Celebrating the history, culture and contributions of Arab Americans

Earlier this month, for the first time ever, the Department of State proudly recognized April as National Arab American Heritage Month. However, with more than 3.5 million Arab Americans living across the United States, only some states have previously recognized this month as Arab American Heritage.

In 2019, U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib sponsored a bill to officially solidify the month of April as Arab American Heritage Month –this bill is still pending.

While this is one step toward the right direction, let’s explore a little more about Arab American culture.

Who is considered Arab American?

Arab Americans have lived in the U.S. since the late 1800s and can trace their roots to the Arab world or predominantly Arabic-speaking countries. These countries include:

Algeria, Bahrain, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.

Culture

Because Arab Americans can trace their lineage to many different countries, we can find differences in culture and appearance. However, the Arab World is united by the Arabic language and heritage.

Americans commonly assume Arab is interchangeable with Muslim, people who follow or practice Islam.  Although some Arab countries have Islam as their official state religion, Arab Americans practice many religions including Christianity, Judaism, and others.  

Notable Figures

Arab Americans have shaped our country’s culture through entertainment, government, business and more. Below, are four people we have spotlighted this month on our social media channels.

Danny Thomas, founder of St. Jude Hospital

Thomas was born in 1912 in Deerfield, MI. He was the son of devout catholic Lebanese immigrants and his legacy lives on through St. Jude's. Thomas founded St. Jude's after the "patron saint of hopeless causes" granted him a prayer. He promised to build St. Jude a shrine if the patron saint helped Thomas find his way in life. In 1957 Thomas further involved himself with the Arab community when he founded the American Lebanese Syrian Associated Charities (ALSAC) which provides 80% of the funding St. Jude's receives today. Danny Thomas passed away Feb. 6, 1991.

Steve Jobs, Co-founder of Apple Inc.

Better known for his role with Apple and his iconic keynote presentations, Jobs was the face of tech nationally. Jobs was born in San Francisco in 1955 to Arab Muslim parents and was later adopted by Paul and Clara Jobs. In 1976, he and Steve Wozniak came together and co-founded Apple. Steve Jobs soon became the face of Silicon Valley until some health complications kept him out of the spotlight. Jobs passed away in 2011.

Michael DeBakey, Nationally renowned surgeon

DeBakey was born in Lake Charles, Louisiana. He was a cardiovascular surgeon who studied at Tulane University. He was born to Lebanese immigrants who encouraged him to pursue a medical degree. DeBakey soon stood out as a surgeon and eventually amassed more than 100 honors to his name, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the National Medal of Science, and the Congressional Gold Medal. In Houston, several institutions bear his name including the Houston Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center in Houston's Medical Center. Michael DeBakey died in 2008.

Other notable figures:

• Paula Abdul, Entertainer
• Shakira, Entertainer
• Salma Hayek, Actress
• French Montana, Rapper
• Rep. Rashida Tlaib, First Muslim Congresswoman
• Linda Sarsour, Political Activist
• Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, Pediatrician and Professor
• Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, Teacher and Astronaut
• Gigi and Bella Hadid, Models

About the Author

The Department of Organizational Strategy, Initiatives, and Culture (OSIC) was established in 2017 to oversee YES Prep functions which speaks to organizational development and cultural foundation of YES.