The world would not have become this wonderful if not for the diversity of cultures. People of different races and religions living in almost every country have their own culture. There are many festivals, celebrations and other events that belong to such cultures and this article is about the Arab-American Heritage Festival, which is dedicated to people of Arab descent living in the United States (US).
This celebration, called ‘Arab American Heritage Month’, was started by Americans of Arab descent with the goal of preserving their cultural heritage. It has been held in April every year since 2017. The celebration of Arab-American Heritage Month is now very popular not only among people of Arab descent but also among ordinary American citizens.
According to the Institute for Immigration Policy Studies in the US, large numbers of Arabs began migrating to the US in the late 1800s. Arabs and Christians living in what was then known as the Ottoman Empire, which included present day Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, and Israel, began to emigrate to other countries, including the US, for religious and economic reasons. According to the US State Department, many of these migrants were engaged in trade.
The Johnson-Reed Immigration Act, enacted in 1924, greatly reduced the number of immigrants coming to the US. As a result, the number of Arab immigrants also dropped significantly.
Due to the Arab-Israeli war and other religious conflicts, large numbers of immigrants returned to the US again from 1948 to 1966. They were mostly engaged in car manufacturing related jobs. With the introduction of a new Immigration Act in 1965, a large number of other Arabs immigrated to the US.
According to the latest census, there are approximately 3.7 million (mn) people of Arab descent living in the US. Their ancestors lived in countries such as Lebanon, Syria, Egypt, Palestine, Morocco, Iraq, Jordan, Yemen, Bahrain, Tunisia, Algeria, Sudan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Nearly two-thirds of them live in California, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas and Virginia.
The Arab-American Heritage Month celebrations began with the naming of April 2017 as the Arab-American Heritage Month by the ‘Arab American Foundation’, a Non-Governmental organisation dedicated to the advancement of the media and education sectors. It was initially supported only by people living in a few states in the US, but was later supported by many.
A proposal was also made to the US Congress to make Arab-American Heritage Month a nationally recognised celebration in 2019, but it has not yet been approved. In April 2021, US President Joe Biden made a special statement welcoming the celebration.
He said: “The Arab-American community is an essential element of the structure of the US. It is a great honour for me to be able to participate in this celebration that provides a glimpse into the cultural and heritage of the Arab-American people and their contribution to the betterment of the US. Diversity is one of the greatest strengths we have. Part of that diversity is the Arab Americans’ contribution to the betterment of the nation in the name of generosity and compassion.”
This year’s celebration took place in Washington on April 27 and was attended by a large number of people, including politicians, Government officials, educators and religious leaders. They first commemorated the centuries-long contribution of Arab Americans to the betterment of the US. The venue was opened to the public from 5.30 p.m. and the event began at 6.15 p.m. There was a dinner with Arabic food for the participants.
The highlight of the celebration was the concert featuring Arabic cultural elements.