Arab refers to diverse peoples whose heritage hailed from the Arabian Peninsula influencing their language and culture. The Arabian Peninsula is the largest peninsula in the world and is located on the southwestern tip of Asia. Arabs have long spread outside this region, and their culture goes back to ancient times. The names of Arab countries, and some cities, have changed over the centuries. Still, you likely recognize modern names like Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Mecca, Yemen, Dubai, Syria, and Kuwait, to name a few.
The United States of America saw significant numbers of Arabs immigrating in the 1880s. According to the Arab American Institute, around 3.7 million Americans have Arab ancestry. I hope you are inspired to find out more about Arab American contributions to American culture this month.
Here’s a short list of some famous Arab Americans:
Danny Thomas - Founder of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and actor.
Steve Jobs - Head and co-founder of Apple Inc.
Diana Abu-Jaber - Award-winning author.
Salma Hayek - Actress, producer, and activist.
Books to Explore
April is Arab American Heritage Month. Celebrate this month and beyond with these books by Arab American authors.
Explore the Arab American Museum, The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee's (ADC) information about Arabs, and The American Arab Institute Foundation's Demographics websites for more information.
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