Digital Learning Commons: Arab American Heritage: Home

April is Arab American Heritage Month

During the month of April, the Arab America Foundation formally recognizes the achievements of Arab Americans through the celebration of National Arab American Heritage Month (NAAHM). Across the country, cultural institutions, school districts, municipalities, state legislatures, public servants, and non-profit organizations issue proclamations and engage in special events that celebrate our community’s rich heritage and numerous contributions to society.

Arab America and the Arab America Foundation launched the National Arab American Heritage Month initiative in 2017, with just a handful of states recognizing the initiative. Each year, our grass-roots network of over 250 Arab American volunteers in 26 states gathers hundreds of proclamations from their states, counties, municipalities, and local school districts.

The President of the United States recognized the month of April as National Arab American Heritage Month with a special commemorative letter to our organization. In 2022, Congress, the U.S. Department of State, and 45 state governors issued proclamations commemorating the initiative. Additionally, the following states have passed permanent legislation designating the month of April as NAAHM: Illinois; Oregon; Virginia; and Indiana (Senate).

Arab American Heritage Month

National Arab American Heritage Month (NAAHM) celebrates the history, culture, and contributions of the diverse Arab American community. The month celebrates immigrants and those who trace their history back to twenty-two countries: Algeria, Bahrain, the Comoro Islands, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Morocco, Mauritania, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates, Lebanon, and Yemen.

Iran, Afghanistan, Turkey and Armenia, while geographically within the Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) region, are non-Arabic speaking countries.

Arab American Institute Foundation (AAIF)
Launched in 1995 by the Arab American Institute as the civic engagement arm of the Arab American community. For over twenty years, AAIF has engaged with the 3.7 million Arab Americans living in all 50 states to encourage their full participation in local, state, and national governance.
Arab American Foundation (AAF)
A non-profit educational and cultural organization established in 2019. The mission of AAF is to promote the Arab heritage, educate Americans about the Arab identity, and to empower and connect Arab Americans with each other and with diverse organizations across the U.S.

For Educators

How Teachers Can Support Arab-American Students
Whether you teach in a school with only a few Arab students or a substantial Arab student population, there are things you can do to make things better for these students.
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Gonzalez, Jennifer. “How Teachers Can Support Arab-American Students.” Cult of Pedagogy, 15 Feb. 2022, www.cultofpedagogy.com/arab-american-students/.
The Story of Arab & Muslim Students Is Often an Untold Story
The story of Arab and Muslim students is often an untold story. Like all other students, teachers leave imprints in their lives that can either be motivational or detrimental to their development as people and future citizens.
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Ferlazzo, Larry. “‘The Story of Arab & Muslim Students Is Often an Untold Story’.” Education Week, 5 Oct. 2020, www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/opinion-the-story-of-arab-muslim-students-is-often-an-untold-story/2020/10.
Presently Invisible: The Arab Plight in American Classrooms
To create more inclusive classrooms and counter negative narratives about Arab Americans, educators can include Arab American history and culture in their current curriculum. Here are some ways to do that.
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Najib Ibrahim, Amanda. “Presently Invisible: The Arab Plight in American Classrooms.” Learning for Justice, 26 Feb. 2021, www.learningforjustice.org/magazine/presently-invisible-the-arab-plight-in-american-classrooms.