H.Res. 1181

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1181 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. RES. 1181

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 15, 2026

Ms. Tlaib (for herself, Mrs. Dingell, Mr. Frost, Mr. Lynch, Ms. Simon, 
Ms. Schakowsky, Mrs. Ramirez, Mr. Thanedar, Mr. Carson, Ms. McCollum, 
Ms. Moore of Wisconsin, Mr. McGovern, Mr. Jackson of Illinois, Ms. 
Pressley, and Mrs. Fletcher) submitted the following resolution; which 
was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform

_______________________________________________________________________

RESOLUTION

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.

Whereas today, according to the Arab American Institute, roughly 3,700,000 Arab 
Americans are living in the United States from a variety of faith 
backgrounds, including both Christians and Muslims originating from any 
of the 22 Arabic-speaking countries;
Whereas Arab American Christians and Muslims alike have established churches, 
mosques, cultural centers, and community institutions that contribute to 
the spiritual and civic life of communities across the United States;
Whereas persons of Arab descent have throughout their history in the United 
States generously shared their culture, music, and food with their 
fellow Americans and 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 values, strong work ethic, 
dedication to education, and diversity that have added strength to 
United States 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 Kingdom of Morocco was the first country in the world to formally 
recognize the United States of America in 1777, establishing one of the 
Nation's longest-standing diplomatic relationships and affirming early 
ties between the Arab world and the United States;
Whereas the first recorded Arab in America was the Moroccan Mostafa (Estanaico) 
Zemmouri in 1527, and Arab Americans, including the early Syrians and 
Lebanese, began arriving in significant numbers to the shores of the 
United States in the 1870s, including Antonio Bishallany, who arrived in 
Boston in 1854, and another early wave arrival, Dr. Joseph Arbeeley, who 
became American citizens, and waves of other Arab Americans that 
followed;
Whereas the Arab American literary movement, known as the Mahjar movement, 
helped shape early twentieth-century American literature through writers 
such as Ameen Rihani, Kahlil Gibran, and Mikhail Naimy, who promoted 
cross-cultural understanding and intellectual exchange;
Whereas Arab Americans have served the United States as first responders, in the 
public sector, and as public servants from both political parties, past 
and present, in the United States Government, the Congress, the Senate, 
as exemplified by James Abourezk, the first Arab American Senator who 
was raised by Lebanese immigrant parents in South Dakota, and as 
ambassadors, cabinet members, as well as all other Arab Americans in 
uniform today;
Whereas Arab Americans have and continue to play a critical role in America's 
social justice and human rights movements, such as the civil rights, 
labor organizing, health and racial equity, and environmental justice 
movements;
Whereas, recently, Arab Americans' activism continues to play a key role in 
present day struggles for social justice and human rights such as the 
movement for Black lives, the ceasefire movement to end the genocide of 
Palestinians, and many more;
Whereas Arab Americans have excelled in science, engineering, medicine, 
education, scholarship, and architecture, including--

(1) organic chemist Elias James Corey (Nobel Prize 1990);

(2) Ahmed Zewail, a chemist investigating transition reactions (Nobel 
Prize 1999);

(3) Mostafa El-Sayed, a chemical physicist and leading nanoscience 
researcher, a member of the National Academy of Sciences and a United 
States National Medal of Science laureate who sat on the President's 
National Medal of Science Committee in 2014;

(4) Dr. Farouk El-Baz, a pioneer in space photography;

(5) Dr. Michael DeBakey, a cardiovascular surgeon and inventor of 
ventricular assist devices and aorta repair procedures;

(6) Amale Andraos, a renowned architect and former Dean of the Columbia 
Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation; and

(7) Dr. Edward Said, literary theorist and critic, former literature 
professor at Columbia University, and one of the founders of post-colonial 
studies;

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, 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 inventions in electronics;
Whereas Arab Americans have excelled in sports, like quarterback 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-winner 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 Arab American journalists, newspaper 
editors, and writers have informed their communities and others in 
Arabic and English, adding to the body of American literature and 
reporting, including--

(1) Nabeeb and Ibrahim Arbeely, editors of the first Arab American 
newspaper, Kawkab Amirka;

(2) Ameen Rihani, the distinguished writer of the first Arab American 
novel, ``The Book of Khalid'';

(3) Kahlil Gibran, the renowned poet, writer, artist, founder of the 
Pen Bond writers, and author of ``The Prophet'' among other numerous 
writings;

(4) Anthony Shadid, the late New York Times reporter;

(5) Helen Thomas, White House Press Corps Correspondent (recognized by 
the World Almanac as one of the 25 most influential women in America);

(6) Naomi Shihab Nye, poet and writer; and

(7) Diana Abu-Jaber, the acclaimed novelist, and hundreds more;

Whereas Arab American women have provided excellent role models such as Emmy-
winning actor Marlo Thomas, actor Kathy Najimy, Secretary of Health and 
Human Services Donna Shalala, artist and poet Etel Adnan, National 
Public Radio host Diane Rehm, and the doctor who raised awareness that 
children were being poisoned by lead in Flint, Michigan, Dr. Mona Hanna-
Attisha, plus all the women previously mentioned and thousands of other 
accomplished women not herein listed;
Whereas ``National Arab American Heritage Month'' (NAAHM) is necessary to 
address the misconceptions, misinformation, anti-Arab racism, and 
discrimination against Arab Americans by celebrating their 
accomplishments and providing factual information about Arab American 
culture and persons 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 American 
society;
Whereas, in 2017, Arab America established NAAHM, in 2021, the White House first 
recognized the celebration of NAAHM in an April 19 letter to the Arab 
America Foundation, and in 2023, the White House issued an official 
proclamation declaring April as Arab American Heritage Month, a 
breakthrough for the Arab American community;
Whereas, in recent years, at least 47 States and the District of Columbia have 
taken steps to recognize April as Arab American Heritage Month, 
including the governments of--

(1) Alabama;

(2) Alaska;

(3) Arizona;

(4) Arkansas;

(5) California;

(6) Colorado;

(7) Connecticut;

(8) Delaware;

(9) the District of Columbia;

(10) Georgia;

(11) Hawaii;

(12) Illinois;

(13) Indiana;

(14) Iowa;

(15) Kansas;

(16) Kentucky;

(17) Louisiana;

(18) Maine;

(19) Maryland;

(20) Massachusetts;

(21) Michigan;

(22) Minnesota;

(23) Mississippi;

(24) Missouri;

(25) Montana;

(26) Nebraska;

(27) Nevada;

(28) New Hampshire;

(29) New Jersey;

(30) New Mexico;

(31) New York;

(32) North Carolina;

(33) North Dakota;

(34) Ohio;

(35) Oklahoma;

(36) Oregon;

(37) Pennsylvania;

(38) Rhode Island;

(39) South Carolina;

(40) South Dakota;

(41) Texas;

(42) Utah;

(43) Vermont;

(44) Virginia;

(45) Washington;

(46) West Virginia;

(47) Wisconsin; and

(48) Wyoming;

Whereas numerous cities, towns, and counties across America have taken steps to 
recognize April as Arab American Heritage Month, including--

(1) Montgomery, Alabama;

(2) Gilbert, Arizona;

(3) Glendale, Arizona;

(4) Tempe, Arizona;

(5) Alameda, California;

(6) Anaheim, California;

(7) Berkeley, California;

(8) Burbank, California;

(9) Chula Vista, California;

(10) Dublin, California;

(11) Los Altos, California;

(12) Los Angeles, California;

(13) Los Angeles County, California;

(14) Orange County, California;

(15) Rancho Cucamonga, California;

(16) San Francisco, California;

(17) San Diego, California;

(18) Santa Monica, California;

(19) South San Francisco, California;

(20) Temecula, California;

(21) Vista, California;

(22) Boulder County, Colorado;

(23) Salida, Colorado;

(24) Gainesville, Florida;

(25) Orlando, Florida;

(26) Atlanta, Georgia;

(27) Gwinnett County, Georgia;

(28) Snellville, Georgia;

(29) Chicago, Illinois;

(30) Cook County, Illinois;

(31) Linn County, Iowa;

(32) Overland Park, Kansas;

(33) Topeka, Kansas;

(34) Wichita, Kansas;

(35) Louisville, Kentucky;

(36) Portland, Maine;

(37) Baltimore, Maryland;

(38) Baltimore County, Maryland;

(39) Bowie, Maryland;

(40) Charles County, Maryland;

(41) Hyattsville, Maryland;

(42) Montgomery County, Maryland;

(43) Gaithersburg, Maryland;

(44) Rockville, Maryland;

(45) Boston, Massachusetts;

(46) Worcester, Massachusetts;

(47) Ann Arbor, Michigan;

(48) Detroit, Michigan;

(49) Wayne County, Michigan;

(50) Dearborn, Michigan;

(51) Dearborn Heights, Michigan;

(52) Flint, Michigan;

(53) Livonia, Michigan;

(54) St. Paul, Minnesota;

(55) Clifton, New Jersey;

(56) Jersey City, New Jersey;

(57) Monroe Township, New Jersey;

(58) Paterson, New Jersey;

(59) Prospect Park, New Jersey;

(60) Albany, New York;

(61) Buffalo, New York;

(62) Yonkers, New York;

(63) Westchester County, New York;

(64) Raleigh, North Carolina;

(65) Cuyahoga County, Ohio;

(66) Cleveland, Ohio;

(67) Dayton, Ohio;

(68) Lakewood, Ohio;

(69) Toledo, Ohio;

(70) Multnomah County, Oregon;

(71) Portland, Oregon;

(72) Washington County, Oregon;

(73) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania;

(74) Charleston, South Carolina;

(75) Columbia, South Carolina;

(76) Memphis, Tennessee;

(77) Dallas, Texas;

(78) San Antonio, Texas;

(79) Alexandria, Virginia;

(80) Arlington County, Virginia;

(81) Fairfax, Virginia;

(82) Fairfax County, Virginia;

(83) Henrico County, Virginia;

(84) Loudoun County, Virginia;

(85) Prince William County, Virginia;

(86) Richmond, Virginia;

(87) Virginia Beach, Virginia;

(88) Ellensburg, Washington;

(89) Kirkland, Washington;

(90) Morgantown, West Virginia;

(91) Milwaukee, Wisconsin; and

(92) Madison, Wisconsin;

Whereas 4 States have passed permanent legislation designating the month of 
April as AAHM, including Illinois, Oregon, Virginia, and California, and 
several States are considering or have made progress toward passing 
permanent legislation, including Colorado, Indiana, Maryland, Ohio, 
Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island; and
Whereas the incredible contributions and heritage of Arab Americans have helped 
to build a better Nation: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) supports the designation of ``National Arab American 
Heritage Month'';
(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 observe 
National Arab American Heritage Month with appropriate programs 
and activities that recognize and celebrate the unique 
contributions of Arab Americans.
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