How to Celebrate Arab American Heritage Month at Work
In 2021, the U.S. State Department declared April as Arab American Heritage Month (AAHM) for the first time in the country’s history.
While making the announcement, spokesman Ned Price stated, “The United States is home to more than 3.5 million Arab Americans representing a diverse array of cultures and traditions. […] Arab Americans have contributed [to] every field and profession.”
This historic announcement came after decades of advocacy by groups such as the Arab American Institute (AAI) and the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) to designate April to celebrate the culture, history, identity, and contributions of those of Arab origin.
Across the border, the Canadian Arab Institute lead the campaign to establish an Arab Heritage Month (AHM) in Canada as well. After Bill C-232 was passed, the recognition of April as Arab Heritage Month was established in Canada.
Who are Arab Americans? Who are Arab Canadians?
Arab Americans and Canadians are generally identified as those who trace their ancestry to one or more of the 22 member nations of the Arab league:
Lebanon
Syria
Palestine
Jordan
Iraq
Saudi Arabia
Kuwait
Bahrain
Oman
Yemen
Egypt
Sudan
Somalia
United Arab Emirates
Qatar
Djibouti
Comoros
Libya
Tunisia
Algeria
Morocco
Mauritania
While a handful of Arab immigrants are recorded to have arrived in North America throughout history, the first major wave of Arab immigrants to both the U.S. and Canada arrived towards the end of the 19th century, primarily from the Levant region (Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, and Jordan).
From the 1950s onwards, however, more recent waves of Arab immigration have been comprised of immigrants from all corners of the Arab world.
The number of Arab Americans is estimated to be just over 3.5 million and it is important to note that is there is not yet a separate “Middle Eastern and North African (MENA)” category in the U.S. Census.
Instead, Arabs and other Middle Easterners are classified as “White” and that leads to a severe underreporting of the number of Arabs in the U.S.
This is despite the fact that Arab-Americans have advocated for a separate “MENA” category for decades, and when given the option to select “MENA,” the percentage of Arab respondents who self-identify as “White” drops significantly, from 85.5% to just 20%.
In order to fill in the gap in official statistical data, organizations such as the AAI have collected their own polls and studies in order to gather as much data about the Arab American community as possible.
This virtual map is an excellent resource as it indicates the discrepancy between the AAI’s research and the Census Bureau’s estimation of the number of Arab Americans per state.
Fortunately, a more reflective Canadian Census has offered more reliable data on the Arab community in Canada. According to Statistics Canada data, there are close to 1 million Arabs in Canada, the large majority of whom reside in Quebec, Ontario, and Alberta.
Almost 25% of the Arab population have been admitted into Canada as refugees and almost 30% are under the age of 15. Of all countries of origin, people of Lebanese, Egyptian, and Moroccan origin have the highest numbers among the Arab population in Canada.
Notable Statistics on Arab Americans & Canadians
The majority of Arab Americans have ancestral ties to Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, Egypt, and Iraq. (Arab American Institute)
The majority of Arab Americans were born in the United States, and nearly 82% of the population are citizens. (Arab American Institute)
In Canada, more than 60% of the Arab population has some type of postsecondary certificate, diploma or degree. (Canadian Arab Institute)
Arab men have the second highest unemployment rate after Black men while Arab women have the highest unemployment rate of any racialized group - more than twice the unemployment rate of non-racialized women. (Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives)
Middle Easterners in Ottawa (the overwhelming majority of which are Arab) are three times more likely to be stopped by police while driving than White drivers. Middle Eastern men in particular who are between the ages of 16 to 24 were 12 times more likely to be stopped. (CBC News)
Important Facts to Remember about the Arab Community
While Arabs living in North America share many of the same experiences, it is important to recognize that Arabs are not a homogenous group, nor are the many countries from which they originate.
During Arab Heritage Month, consider taking some to learn about the racial, religious, cultural, and linguistic diversity of the Arab world and those who originate from it.
During the Dark Ages of Europe, the Arab and Islamic worlds were at the height of their Golden Age. From the 7th to the 13th century AD, Arab intellectuals, artists, and scholars made historic advancements in mathematics, medicine, astronomy, physics, chemistry, philosophy, poetry, art, literature, and much more.
These advancements changed the course of human history and played an active role in igniting the Age of Discovery in Europe. During Arab-American/Arab Heritage Month, consider inviting a guest speaker to deliver a presentation on an Arab scholar whose work contributed to the development of your field.
A popular assumption about Anti-Arab racism is that it only emerged in the post-9/11 context. This is a dangerous assumption as it erases, ignores, and overlooks the deeply rooted history of anti-Arab racism and Orientalism in North America.
One need not conduct extensive research to find evidence of this history; in his ground-breaking book, Reel Bad Arabs: How Hollywood Vilifies a People, Jack Shaheen analyzes 900 Hollywood movies released between 1896 and 2001 (before 9/11) that featured Arab characters or images of Arabs.
Out of the 900 films, only 63 films did not present a stereotyped negative image of Arabs. This means that even before 9/11, 93% of American films promoted anti-Arab images and rhetoric. In order to uproot anti-Arab racism from our institutions and communities, we must understand the long-standing history and severity of this racism.
Influential Arab Figures in American History
Mona Hanna-Attisha: Iraqi-American pediatrician, professor, and public health advocate whose research exposed the dangerous lead levels in Flint, Michigan’s water.
Ahmed Zewail: Egyptian-American chemist who was awarded the 1999 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for being the founder of femtochemistry.
Edward Said: World-renowned Palestinian-American scholar, activist, and founder of Postcolonial Studies. Most known for his monumental book, Orientalism, which documented and analyzed the history of racist and dehumanizing depictions of “The East” in European scholarship, art, and literature.
Jack Shaheen: Lebanese-American educator and author of Reel Bad Arabs, The TV Arab, and Arab and Muslim Stereotyping in American Popular Culture. Dedicated his life to documenting, exposing and fighting against anti-Arab and anti-Muslim stereotypes.
Lila Abu-Lughod: Palestinian-American anthropologist and professor. Most known for her critical work, “Do Muslim Women Need Saving?”. Daughter of legendary scholar, Ibrahim Abu-Lughod.
Farouk El-Baz: Egyptian-American space scientist and geologist. Worked with NASA as a leading geologist responsible for studying the geology of the moon and participated in the planning and landing of the Apollo missions.
Huda Zoghbi: Lebanese-American geneticist and professor at the Department of Neuroscience and Neurology and the Department of Molecular and Human Genetics. Made critical discoveries that have changed the way various neurological disorders are studied, understood, and treated.
Rashida Tlaib: Palestinian-American politician and lawyer who serves as the representative for Michigan.
Rami Malek: Egyptian-American actor who was the first of Egyptian descent to win an Academy Award for Best Actor.
Ramy Youssef: Egyptian-American comedian, actor, and creator of Ramy, the first ever American show about an Arab, Muslim family.
Sanaa Hamri: Morrocan-American film, television, and music video director known for her films, Just Wright and The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants 2.
How To Recognize Arab American Heritage Month at Work
Celebrate the Month with Educational Training
CultureAlly is able to fuse together various elements of the rich history of Arab culture and could offer your organization different workshops:
If you work in the medical field, consider hosting an info session on Al-Zahrawi, the father of modern surgery.
If you work in engineering, construction, or robotics, consider a session on Ismail al-Jazari, a pioneer of robotics, hydraulics, and modern-day engineering.
If you work in education, consider a session on Fatima Al-Fihri, founder of Al-Qarawiyyin, a joint mosque and university in Morocco and the oldest operating higher education institution in the world.
Re-evaluate Your Recruiting and Hiring Practices
Together, Arab men and women have the highest unemployment rates of any racialized group, despite their high levels of education.
During Arab American Heritage Month, consider taking some time to re-evaluate your recruiting and hiring practices in order to ensure that you and your team are making a direct effort to reach out to and include Arab applicants and to eliminate any possibility of anti-Arab bias in the recruitment process.
Open Up Your Space for Arab Advocates and Community Leaders
An important way to ensure that your workplace is welcoming and safe for people of Arab origin is to educate yourself and your team on the anti-Arab microaggressions and discriminatory remarks that many Arabs have to deal with on a regular basis.
Consider inviting community leaders and advocates to host a workshop on why certain comments might be seen as offensive, how to spot an anti-Arab microaggression, and what to do when someone you know is on the receiving end of an offensive remark.
Examine Pay Equity
According to the Canadian Center for Policy Alternatives, Arab men make 74 cents for every dollar earned by White men, while Arab women make 50 cents (the lowest of any racialized group) for every dollar earned by White men, and 75 cents (the lowest of any racialized group) for every dollar made by White women.
Take some time during AAHM to examine your hiring policies, schedule regular audits, and educate hiring managers.