National Arab American Heritage Month (NAAHM)
April is National Arab American Heritage Month (NAAHM). The annual celebration spotlights Arab culture, experiences, and the community’s contributions in the US. Although it is not officially recognized by the entire federal government, in 2021 Joe Biden became the first sitting president to celebrate NAAHM.
Arab Americans trace their origins to 22-Arabic speaking countries in the Middle East and North Africa. Arabs first began immigrating to the US in large numbers in the late 1800s, mostly landing in the Midwest and Northeast. Today, an estimated 3.7 million Americans have Arab roots, with the largest numbers in California, Illinois, New York and Michigan.
Although NAAHM has become more mainstream, negative stereotypes of Arabs and Arab Americans remain all too common. Arabs and Muslims—mistakenly thought to be interchangeable—were often vilified by Hollywood and the media, perpetuating the “terrorist” stereotype.
Government policies also cemented the normalization of anti-Arab sentiment in the US. Dating back to the 1960s and 70s, the CIA and FBI began extensive surveillance programs of Arabs in the country and restrictive immigration policies. The 1991 Gulf War, the September 11th terrorist attacks, the so-called “War on Terror”—in each instance, Arab Americans became the victims of an increase in hate crimes, profiling and bigotry.
This experience as a discriminated minority is why many Arab Americans have been pushing for a separate classification on the US census. Population data would help monitor government programs and anti-discrimination laws. Currently, people who are Arab, Middle Eastern, or North African are forced to indicate “White” or “Other” on the US census, essentially rendering the community invisible. To the delight of many, the Biden Administration has proposed changes to the 2030 Census that would include a “Middle Eastern or North African” checkbox.
April 2 is World Autism Awareness Day
Every year the United Nations and other organizations around the world observe April 2 as World Autism Awareness Day. This year’s theme is Transformation: Toward a Neuro-Inclusive World for All. The U.N. explains: “In recent years, major progress has been made in increasing awareness and acceptance of autism, not least thanks to the many amazing autistic advocates who have worked tirelessly to bring the lived experience of autistic people to the wider world.” The U.N. is hosting a free virtual event on Sunday, April 2, 10am-1pm ET, featuring “autistic people from around the world discussing how the transformation in the narrative around neurodiversity can continue to be furthered in order to overcome barriers and improve the lives of autistic people.” You can register here and check out the livestream on the UN’s YouTube and Twitter channels, and on UN WebTV.
Emancipation Day
On April 16, 1862, 8 months before signing the Emancipation Proclamation, President Abraham Lincoln signed the District of Columbia Compensated Emancipation Act to end slavery in the District of Columbia—and to compensate enslavers, not formerly enslaved people—up to $300 for each person they formerly enslaved. (Remember this troubling fact next time the topic of reparations hits your radar.) The law also appropriated $100,000 to send liberated African Americans to Liberia or Haiti, a proposal supported by Lincoln but strongly opposed by Frederick Douglass and others fighting for Black liberation.
