WMU University Libraries celebrate Arab American Heritage Month

This guides includes scholarly and primary sources of  Arab American available through the WMU Libraries collections and official websites. It is designed for faculty, students, and scholars who are interested in researching or teaching Arab American culture.

Overview

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, over 250 Arab American volunteers in 26 states gathers hundreds of proclamations from their states, counties, municipalities, and local school districts.

In April 2021, President Biden declared April National Arab American Heritage Month to recognize the heritage of about 3.5 million Arab Americans. 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; Indiana (Senate), and California.