National Arab American Heritage Month (NAAHM) takes place annually throughout the month of April. During the month, Arab American heritage, culture and achievements are celebrated and recognized.
In 2017, Arab America and the Arab American Foundation together launched National Arab American Heritage Month. With only a handful of states recognizing the initiative at the start, NAAHM has grown in recognition through the hard work of volunteer support from the Arab American community in their local state, countries, municipalities and schools. In 2021, President Joe Biden recognized April as NAAHM along with proclamations from Congress, the U.S. Department of State and 37 state governors commemorating the initiative.
Arab Americans can trace their ancestry to the countries from which they or their ancestors migrated to the United States. These countries include Algeria, Bahrain, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. The largest group, comprising nearly one-third of the Arab American population, are Lebanese Americans. The Census Bureau reported in 2010 that there were 1.8 million Arab Americans in the United States, with the largest percentage residing in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit.
NAAHM raises awareness and provides alternative narratives to the inaccurate media portrayals and images of Arabs in the U.S. During April, seek to understand and educate on the real history, religion, culture and contributions of Arab Americans and listen to their stories on the many injustices/issues they have faced. Let’s change the narrative of Arab Americans in the U.S. and begin to combat ignorance with education.
Take Action:
- Consider a donation to the Arab American Foundation, a non-profit educational organization
- Learn more about the Arab American community and Arab American Heritage Month:
- Use the hashtag #ArabAmericanHeritageMonth in your social posts along with social media images for Facebook and Twitter
- Watch a video on “Why We Need Arab American Heritage Month”
- Attach the National Arab American Heritage Month design element to your email signature
For additional education and personal development related to diversity, equity and inclusion, the following resources are available: DEI Education and Resources, DEI & Antiracism Resources from the UNC Libraries, the Education Equity Toolkit from the Colorado Department of Higher Education, and the UNITE workshops for faculty, staff, and students.
