American President Joe Biden proclaimed on Friday that he is designating April as National Arab American Heritage Month (NAAHM), coinciding this year with the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, according to a White House press release.
“This month, we honor the rich heritage, history, and hopes of the more than 3.5 million Arab Americans across our country who have helped write the American story and move our Nation ever forward, embodying the truth that diversity has been and always will be our country’s greatest strength,” Biden said.
The President acknowledged that Arab culture, embodied in its customs, backgrounds, and beliefs, has become part of America, brought by “the many immigrants” who came to America build their lives: “from fighting for our independence in the Continental Army to serving the cause of freedom during World War II to helping build cities and communities across our Nation, often in the face of discrimination and hate.”
Recognizing that the proclamation comes during the ongoing war in the Gaza strip, the President said, “we must also pause to reflect on the pain being felt by so many in the Arab American community.” He assured that the Biden administration “is working with partners across the region to respond to the urgent humanitarian crisis, deliver desperately needed aid to Gaza, free the hostages …, and establish an immediate ceasefire…”
“We must preserve the space for peace — for a two-state solution with equal measures of security and dignity for both Palestinians and Israelis,” he said, reiterating the US’s longstanding policy in favor of the two-state solution.
The President acknowledged that Arab Americans “remain” the target of bias and discrimination — “including harassment, hate crimes, racist rhetoric, and violent attacks,” a great challenge to American democracy that reminds Americans of their responsibility to fight against the rising of all forms of hate.
He cited his administration’s hosting of the inaugural “United We Stand Summit” in 2022, which brought together interfaith leaders to combat hate-motivated violence and promote unity. His administration is also developing the US’s first-ever “National Strategy to Combat Islamophobia and Related Forms of Bias and Discrimination,” which will offer tangible solutions to “address the scourge of hate against Muslim, Sikh, South Asian, and Arab American communities,” the President said.
Acknowledging America’s imperfections, the US President concluded with a nod to the US Constitution. “America is the only Nation in the world founded on an idea: that we are all created equal and deserve to be treated equally throughout our lives. We have never fully lived up to that promise, but we have never walked away from it either,” he said.
“This month, we vow that we never will. Together, we recommit to this promise of America by honoring and advancing the dignity, equity, and security of Arab Americans across our Nation.”
Official national US recognition of Arab American Heritage Month is a milestone. The Arab America Foundation began urging recognition in 2017, however only a few state governments in the US had recognized it.
Now, cultural institutions, school districts, towns, state legislatures, public officials, and non-profit organizations across the US will be holding special events to honor the US’s rich history of Arab American immigrants and their significant contributions to society.