Arab American Heritage Month

As of Apr. 1, 2023, Governor Gretchen has signed a decree recognizing April as Arab American Heritage and Chaldean American Month!

The Arab American Institute boasts that "today, it is estimated that nearly 3.7 million Americans trace their roots to an Arab country. Arab Americans are found in every state, but more than two-thirds of them live in just ten states: California, Michigan, New York, Florida, Texas, New Jersey, Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia. Metropolitan Los Angeles, Detroit and New York are home to one-third of the population. The majority of Arab Americans are native-born and nearly 82% of Arabs in the U.S. are citizens. While the community traces its roots to every Arab country, the majority of Arab Americans have ancestral ties to Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, Egypt and Iraq."

According to Arabnews.com, "Celebrating Arab American heritage was an idea that slowly evolved among Arab Americans as the community grew and as a natural response to the increasing anti-Arab discrimination in the [United States]."

As of "2017, an organization called Arab America began the initiative to recognize the month nationally. In 2021, April was federally recognized for the first time as National Arab American Heritage Month."

Currently, 45 of the 50 states in the U.S. have begun to recognize Arab American Heritage Month - acknowledging and celebrating the community during the month of April.

There's a vast array of ways to celebrate the heritage of others! Reading books by Arab American authors, watching movies and documentaries about the community and exploring the myriad of different types of art, music & poetry are just a few. You can also visit and support businesses that are Arab American-owned and operated.