Arab American Heritage Month begins as April kicks off | News

April 1 marked the beginning of the National Arab American Heritage Month (NAAHM) for some parts of the country.

Unlike most other months dedicated to the several ethnicities present in the United States, the NAAHM is only partially recognized nationwide: a shadow of a divided government. The Executive Branch has recognized the month since 2021, when the US Department of State added the NAAHM to its calendar of events. A couple of days later, President Joe Biden issued a statement addressing the NAAHM, the first time a Situs Judi Slot Online Terbaik president recognized the month.

“We recognize National Arab American Heritage Month and honor the contributions of this diverse community to America,” Antony Blinken, US Secretary of State, said on a statement on Friday. “Immigrants with origins from the Arab world have been arriving to the United States since before our country’s independence and have contributed to our nation’s advancements in science, business, technology, foreign policy, and national security.”

Despite efforts by the Executive branch in advocating for national recognition surrounding the NAAHM, the Legislative branch has yet to pass any bill formalizing the month. There has been some effort in the U.S. House of Representatives in 2019 and 2020, when Reps. Donna Shalala [D-Fla.] and Rashida Tlaib [D-Mich.] introduced in the chamber a Situs Judi Slot Gacor Hari Ini formalizing April as NAAHM; however, the resolution never passed.

Many advocates feel as though the lack of representation goes deeper for the Arab American community, as they Arab Americans are considered White in official documents such as the Census but are not socially seen as Slot Gampang Menang.

As argued by Dr. Souzan Naser, a professor at Moraine Valley College, in her recent article published by the Liberal Education journal, “whitewashing” the identity of many students who see themselves as Arab Americans does not solve any problem that they might face but rather invalidate them.

“Many Arab and Muslim students are in desperate need of counselors who understand students’ issues within the context of culture, politics, and religion and who will not use Arab American identities against the students,” Naser wrote in her article. “Colleges and universities must understand how anti-Arab sentiment and the rise in xenophobia affects these students if they are to support them.”

Despite Situs Judi Slot Terbaik dan Terpercaya No 1 only being partially recognized by the federal government, many states have taken matters onto its own hands and formalized the month within their own state civil code. Some of those states include Arkansas, Hawaii, Michigan, New York and North Carolina.

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania does not yet recognize AAHM, despite its nearly 200 thousand citizens who identify as Arab Americans according to the Arab American Institute. This has generated criticism from some Pennsylvanians.

“The time has come for Pennsylvania to recognize April as the Arab American Heritage Month,” Dr. Meireille Rebeiz, a professor at Dickinson College, wrote in an article published by The PennLive.