 2023. The initiative for this month started with acknowledgement from a few states in 2017, then in 2019 Congresswoman, Rep. Donna Shalala of Florida, introduced a resolution to the House of Representatives to formally recognize April as Arab American heritage month. The House has yet to take any action on the resolution. The month has been recognized by the State Department and the President of the United States starting in 2021. Some states have created their own legislation to formally acknowledge the day while many others have made proclamations. Prior to this initiative, there was a law passed through the House of Representatives for a National Arab-American day on October 25, as proclaimed by President George H. W. Bush in 1992. 

Arab countries are in Southwest Asia and Northern Africa, all connected by their use of Arabic language. There are 22 Arab countries with a variety of ethnicity and religion as well as linguistics. Arabic for one region or country is not always the same for another. Countries that are Arab include Algeria, Bahrain, the Comoros Islands, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Mauritania, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. Turkey and Iran are not Arab because they speak Farsi and Turkish.

The largest number of Arab Americans originate from the Levant which includes Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, and Jordan. Religion is more varied than you may realize with Arab Americans being Catholic, Eastern Orthodox Christians, Protestant, Muslim, or other/non-affiliated. Arabs migrated to other countries too with Brazil having the largest population of Arab immigrants in the world.

Here are some resources to learn more about National Arab American Heritage Day and about Arab Americans:

• 9 Facts About Arab American Heritage Month from Mental Floss
• April in Arab American Heritage Month from the Arab American Institute
• Arab American History and Culture from the Smithsonian Institute
• The Arab American National Museum
• Arab Americans and the Fabric of Our Nation from the U.S. Department of State
• Arab Immigration to the United States from History.com
• Celebrate Arab American Heritage Month from PBS
• Celebrating Arab American Heritage Month from Learning for Justice
• Coming to America from the Arab American National Museum
• Community Commons: Middle Eastern & Arab Americans
• Ebook Central: Arab American Writers Collection (SUNY Empire login required)
• Inside Thirteen from PBS: Arab American Heritage Month
• The Story of Arab Americans’ Beginning in America – And the Quest for Fair Representation from the U.S. Department of State
• SUNY Empire Arab American Heritage Month Guide