[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 286 Introduced in House (IH)]
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118th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. RES. 286
Expressing support for the recognition of April as National Arab
American Heritage Month (NAAHM) and celebrating the heritage and
culture of Arab Americans in the United States.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 10, 2023
Ms. Tlaib (for herself and Mrs. Dingell) submitted the following
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and
Accountability
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Expressing support for the recognition of April as National Arab
American Heritage Month (NAAHM) and celebrating the heritage and
culture of Arab Americans in the United States.
Whereas every April, the United States shall celebrate Arab American Heritage
Month given the rationale herein provided;
Whereas today the Arab American Institute estimates that there are roughly
3,700,000 Arab Americans 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, have throughout their history
in the United States generously shared their culture, music, and food
with their fellow citizens 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 our 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 the United States was the Moroccan Mostafa
(Estanaico) Zemmouri in 1527, and that Arab Americans, including the
early Syrians and Lebanese, began arriving in significant numbers to
these shores in the 1870s, including Antonio Bishallany, who arrived in
Boston in 1854, and another early wave arrival, Dr. Joseph Arbeeley who
became United States citizens and including waves of other Arab
Americans that followed;
Whereas Arab Americans have served in protection of the United States in every
major confrontation and in all branches of the military, and from World
War I and World War II to the present day as exemplified by ace jet
pilot, Colonel James Jabara who was highly decorated and served in World
War II and the Korean War, and all other Arab American persons in
uniform today, as well as first responders throughout the United States,
and as public servants from both political parties, past and present,
that have served in the United States Government, the Congress, the
Senate, and as ambassadors and cabinet members;
Whereas Arab Americans have excelled in science, engineering, medicine,
education, scholarship, and architecture including an organic chemist,
Elias James Corey (Nobel Prize 1990), chemist investigating transition
reactions, Ahmed Zewail (Nobel Prize 1999), chemical physicist, Mostafa
El-Sayed, a leading nanoscience researcher, a member of the National
Academy of Sciences and a National Medal of Science laureate who sat on
the President's National Medal of Science Committee in 2014, Dr. Farouk
El-Baz a pioneer in space photography, Dr. Michael DeBakey,
cardiovascular surgeon and inventor of ventricular assist devices and
aorta repair procedures;
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 (MOSFET), 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 that Arab American journalists,
newspaper editors, and writers have informed their communities and
others in Arabic and English, adding to the body of United States
literature and reporting beginning with Nabeeb and Ibrahim Arbeely,
editors of the first Arab American newspaper, Kawkab Amirka, the
distinguished writer of the first Arab American novel, The Book of
Khalid, Ameen Rihani, the renowned poet, writier and artist, author of
The Prophet, among his other numerous writings, and founder of the Pen
Bond writers, the beloved writer Kahlil Gibran, the late New York Times
reporter Anthony Shadid, White House Press Corps Correspondent Helen
Thomas (recognized by the World Almanac as one of the 25 Most
Influential Women in America), poet and writer Naomi Shihab Nye,
novelist Diana Abu-Jaber, and hundreds more;
Whereas Arab American women have provided excellent role models such as Emmy-
winning actor, Marlo Thomas, actress Kathy Najimy, Secretary of Health
and Human Services, Donna Shalala, artist and poet, Etel Adnan, NPR 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 Arab American Heritage Month is necessary to address the misconceptions,
misinformation, Arabophobia, anti-Arabism, 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 the United States society;
Whereas, in 2017, Arab America established National Arab American Heritage Month
(NAAHM), and President Biden recognized the celebration of National Arab
American Heritage Month in an April 19, 2021, letter to the Arab America
Foundation, making him the first sitting United States President to do
so; and the Department of State recognized April as National Arab
American Heritage Month in 2021;
Whereas at least 46 States and territories have taken steps to recognize April
as National Arab American Heritage Month, including the Governments of
Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware,
the District of Columbia, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana,
Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts,
Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire,
New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio,
Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South
Dakota, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and
Wyoming;
Whereas numerous cities, towns, and counties across the United States have taken
steps to recognize April as National Arab American Heritage Month,
including but not limited to: Los Angeles, CA; Orange County, CA; San
Francisco, CA; San Diego, CA; Gainesville, FL; Orlando, FL; Atlanta, GA;
Chicago, IL; Cook County, IL; Baltimore, MD; Dallas, TX, Detroit, MI;
Wayne County, MI; Dearborn, MI; Dearborn Heights, MI; Flint, MI;
Yonkers, NY, Westchester County, NY; Raleigh, NC; Cuyahoga County, OH;
Cleveland, OH; Toledo, OH; Portland, OR; Philadelphia, PA; Dallas, TX;
Alexandria, VA; Richmond, VA; Milwaukee, WI; and Madison, WI;
Whereas 4 States have passed permanent legislation designating the month of
April as NAAHM including Illinois, Oregon, Virginia, the Indiana Senate,
and several States are considering permanent legislation including,
Ohio, New Jersey, Michigan, and Rhode Island;
Whereas, on March 31, 2023, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr., proclaimed April
2023 as Arab American Heritage Month, becoming the first President to do
so, the proclamation read in part, ``Ours is a Nation shaped by the
immigrant's heart, and generations of brave and hopeful people from
across all countries, including from the Arab world, have woven their
unique heritages, customs, and talents into the tapestry of America.'',
the President continued, ``The United States is the only Nation in the
world founded on an idea--the idea that we are all created equal and
deserve to be treated equally throughout our lives. As a Nation, we have
never fully lived up to that promise, but we have never walked away from
it either. This Arab American Heritage Month, let us all strive to honor
our fundamental values and advance equity and opportunity for all
people, affirming once again that diversity is our country's greatest
strength.''; and
Whereas that the incredible contributions and heritage of Arab Americans have
helped build a better Nation: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) supports the designation of National Arab American
Heritage Month;
(2) esteems the integral role of Arab Americans in the
economy, culture, and identity of the United States; and
(3) urges the people of the United States to serve National
Arab American Heritage Month with appropriate programs and
activities that recognize and celebrate the unique
contributions of Arab Americans.
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