Lila Clapp, Freshman
There are an estimated 3.7 million Americans who have Arab roots from all different kinds of Middle-Eastern countries. Most often, these people have connections to countries such as Lebanon, Syria, Egypt, Palestine, Morocco, Iraq, Jordan, Yemen, Bahrain, Algeria, Sudan, Saudi Arabia and much more. This month of April has been dedicated to celebrating the abundant and diverse culture that has given rise to this part of the American population.
The education organization Arab American Foundation established April as the month of celebration in 2017. The holiday was celebrated among the people within the organization and their sister, the organization called Arab America. However, the holiday wasn’t wide spread until 2019, when U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Michigan) and Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Michigan) introduced this holiday to Congress with hopes to have April nominated as the official Arab American Heritage Month.
“It is my hope as a strong and proud Arab American in Congress that our nation can uplift our contributions in the United States by supporting Arab American Heritage Month,” Representative Tlaib, a first-generation American, said about her claim to have this monthly holiday set in place. The bill remains awaiting settlement.
In April 2021, President Joe Biden recognized the holiday, claiming, “The Arab American community is essential to the fabric of our nation, and I am honored to be part of this celebration of Arab American culture, heritage, and contributions to American society.” Further, he claimed, “The Arab American community exemplifies so much of what our country stands for: hard work, resilience, compassion, and generosity. Diversity is one of our greatest strengths, and it is essential that we continue celebrating, promoting, and educating others about the myriad ways that the Arab people have advanced human civilization and contributed to the well-being of our nation.”
Cases of Arab immigration to the United States began to rise in the late 1800s. Arab Christians fled the nation formerly known as the Ottoman Empire, which is now Syria, Lebanon, Palestine and Israel, in order to escape religious persecution. In 1924, the Johnson-Reed used origin quotas to limit immigration into the United States just as the Arab-Israeli War was commencing and there was an increase in Middle Eastern refugees. The quotas were lifted after the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, which favored those from northern and western Europe. Arabs managed to sneak past restrictions and live in Detroit during the times of the auto-industry boom. Today, Arab Americans live in all U.S. states, with two-thirds residing in 10 states: California, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas and Virginia. One-third live in the greater Los Angeles area, Detroit and New York. This month is a time to commemorate all those whose ancestors faced persecution and managed to carry on, contributing to the miscellaneous collection of nationalities in the United States of America.
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