Arab American Heritage Month
During the early '90s, Arab American heritage month was celebrated sporadically in various states, primarily in school districts. It wasn't until 2017 when Arab American communities began a national initiative to coordinate all states under National Arab American Heritage Month (NAAHM). In 2017, those same communities petitioned for U.S. Congresswoman, Debbie Dingell (D-MI) and Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), to issue a congressional resolution proclaiming National Arab American Heritage Month. It was then introduced to the house on April 30th, 2019, and then referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Reform.
Although Congress informally recognizes April as National Arab American Heritage Month, there is a national effort to recognize the diversity within the region and Arab communities. The DEI Team celebrates Arab American Heritage Month, which includes both Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) communities in this observance.
-WPI's Diversity Equity and Inclusion Team
To learn more about the history of Arab American Heritage Month see: https://arabamericafoundation.org/national-arab-american-heritage-month/
See WPI's Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Multicultural Education (ODIME) events and information about National Arab American Heritage Month at: WPI Celebrates Arab American Heritage Month 2023 | Worcester Polytechnic Institute