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Celebrated regionally since 2017, President Biden declared April National Arab American Heritage Month in 2021, formally recognizing the history, culture, contributions, and achievements of the estimated 3.7 million Arab Americans living in the United States today.  

The first waves of Arab immigrants who settled in the United States in the 1880s had to identify as "white" to be able to gain American citizenship. There were both internal and external debates about how the Arab American community should be defined to include the multiple ethnicities that come from the Middle East and North Africa. Today, Arab Americans live in all 50 states and trace their roots to 22 countries, with the majority having ancestors from Lebanon, Syria, Egypt, and Palestine.

Throughout April and all year long, we hope you will join us in recognizing the rich heritage and invaluable contributions Arab Americans have made to our nation's history and to every aspect of American society – medicine, law, business, government and diplomacy, science, technology, the arts, education, and culture!

Click here to reach History.com’s Arab American Heritage Month webpage.
Click here for more information from the Smithsonian. 
Click here to visit the Arab American National Museum's website. 
Click here for the National Endowment for the Humanities' Arab American Heritage Month Virtual Bookshelf.