Arab American Heritage Month

What is Arab American Heritage Month?
Arab American Heritage Month is an annual observance in April to celebrate Arab American heritage and culture. It honors the contributions of Arab Americans and Arabic-speaking Americans to the wider American community. The Arab American Institute reported that about 15,000 Middle Eastern immigrants from Egypt, Jordan, Palestine and Iraq migrated to the U.S. yearly in the 1960s. The celebration of the holiday has been observed sporadically in various states and at different times of the year since the 1990s until 2017, when Arab America began a national initiative to coordinate all states under National Arab American Heritage Month. In April 2022, President Joe Biden became the first sitting president of the United States to recognize National Arab American Heritage Month. As of recently, over 3.5 million Arab Americans call the United States home.

To learn more about the history of National Arab American Heritage Month, click here.

How can we celebrate National Arab American Heritage Month this month?
There are several ways to celebrate with and pay respects to our Arab American friends and neighbors this month. Below are a few options to engage with the culture in an interactive way:

• 4/16 – Arab Folk Dance Workshop with Karim Nagi. – Join artist Karim Nagi at the Alif Institute on April 16 at 3:30 p.m. for an introduction to multiple styles of Arab folk dance. These regional dances will include Dabke (showing examples from Palestine, Syria, Lebanon and Jordan), Saidi Raqs Assaya from Southern Egypt, Moroccan Shaabi, Khaliji Gulf and Sufi from the Egyptian Moulid. For each dance, Karim will present each tradition’s rhythm, steps, cultural context, and overall demeanor. Any gender, age and ability level are welcome.
• 4/29 – Sahtain wa Hana Community Program – Sahtain wa Hana, meaning “God gives your health,” is a new community program facilitated by the Alif institute that invites individuals out each Saturday to celebrate Arab cultures and build community by cooking, serving, and enjoying homemade and heartwarming Arabic cuisine with the Alif Knit & Stitch ladies. Register for this event here.

Photo credit: Fielding Graduate University