2025 Theme
Arab American Heritage: Honoring the Past, Inspiring the Future
Arab Americans are an ethnic community whose heritage connects back to 22 Arabic-speaking countries across the Middle East, North Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa. National Arab American Heritage Month (NAAHM), celebrated in April annually, formally recognizes and uplifts the Arab American community's rich cultural heritage and the numerous ways in which Arab Americans have contributed to society.
Join Bowman Library in our celebration of Arab American Heritage Month! Explore items in our collections as well as resources online to learn more about the history, culture, and achievements of the Arab American community.
The History of National Arab American Heritage Month
Although "National Arab-American Day" was recognized federally with a proclamation on October 25, 1989, the official recognition of the month of April as National Arab American Heritage Month on a federal level was not realized until President Joe Biden issued a proclamation in 2023. The momentum to officially designate April as NAAHM was built significantly on the community level.
In 2017, the national media organization Arab America and the Arab America Foundation launched a grassroots NAAHM initiative that helped secure proclamations, resolutions, or statements from local governments in support of honoring April as Arab American Heritage Month. In 2019, these community efforts were bolstered on the congressional level when U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Michigan.) and Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Michigan) introduced a resolution to proclaim April as National Arab American Heritage Month.
By 2023, volunteers of the NAAHM initiative were able to gather proclamations at the city and state levels across 48 states.
President Joe Biden issued a proclamation that officially recognized the month of April as a National Arab American Heritage Month in 2023, followed by a White House Proclamation recognizing National Arab American Heritage Month in 2024.
Check out Arab America Foundation's Who Started the Movement for National Arab American Heritage Month? History and Legacy for a more detailed account of the NAAHM Initiative's progress from its origins in 2017 to the start of their 2023 campaigns.
In Our Collection
Museums and Archives
American Arab National Museum (AANM)
The American Arab National Museum in Dearborn, Michigan is dedicated to recording the Arab American experience by documenting, preserving and presenting the history, culture and contributions of Arab Americans. Explore a virtual preview of AANM's Core Galleries, including:
- Contributions from the Arab World
- Coming to America
- Living in America
- Making an Impact
The Smithsonian Spotlight: Arab American Heritage Month
National Museum of American History: Faris and Yamna Naff Arab American Collection
Voices from the past: Arab American oral histories by Wendy Shay
PBS
PBS: Celebrate Arab American Heritage Month
Documentaries and programs that celebrate the diversity and history of Arab American communities