Arab American Heritage Month

Overview

April is Arab American Heritage Month! This celebration honors Arab Americans’ achievements throughout the past and present, in addition to serving as a time to challenge Anti-Arab stereotypes and prejudices.

First celebrated in 2017 as an initiative that only involved a few states and cities, Arab American Heritage Month first gained national recognition in April 2021, when then-President Biden became the first U.S. president to issue a proclamation making the celebration official.

The Arab American community, which today numbers roughly 3.7 million people, has deep historical roots. The first known Arab immigrants arrived in 1527, before the United States was even its own country, and there have been several waves of immigration into the United States since then.

In the 1800s, the first wave brought mainly Arab Christians who fled to the United States to escape religious persecution and economic insecurity in the Ottoman Empire. This period came to an end as the 20th century began, however, as strict immigration policies harshly limited the number of people allowed into the United States from many Asian and Arab countries within a region called the “Asiatic Barred Zone.”

Later waves brought more immigrants from the Middle East and North Africa who were searching for humanitarian protection from political instability in their native countries, economic and educational opportunities, and family reunification in the U.S. throughout the mid-20th century, especially after 1965, when changes in immigration law allowed hundreds of thousands of new immigrants to come into the United States.

Even after the rise of Anti-Arab sentiment that occurred in the United States following the September 11 attacks in 2001, as well as immigration policy changes in 2017 that made it more challenging for Arab immigrants to enter the United States, the Arab American population in the United States still continues to grow through the present day.

Today, Arab Americans have roots in 22 countries located in the Middle East and North Africa. In addition to the many nationalities represented, Arab Americans are also diverse in faith—despite a common misconception, not all Arabs are Muslim—as well as race, sexual orientation, gender identity, and ability. Within their diverse community, Arab Americans are connected by their primary language, Arabic, as well as by their shared history and culture.

New York City has a rich Arab American history in its own right: when the first major wave of Arab immigrants began coming to the United States in the late 1800s, many of them arrived and settled in New York. In fact, from the 1870s until the 1940s, the center of Arab life in the United States could be found in “Little Syria,” a neighborhood in Lower Manhattan concentrated on Washington Street and Rector Street. By the year 1900, nearly 2,000 Syrians lived and worked there. Some of the best-known Arab writers of their time also resided in Little Syria, including Kahlil Gibran. Together, they formed the Pen Bond (also known as the Pen League), sparking a movement in Arab literature.

Unfortunately, the neighborhood of Little Syria had all but disappeared by the mid-20th century. Many residents were forced to leave the area in the 1940s because of plans to build the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel. The few that remained were not able to stay for long: the construction of the World Trade Center in the 1960s pushed the rest of the community out of their homes. Nevertheless, Arab Americans still have a strong presence in New York state, with over 300,000 New Yorkers reporting Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) descent in the 2020 census, which was the first census to specifically record such data.

Throughout April, and all year long, we hope you will join us in appreciating the rich and diverse history of this large and growing community. We encourage you to learn and teach more about Arab American history by checking out the resources below, which include exhibitions, lesson plans, recommended reading, and more, for use both in and out of the classroom.

Events and Exhibitions

• The Arab American National Museum is located in Dearborn, Michigan, but you can access their virtual tours from home! There are resources related to their core galleries along with supplemental materials for educators. Galleries include Contributions from Contributions from the Arab World, Coming to America, Living in America, and Making an Impact. 
• 1001 Inventions partnered with Google Classroom to provide digital access to interactive stories about lesser-known pioneer men and women, primarily from the Arab world, to help spark young people’s interest in science while promoting diversity and inclusion in their online exhibitions.
• Visit St. George's Syrian Catholic Church, one of the few remaining buildings that made up “Little Syria.” It was originally built in 1812, and by 1850 was used as a boarding house for Syrian immigrants arriving in New York City at the time. For more about what remains of Little Syria, check out “What’s Left of New York’s Little Syria: A Short but Rich Tour.”
• Join the New York Public Library for events at various branches across the city throughout April being held in celebration of Arab American Heritage Month. From poetry readings, book discussions, and film screenings to language classes, crafts, and more, there’s something for everyone in the family to enjoy!
• For more, Arab America shares upcoming events throughout the year that are happening near you.
• Check out the 2025 New York Arab Festival in April and May to celebrate the song, dance, fashion, performance, ideas, and cuisine that have made Arab heritage part of American heritage!

Many of these books are readily available through the citywide Digital Library on Sora, which provides free access to hundreds of digital e-books and audiobooks for our students. You can also check out either of the Arab American Heritage Collections on Sora (Collection #1; Collection #2) for even more great recommendations.

Video and Audio Resources

• PBS has a large collection of documentaries that they recommend for Arab American Heritage Month.
• From 1001 inventions, learn more about the influence that the Arabic language has had on other languages around the world.
• Learn more about the lost neighborhood of Little Syria, where immigrants once lived in Lower Manhattan; check out video episodes from Now This and Al Jazeera, as well as the Bowery Boys Podcast episodes which tell this important local story.
• Arts and music play a huge role in Arab culture; learn more about How Arabs Have Influenced American Music with a video from Now This, or watch a lecture from the Kennedy Center Education Digital Learning titled Understanding Arabic Music with Simon Shaheen & Qantara.

Educator Resources

• The Arab American National Museum in Dearborn, Michigan has a wide range of educator resources, including a collection of lesson plans for all grade levels, and access to their digital collections.
  • The museum has also put together a helpful resource about the history of the Arab American community, including information about immigration, culture, and more.
• To learn more about Arab scientists, inventors, and innovators throughout history, check out the 1001 Inventions Education Pack.
• The Teach Mideast Arab American Heritage Month Resource Guide has materials that teach students about the past and present of the Arab American community, including sections on early immigration, music, culture, literature, and media, present-day advocacy, and more. For even more, check out the “Resources Guides” section of their website.
• The American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee has a lesson plan all about the life and work of Kahlil Gibran, a famous poet and writer who lived in the New York City neighborhood of Little Syria. 
• In addition to Arab American Heritage Month, April is also National Poetry Month! Learn more about classic and contemporary Arab American poets like Gibran, and read some of their work, with resources from the Academy of American Poets.
• For teachers looking for more information about how to support their Arab students, particularly during the month of Ramadan, which often overlaps with Arab American Heritage Month, check out the NYCPS Instructional Guide about Eid al-Fitr, available to teachers on WeTeach NYC. 
  • Additional resources that may be helpful include an interview with an Arab American educator on the subject, as well as another resource guide for teachers from PBS called “Promoting Understanding: Islam” that provides further information.
• Check out the National Endowment for the Humanities Virtual Bookshelf for Arab American Heritage Month.
• Learning for Justice has collected resources for Arab American Heritage Month which celebrate Arab identity, counter negative stereotypes, teach about Arab history and cultures, and ensure an inclusive environment that supports Arab American students this month and throughout the year.

Hidden Voices

Hidden Voices began as a collaboration with the Museum of the City of New York that was initiated to help New York City students learn about the countless individuals who are often “hidden” from traditional historical records. Each of the people highlighted in the series has made a positive impact on their communities while serving as outstanding examples of leadership, advocacy, and community service. There are several curriculum options that are especially relevant during Arab American Heritage Month, including:

• Hidden Voices: Untold Stories of New York City History, which includes a profile of Kahlil Gibran, a notable Arab American writer who lived in the Little Syria neighborhood of New York City while writing many of his most famous works.
• Hidden Voices: Stories of the Global African Diaspora Vol. 1, which features the stories of Bilal ibn Rabah—best known as Islam’s first muezzin, the person who performs the call to prayer for Muslims—and Ahmad Baba, an Islamic scholar and teacher.
• Hidden Voices: Americans with Disabilities in United States History, which features a profile of Palestinian American comedian and activist Maysoon Zayid, whose identity as an Arab woman with cerebral palsy deeply influences her work. 

In addition to these lessons, we regularly feature profiles on history-making individuals who could be considered “hidden voices.” During Arab American Heritage Month, check out our profiles on:

• Dr. Joanne Chory, a Lebanese American plant geneticist whose early work revolutionized botany and who dedicated her life to the global fight against climate change.

You can find more of our profiles throughout the year on our Hidden Voices webpage.