Arab American Heritage Month 2023
Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) celebrates Arab American Heritage Month 2023 by honoring and highlighting the diverse culture, heritage, and contributions of Arab Americans throughout history. We encourage our community to study, observe, and celebrate this community and its rich heritage.
"By advancing innovation, leading businesses, serving in our military, teaching in our schools, and representing communities in elected office, Arab Americans make us stronger and help us form a more diverse and vibrant America." –Joseph R. Biden, Jr., United States President
STEM Scholar Highlights:
- Dr, Joanne Chory (Biologist)
- Dr. Omar M. Yaghi (Chemist)
- Dr. Shadia Habbal (Astronomer and Physicist)
Read, Watch, Listen and Learn
- Explore Gordon Library's Arab American Heritage Month LibGuide
- Explore the Arab American National Museum
- Explore the Center for Arabic Culture (Somerville, MA)
- Explore the 2023 Arab American Heritage Month Educators Tool Kit
- Explore TeachMideast’s Arab American Heritage Month Resource Guide
- Read A Proclamation on Arab American Heritage Month, 2023 online
- Read Arab Music: A Survey of Its History and Its Modern Practice
- Read more about How Arab Women Are Making Waves In Tech
- Read Arab American Faces and Voices: The Origins of an Immigrant Identity
- Learn about the ethnic and religious diversity of Arab Americans.
- Watch On Her Shoulders online via Gordon Library
- Watch The Fight online via Gordon Library
- Listen to the Arab American Café podcast
- Listen to the Arab Talk podcast
- Listen to the Queer Arabs podcast.
Take Action
- Participate in campus Arab American Heritage Month Programs:
- Arab American Heritage Month Trivia Night on Tuesday, April 18, 2023 in the Rubin Campus Center Stage from 8:00 PM - 10:00 PM EST.
- Join us while the committee table-sits in the Rubin Campus Center for a raffle for testing your knowledge, and enjoy goodies on Tuesday, April 25, 2023, between 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM EST.
- Share your story: "National Arab American Demographics," Arab American Institute
- Support the Arab American Anti-Discrimination Committee
- Support the Arab America Foundation
- Support the Arab American Institute
- Prioritize and Practice Self-Care
- Support AmidEast—a nonprofit engaged in promoting understanding between Americans and the people of the Middle East and North Africa.
- Register to Vote -OR- Check Your Voter Registration
- Everything you need to vote. Vote.org
- Become a Poll Worker
Thank you to the members of the Arab American History Month Planning Committee:
- Alesia LeSane (ODIME)
- Gregory Lane (Pre-Collegiate Office)
- Kim Wykes (Student Activities Office)
- Lori Ostapowicz-Critz (Gordon C. Library)
- Erin Mayo (Office of Accessibility Services)
The initiative for the national designation and commemoration of Arab American Heritage Month was launched in 2017. In 2019, U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell and Rep. Rashida Tlaib introduced a resolution to Congress to proclaim April as National Arab American Heritage Month. National Arab American Heritage Month was recognized in April 2021 by President Joe Biden with the U.S. Department of State, some members of Congress and 37 governors issuing proclamations supporting the month, according to Arab America.
Learn More: https://www.history.com/topics/21st-century/arab-american-heritage-month
The Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Multicultural Education (ODIME) promotes and oversees all student facing diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) learning experiences, programs, services, trainings, and initiatives for WPI.