IV 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 297 

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 13, 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 


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•HRES 297 IH 

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-todoor 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 hardworking, 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; 


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•HRES 297 IH 

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, awardwinning 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 


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•HRES 297 IH 

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; 


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•HRES 297 IH 

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 19th, 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, 


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•HRES 297 IH 

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 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) supports the designation of National Arab 

3 American Heritage Month; 


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•HRES 297 IH 

1 (2) esteems the integral role of Arab Americans 

2 in the economy, culture, and identity of the United 

3 States; and 

4 (3) urges the people of the United States to 

5 serve National Arab American Heritage Month with 

6 appropriate programs and activities that recognize 

7 and celebrate the unique contributions of Arab 

8 Americans. 

Æ 


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