Arab Americans: A story of strength and survival

Photo taken by the author in Beirut. It’s beautiful, right?!

Did you know that April is National Arab American Heritage Month? No!?

OK, sit down and listen up. This is important.

After four decades of calls for an Arab American heritage month — to honor and celebrate the contributions Arab Americans have made to the US — then-president Biden declared April as National Arab American Heritage Month

The campaign was a result of ages of activism by Warren and Dr. Amal David, the co-founders of the Arab America Foundation, an educational and cultural organization dedicated to promoting the Arab heritage and empowering Arab Americans. It also works to educate Americans about Arab identity and culture, and it connects Arab Americans to each other. I’m a huge fan of their work!

Why April? Well, every group has a “month,” and to be honest, there are more minority groups to recognize than there are months in the year. We know that February is Black History Month, March is Women’s History Month, and so on. Critical stuff. But it goes without saying that we need to sustain our interest — and our activism — for all 12 months. Yes, we can. For all of us.

So, the first National Arab American Heritage Month celebration took place in Washington, DC, in April of 2017 with displays of Arab culture — a fashion show, dancing, singing. I wasn’t there but I’m 100% sure there was a ton of food.

Arab Americans are more than just hummus. Here are the basics: we are a Semitic people who trace our origins to 22 Arabic-speaking countries in the Southwest Asia and North Africa region. And in that region, we’re not all Arab. We have Turks, Iranians, Amazigh, Armenians, Chaldeans, Assyrians, more. We are racially diverse — and religiously diverse. No, we’re not all Muslim. We are also Christian, Jewish, Druze, Atheist, and more.

Too many people know too little about us. But the things they think they know come from stereotypes and misconceptions often used to villainize us. Enough of that BS. You’re smarter than that, aren’t you? Yes.You.Are.

As Arabs, our histories and our cultures span millennia and are, quite literally, the backbone on which Western civilization rests. I will not allow our existence to be reduced to cliches and stereotypes of terrorism, poverty, religious zealotry, and political instability.

So, this month is celebrated across the country with special events that honor our community’s rich heritage and massive — often unknown! — contributions to society. Can you name even one Arab American? There are around 3.7 million of us in the US today. Here are a few:

Did you know that Challenger astronaut Christa McAuliffe was of Lebanese origin? Or take, for instance, Helen Thomas, the trailblazing journalist and first female White House Press Corps member. She fearlessly questioned American presidents and held them to account. Her journalistic integrity is well known — and these days is sorely missed.

Arab American women are also leading the way in science and technology. Dr. Rana El Kaliouby, Egyptian-American computer scientist and founder of Affectiva, created an entirely new category of technology called Emotion AI to read, process, and simulate human emotions. Similarly, Moroccan-American biotechnologist Dr. Celine Halioua is developing life-extending drugs for dogs which she eventually hopes can be used on humans.

We can also celebrate Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, an Iraqi-American pediatrician whose research first exposed the water crisis in Flint, Michigan. She tells the story in her book What the Eyes Don’t See: A Story of Crisis, Resistance, and Hope in an American City, and she continues to advocate for public health by leading Rx Kids, an organization to combat poverty-related health disparities in Flint.

I could go on. The point is: we’re doing amazing stuff. So this month (every month!) we’re reclaiming the narrative, celebrating our history, language, culture — all of it. As an Arab American, I gotta say… I’m exhausted. It has not been easy, safe, or fun being Arab American these days.

Life wasn’t easy before, but the post-9/11 era kicked off an unprecedented climate of fear and suspicion that disproportionately targeted us and our communities. The now 19-month and seemingly-neverending genocide in Palestine and crises in other Arab countries further amplify these tensions. Especially right now — when those in power perpetrate a genocide — with our bodies reduced to shreds, our cities to rubble.

The emotional toll of witnessing the suffering of our homelands from afar is one thing. Add to this the fear of being targeted for our identities, our voices, our views. Western media coverage is biased — and too often dehumanizing. The rise in anti-Arab rhetoric online and anti-Arab sentiment offline has fueled this environment of insecurity. Too many people on American streets are terrified of hearing Arabic spoken out loud, of Arabic words on clothing, of the simplest forms of our existence that are now subjected to scrutiny. And worse.

All this has fueled an overwhelmingly hostile environment today where we’ve had to defend our identity — and prove our humanity again, again, again. If ever we felt at home in the US, today many of us do not. Who can blame us if we’re stressed and depressed? And mad as hell.

Just as the month of April was starting, I received an email from the Arab America Foundation:

“We deeply regret to announce the cancellation of the National Arab American Heritage Month Commemoration 2025, scheduled for April 9, 2025, at Amazon HQ Theater. This decision was made unilaterally by Amazon Headquarters in Arlington, Virginia. The specific reason for this last-minute cancellation remains unclear. However, we believe it reflects a broader, systematic effort to suppress Arab American voices and visibility…

We view Amazon’s actions as discriminatory. Despite their full awareness of the event’s purpose and scope, we received no indication of concern or conflict until we were informed of the cancellation on April 7 — just 48 hours before the event.”

Hmmm… what do we think happened here? Imagine what those poor execs at Amazon were thinking… a bunch of Arabs with keffiyehs and Palestinian flags all over the place. That’s right, old-man Amazon, that’s exactly what it was gonna be. And you showed us your true colors yet again. We are certainly not surprised.

In a swift pivot, the Arab America Foundation managed to host the event at the Saints Peter and Paul Antiochian Orthodox Church in Potomac, Maryland where hundreds gathered to celebrate. The event served as a reminder that our resilience — and our pride — will not be squashed. The community is “united and undeterred,” the website stated. This was a “powerful act of unity during one of the most challenging periods for the Arab American community in recent history” and a reminder that we will not stop celebrating our heritage, elevating our voices, and resisting efforts to erase us.

My entire history in the US — 40 years and counting — has been one with many cases of overt and covert racism and discrimination because I am Arab. And I consider myself one of the “lucky” ones — others have experienced far worse.

The irony of a month to “celebrate” Arab Americans does not escape me — especially in light of what’s happening right now, right in front of us.

Discrimination and attacks against Muslims and Arabs in the United States is at an all-time high since the start of the genocide. A report released by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) at the beginning of March of this year said that the 8,658 complaints regarding anti-Muslim and anti-Arab incidents in 2024 was the highest since the group began compiling data in 1996.

Corey Saylor, research and advocacy director at CAIR, said that last year stands out for its overwhelming deluge of anti-Muslim hate. We’re also in a climate of enormous stupidity where legitimate anti-war activity is conflated with terrorism.

Most recently, Arab residing in the US and Arab-Americans have found themselves increasingly under fire by Trump’s McCarthyism. From Mahmoud Khalil to Mohsen Mahdaw, any Arab activist who dares speak out against US or Israeli aggression in Palestine has been branded “terrorist” and detained or deported.

And it continues. Unless we put a stop to it.

“Our initiative is more vital now than ever, especially in the face of the challenges we’re living through,” said Warren David, President of Arab America and Co-founder of the Arab America Foundation. “We must rise with courage to defend our identity and assert our right to exist. If we don’t stand up — who will?”

So, what can you do?

Firstly, for all things Arab American, follow the Arab America Foundation across all their socials.

There’s a lot of cultural stuff to enjoy: books by Arab American authors, recipes that go beyond hummus, Arab artists and filmmakers, and more. At work you can implement corporate activities. And also, get involved with our politics, care about our causes, speak out against the genocide. Not sure what you’re waiting for…

If you want to give money — every dollar counts. Basic goods are being denied every single day — and people are struggling for survival. Check out these organizations doing great work — and support them.

Palestine:

• Palestine Red Cross works on the frontlines: https://www.palestinercs.org/en
• Palestine Children’s Relief Fund (PCRF) provides free medical care for children: https://www.pcrf.net/
• The Ghassan Abu Sittah Children’s Fund provides physical and psychological medical attention under the guidance of Dr. Ghassan Abu Sittah: https://gascf.org
• Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP) provides medical aid for Palestinians and Lebanese: https://www.map.org.uk/
• UNRWA works to support Palestinians: https://donate.unrwa.org/-landing-page/en_EN

Lebanon:

• International Network for Aid, Relief and Assistance (INARA) supports Lebanese and Palestinian children: https://inara.org/
• Lebanese Red Cross works on the frontlines: https://www.redcross.org.lb/
• Lebanese American University cares for its students, and anyone in need of healthcare and support: https://www.lau.edu.lb/emergency-lebanon/
• Circle of Wellbeing for women in Bekaa, Lebanon distributing health, food and water aid: https://www.circleofwellbeing.net/

If you are not in a position to donate, there are lots of other ways to help.

• Keep attending protests and rallies — to show you stand against Israeli aggression, illegal occupation, and genocide. To show that you stand with humanity.
• Share information and organizations on social media — to help the right groups reach a wider audience and generate greater donations. You can share news and updates from credible sources such as Al Jazeera, Wafa News Agency in Palestine, the Middle East Eye and Naharnet News Agency in Lebanon. For the most accurate and up to date figures on casualties, refer to the data released by the Ministry of Health in Palestine and Lebanon.
• Sign petitions and open letters — to add your name to the call for action.
• Support Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) — a movement to end international support for Israel.
• Email/phone your political representative — to ask to enact sanctions against Israel, call for arms embargo, cut trading links, adhere to BDS, cut diplomatic ties, recognize Palestinian statehood.
• Amplify indigenous voices — to share the voices of extraordinary Palestinians and Lebanese doing incredible work both on the ground and in the diaspora. Oh yeah and, I’m Arab American, and you can follow me here: www.LinaAbiRafeh.com.