IV 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 351 
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 24, 2025 
Ms. TLAIB (for herself, Mr. CARSON, Ms. PRESSLEY, Mr. JACKSON of Illinois, 
Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Mr. LYNCH, Ms. SIMON, Mr. FROST, Mrs. MCIVER, 
Ms. BROWNLEY, Mr. THANEDAR, and Mrs. DINGELL) submitted the fol-
lowing resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and 
Government Reform 
RESOLUTION 
Expressing support for the recognition of April as ‘‘National 
Arab American Heritage Month’’ (NAAHM) and cele-
brating the heritage and culture of Arab Americans in 
the United States. 
Whereas today the Arab American Institute estimates that 
roughly 3,700,000 Arab Americans are living in the 
United States from a variety of faith backgrounds, in-
cluding both Christians and Muslims originating from 
any of the 22 Arabic-speaking countries; 
Whereas persons of Arab descent have throughout their his-
tory in the United States generously shared their culture, 
music, and food with their fellow Americans and contrib-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:20 Apr 25, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HR351.IH
HR351
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
•HRES 351 IH 
uted disproportionately to their numbers to the economy 
and society of the United States, having brought with 
them to the United States their resilient family values, 
strong work ethic, dedication to education, and diversity 
that have added strength to United States democracy; 
Whereas Arab American entrepreneurs from the first door-to- 
door peddlers, to owners of restaurants, bakeries, and 
stores, to large manufacturers of men’s and women’s 
clothes (Farah and Haggar, for example) have been hard- 
working, self-sufficient contributors to the United States 
economy; 
Whereas the first recorded Arab in America was the Moroc-
can Mostafa (Estanaico) Zemmouri in 1527, and Arab 
Americans, including the early Syrians and Lebanese, 
began arriving in significant numbers to the shores of the 
United 
States 
in 
the 
1870s, 
including 
Antonio 
Bishallany, who arrived in Boston in 1854, and another 
early wave arrival, Dr. Joseph Arbeeley, who became 
American citizens, and waves of other Arab Americans 
that followed; 
Whereas Arab Americans have served the United States as 
first responders, in the public sector, and as public serv-
ants from both political parties, past and present, in the 
United States Government, the Congress, the Senate, as 
exemplified by James Abourezk, the first Arab American 
Senator who was raised by Lebanese immigrant parents 
in South Dakota, and as ambassadors, cabinet members, 
as well as all other Arab Americans in uniform today; 
Whereas Arab Americans have and continue to play a critical 
role in America’s social justice and human rights move-
ments, such as the civil rights, labor organizing, health 
and racial equity, and environmental justice movements; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:20 Apr 25, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HR351.IH
HR351
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
•HRES 351 IH 
Whereas recently Arab Americans’ activism continues to play 
a key role in present day struggles for social justice and 
human rights such as the movement for Black lives, the 
ceasefire movement to end the genocide of Palestinians, 
and many more; 
Whereas Arab Americans have excelled in science, engineer-
ing, medicine, education, scholarship, and architecture, 
including— 
(1) organic chemist Elias James Corey (Nobel Prize 
1990); 
(2) Ahmed Zewail, a chemist investigating transition 
reactions (Nobel Prize 1999); 
(3) Mostafa El-Sayed, a chemical physicist and lead-
ing nanoscience researcher, a member of the National 
Academy of Sciences and a United States National Medal 
of Science laureate who sat on the President’s National 
Medal of Science Committee in 2014; 
(4) Dr. Farouk El-Baz, a pioneer in space photog-
raphy; 
(5) Dr. Michael DeBakey, a cardiovascular surgeon 
and inventor of ventricular assist devices and aorta repair 
procedures; 
(6) Amale Andraos, a renowned architect and former 
Dean of the Columbia Graduate School of Architecture, 
Planning, and Preservation; and 
(7) Dr. Edward Said, literary theorist and critic, 
former literature professor at Columbia University, and 
one of the founders of post-colonial studies; 
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, which is 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:20 Apr 25, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HR351.IH
HR351
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
•HRES 351 IH 
the most-frequently manufactured device in history and 
hailed by the United States Patent and Trademark Office 
as one of the most important inventions in electronics; 
Whereas Arab Americans have excelled in sports, like quar-
terback and Heisman Trophy winner Doug Flutie, and in 
entertainment, including actors, singers, comedians, and 
musicians such as actor, singer, and founder of St. 
Jude’s Children’s Hospital, Danny Thomas, Emmy-win-
ner Tony Shalhoub, comedian, and commentator Dean 
Obeidallah, gifted musician Dr. Ali Jihad Racy, award- 
winning violinist Simon Shaheen, and so many others; 
Whereas, according to Census Bureau data, Arabic is one of 
the fastest-growing languages in the United States, and 
Arab American journalists, newspaper editors, and writ-
ers have informed their communities and others in Arabic 
and English, adding to the body of American literature 
and reporting, including— 
(1) Nabeeb and Ibrahim Arbeely, editors of the first 
Arab American newspaper, Kawkab Amirka; 
(2) Ameen Rihani, the distinguished writer of the 
first Arab American novel, ‘‘The Book of Khalid’’; 
(3) Khalil Gibran, the renowned poet, writer, artist, 
founder of the Pen Bond writers, and author of ‘‘The 
Prophet’’ among other numerous writings; 
(4) Anthony Shadid, the late New York Times re-
porter; 
(5) Helen Thomas, White House Press Corps Cor-
respondent (recognized by the World Almanac as one of 
the 25 most influential women in America); 
(6) Naomi Shihab Nye, poet and writer; and 
(7) Diana Abu-Jaber, the acclaimed novelist, and 
hundreds more; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:20 Apr 25, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HR351.IH
HR351
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
•HRES 351 IH 
Whereas Arab American women have provided excellent role 
models such as Emmy-winning actor Marlo Thomas, 
actor Kathy Najimy, Secretary of Health and Human 
Services Donna Shalala, artist and poet Etel Adnan, Na-
tional Public Radio 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 
‘‘National 
Arab 
American 
Heritage 
Month’’ 
(NAAHM) is necessary to address the misconceptions, 
misinformation, anti-Arab racism, and discrimination 
against Arab Americans by celebrating their accomplish-
ments 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 
American society; 
Whereas, in 2017, Arab America established NAAHM, in 
2021, the White House first recognized the celebration of 
NAAHM in an April 19 letter to the Arab America 
Foundation, and in 2023, the White House issued an of-
ficial proclamation declaring April as Arab American 
Heritage Month, a breakthrough for the Arab American 
community; 
Whereas, in recent years, at least 48 States and territories 
have taken steps to recognize April as Arab American 
Heritage Month, including the governments of— 
(1) Alabama; 
(2) Alaska; 
(3) Arizona; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:20 Apr 25, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HR351.IH
HR351
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
•HRES 351 IH 
(4) Arkansas; 
(5) California; 
(6) Colorado; 
(7) Connecticut; 
(8) Delaware; 
(9) the District of Columbia; 
(10) Georgia; 
(11) Hawaii; 
(12) Illinois; 
(13) Indiana; 
(14) Iowa; 
(15) Kansas; 
(16) Kentucky; 
(17) Louisiana; 
(18) Maine; 
(19) Maryland; 
(20) Massachusetts; 
(21) Michigan; 
(22) Minnesota; 
(23) Mississippi; 
(24) Missouri; 
(25) Montana; 
(26) Nebraska; 
(27) Nevada; 
(28) New Hampshire; 
(29) New Jersey; 
(30) New Mexico; 
(31) New York; 
(32) North Carolina; 
(33) North Dakota; 
(34) Ohio; 
(35) Oklahoma; 
(36) Oregon; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:20 Apr 25, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HR351.IH
HR351
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
•HRES 351 IH 
(37) Pennsylvania; 
(38) Rhode Island; 
(39) South Carolina; 
(40) South Dakota; 
(41) Texas; 
(42) Utah; 
(43) Vermont; 
(44) Virginia; 
(45) Washington; 
(46) West Virginia; 
(47) Wisconsin; and 
(48) Wyoming; 
Whereas numerous cities, towns, and counties across America 
have taken steps to recognize April as Arab American 
Heritage Month, including— 
(1) Montgomery, Alabama; 
(2) Gilbert, Arizona; 
(3) Glendale, Arizona; 
(4) Tempe, Arizona; 
(5) Alameda, California; 
(6) Anaheim, California; 
(7) Berkeley, California; 
(8) Burbank, California; 
(9) Chula Vista, California; 
(10) Dublin, California; 
(11) Los Altos, California 
(12) Los Angeles, California; 
(13) Los Angeles County, California; 
(14) Orange County, California; 
(15) Rancho Cucamonga, California 
(16) San Francisco, California; 
(17) San Diego, California; 
(18) Santa Monica, California; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:20 Apr 25, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00007
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HR351.IH
HR351
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
•HRES 351 IH 
(19) South San Francisco, California; 
(20) Temecula, California; 
(21) Vista, California; 
(22) Boulder County, Colorado; 
(23) Salida, Colorado; 
(24) Gainesville, Florida; 
(25) Orlando, Florida; 
(26) Atlanta, Georgia; 
(27) Gwinnett County, Georgia; 
(28) Snellville, Georgia; 
(29) Chicago, Illinois; 
(30) Cook County, Illinois; 
(31) Linn County, Iowa; 
(32) Overland Park, Kansas; 
(33) Topeka, Kansas; 
(34) Wichita, Kansas; 
(35) Louisville, Kentucky; 
(36) Portland, Maine; 
(37) Baltimore, Maryland; 
(38) Baltimore County, Maryland; 
(39) Bowie, Maryland; 
(40) Charles County, Maryland; 
(41) Hyattsville, Maryland; 
(42) Montgomery County, Maryland; 
(43) Gaithersburg, Maryland; 
(44) Rockville, Maryland; 
(45) Boston, Massachusetts; 
(46) Worcester, Massachusetts; 
(47) Ann Arbor, Michigan; 
(48) Detroit, Michigan; 
(49) Wayne County, Michigan; 
(50) Dearborn, Michigan; 
(51) Dearborn Heights, Michigan; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:20 Apr 25, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00008
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HR351.IH
HR351
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
•HRES 351 IH 
(52) Flint, Michigan; 
(53) Livonia, Michigan; 
(54) St. Paul, Minnesota; 
(55) Clifton, New Jersey; 
(56) Jersey City, New Jersey; 
(57) Monroe Township, New Jersey; 
(58) Paterson, New Jersey; 
(59) Prospect Park, New Jersey; 
(60) Albany, New York; 
(61) Buffalo, New York; 
(62) Yonkers, New York, 
(63) Westchester County, New York; 
(64) Raleigh, North Carolina; 
(65) Cuyahoga County, Ohio; 
(66) Cleveland, Ohio; 
(67) Dayton, Ohio; 
(68) Lakewood, Ohio; 
(69) Toledo, Ohio; 
(70) Multnomah County, Oregon; 
(71) Portland, Oregon; 
(72) Washington County, Oregon; 
(73) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; 
(74) Charleston, South Carolina; 
(75) Columbia, South Carolina; 
(76) Memphis, Tennessee; 
(77) Dallas, Texas; 
(78) San Antonio, Texas 
(79) Alexandria, Virginia; 
(80) Arlington County, Virginia; 
(81) Fairfax, Virginia; 
(82) Fairfax County, Virginia; 
(83) Henrico County, Virginia; 
(84) Loudoun County, Virginia; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:20 Apr 25, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00009
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HR351.IH
HR351
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
•HRES 351 IH 
(85) Prince William County, Virginia; 
(86) Richmond, Virginia; 
(87) Virginia Beach, Virginia; 
(88) Ellensburg, Washington; 
(89) Kirkland, Washington; 
(90) Morgantown, West Virginia; 
(91) Milwaukee, Wisconsin; and 
(92) Madison, Wisconsin; 
Whereas 4 States have passed permanent legislation desig-
nating the month of April as AAHM, including Illinois, 
Oregon, Virginia, and California, and several States are 
considering or have made progress toward passing per-
manent legislation, including Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, 
and Rhode Island; and 
Whereas the incredible contributions and heritage of Arab 
Americans have helped to build a better Nation: Now, 
therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) supports the designation of ‘‘National Arab 
American Heritage Month’’; 
(2) esteems the integral role of Arab Americans 
in the economy, culture, and identity of the United 
States; and 
(3) urges the people of the United States to 
serve National Arab American Heritage Month with 
appropriate programs and activities that recognize 
and celebrate the unique contributions of Arab 
Americans. 
Æ 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:20 Apr 25, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00010
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\HR351.IH
HR351
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB