Whereas today the Arab American Institute estimates that roughly 3,700,000 Arab Americans are living in the United States from a variety of faith backgrounds, including both Christians and Muslims originating from any of the 22 Arabic-speaking countries;

Whereas persons of Arab descent have throughout their history in the United States generously shared their culture, music, and food with their fellow Americans and contributed disproportionately to their numbers to the economy and society of the United States, having brought with them to the United States their resilient family values, strong work ethic, dedication to education, and diversity that have added strength to United States democracy;

Whereas Arab American entrepreneurs from the first door-to-door peddlers, to owners of restaurants, bakeries, and stores, to large manufacturers of men’s and women’s clothes (Farah and Haggar, for example) have been hard-working, self-sufficient contributors to the United States economy;

Whereas the first recorded Arab in America was the Moroccan Mostafa (Estanaico) Zemmouri in 1527, and Arab Americans, including the early Syrians and Lebanese, began arriving in significant numbers to the shores of the United States in the 1870s, including Antonio Bishallany, who arrived in Boston in 1854, and another early wave arrival, Dr. Joseph Arbeeley, who became American citizens, and waves of other Arab Americans that followed;

Whereas Arab Americans have served the United States as first responders, in the public sector, and as public servants from both political parties, past and present, in the United States Government, the Congress, the Senate, as exemplified by James Abourezk, the first Arab American Senator who was raised by Lebanese immigrant parents in South Dakota, and as ambassadors, cabinet members, as well as all other Arab Americans in uniform today;

Whereas Arab Americans have and continue to play a critical role in America’s social justice and human rights movements, such as the civil rights, labor organizing, health and racial equity, and environmental justice movements;

Whereas recently Arab Americans’ activism continues to play a key role in present day struggles for social justice and human rights such as the movement for Black lives, the ceasefire movement to end the genocide of Palestinians, and many more;

Whereas Arab Americans have excelled in science, engineering, medicine, education, scholarship, and architecture, including—

Whereas, in 1959, Mohamed Atalla, an Egyptian-American engineer who was an important pioneer and contributor to the early field of modern electronics, invented the metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor, which is the most-frequently manufactured device in history and hailed by the United States Patent and Trademark Office as one of the most important inventions in electronics;

Whereas Arab Americans have excelled in sports, like quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Doug Flutie, and in entertainment, including actors, singers, comedians, and musicians such as actor, singer, and founder of St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, Danny Thomas, Emmy-winner Tony Shalhoub, comedian, and commentator Dean Obeidallah, gifted musician Dr. Ali Jihad Racy, award-winning violinist Simon Shaheen, and so many others;

Whereas, according to Census Bureau data, Arabic is one of the fastest-growing languages in the United States, and Arab American journalists, newspaper editors, and writers have informed their communities and others in Arabic and English, adding to the body of American literature and reporting, including—

Whereas Arab American women have provided excellent role models such as Emmy-winning actor Marlo Thomas, actor Kathy Najimy, Secretary of Health and Human Services Donna Shalala, artist and poet Etel Adnan, National Public Radio host Diane Reim, and the doctor who raised awareness that children were being poisoned by lead in Flint, Michigan, Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, plus all the women previously mentioned and thousands of other accomplished women not herein listed;

Whereas National Arab American Heritage Month (NAAHM) is necessary to address the misconceptions, misinformation, anti-Arab racism, and discrimination against Arab Americans by celebrating their accomplishments and providing factual information about Arab American culture and persons and the need for public education, awareness, and policies that are culturally competent when describing, discussing, and addressing the impacts of being Arab American in all aspects of American society;

Whereas, in 2017, Arab America established NAAHM, in 2021, the White House first recognized the celebration of NAAHM in an April 19 letter to the Arab America Foundation, and in 2023, the White House issued an official proclamation declaring April as Arab American Heritage Month, a breakthrough for the Arab American community;

Whereas, in recent years, at least 48 States and territories have taken steps to recognize April as Arab American Heritage Month, including the governments of—

Whereas numerous cities, towns, and counties across America have taken steps to recognize April as Arab American Heritage Month, including—

Whereas 4 States have passed permanent legislation designating the month of April as AAHM, including Illinois, Oregon, Virginia, and California, and several States are considering or have made progress toward passing permanent legislation, including Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, and Rhode Island; and

Whereas the incredible contributions and heritage of Arab Americans have helped to build a better Nation: Now, therefore, be it