Honoring Arab American Heritage Month
A message from: Lorenley Báez, Associate Provost for Equity & Belonging
Dear Students,
Arab American Heritage Month dates back to October 25, 1989, when a joint resolution in the 101st Congress proclaimed that date as “National Arab American Day.” However, the first federal resolution recognizing April as Arab American Heritage Month came in 2019, aligning with the Kahlil Gibran Spirit of Humanity Awards. In 2023, President Joe Biden issued an official statement in honor of the month.
We recognize and celebrate the Arab American community for its contributions, achievements, and successes while also recognizing ongoing discrimination and marginalization that attempts to erase them. It remains critical that we not only persist in our support and advocacy of this community, but be active participants in the process of rooting out ignorance, bias, and hatred. As we move forward, we must lead with a desire to increase empathy for each other and center our humanity. Only then can we begin to internally heal and cultivate a global sense of what it means to be in a peaceful community with each other, with an understanding of how the fate of the world and that of humanity is intertwined.
I encourage you to visit Narwhal Nation for a more comprehensive listing of on-campus student clubs/organizations, including student-led activities.
I look forward to honoring our Arab American community at The New School!