IV 
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 cele-
brating 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 pro-
vided; 
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 in-
cluding 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 286 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 val-
ues, strong work ethic, dedication to education, and di-
versity 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 ar-
rival, 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 Gov-
ernment, the Congress, the Senate, and as ambassadors 
and cabinet members; 
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•HRES 286 IH 
Whereas Arab Americans have excelled in science, engineer-
ing, medicine, education, scholarship, and architecture in-
cluding 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 Na-
tional Medal of Science laureate who sat on the Presi-
dent’s National Medal of Science Committee in 2014, Dr. 
Farouk El-Baz a pioneer in space photography, Dr. Mi-
chael 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 in-
ventions in electronics; 
Whereas Arab Americans have excelled in sports like quarter-
back 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 
that Arab American journalists, newspaper editors, and 
writers have informed their communities and others in 
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•HRES 286 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, au-
thor 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 An-
thony 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, ac-
tress Kathy Najimy, Secretary of Health and Human 
Services, Donna Shalala, artist and poet, Etel Adnan, 
NPR host Diane Reim, and the doctor who raised aware-
ness that children were being poisoned by lead in Flint, 
Michigan, Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, plus all the women 
previously mentioned and thousands of other accom-
plished women not herein listed; 
Whereas Arab American Heritage Month is necessary to ad-
dress the misconceptions, misinformation, Arabophobia, 
anti-Arabism, and discrimination against Arab Americans 
by celebrating their accomplishments and providing fac-
tual information about Arab American culture and per-
sons 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 286 IH 
Whereas, in 2017, Arab America established National Arab 
American Heritage Month (NAAHM), and President 
Biden recognized the celebration of National Arab Amer-
ican 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 Herit-
age 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, Mis-
souri, 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 Na-
tional 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; Balti-
more, MD; Dallas, TX, Detroit, MI; Wayne County, MI; 
Dearborn, MI; Dearborn Heights, MI; Flint, MI; Yon-
kers, NY, Westchester County, NY; Raleigh, NC; Cuya-
hoga County, OH; Cleveland, OH; Toledo, OH; Portland, 
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•HRES 286 IH 
OR; Philadelphia, PA; Dallas, TX; Alexandria, VA; Rich-
mond, VA; Milwaukee, WI; and Madison, WI; 
Whereas 4 States have passed permanent legislation desig-
nating 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 procla-
mation read in part, ‘‘Ours is a Nation shaped by the im-
migrant’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 con-
tinued, ‘‘The United States is the only Nation in the 
world founded on an idea—the idea that we are all cre-
ated 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 ei-
ther. This Arab American Heritage Month, let us all 
strive to honor our fundamental values and advance eq-
uity 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; 
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•HRES 286 IH 
(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 
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