Arab American Heritage Month

Congresswoman Debbie Dingell & Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, with the help of several Arab American organizing groups, issued a resolution proclaiming April to be National Arab American Heritage Month (NAAHM) in 2017. The state of Illinois designated April as Arab American Heritage Month (AAHM) in 2018 and the Department of State recognized it nationally in 2021. During April, Arabs and Arab Americans are honored and celebrated for their historical contributions, culture, traditions, history, arts, and overall social presence as a community in the United States.

white background with geometric art pattern on all four corners in red, blue, teal, and gold. Text in the middle is in blue, red, and black. Logo is at the bottom and two black and white drawings appear on either side of text in the middle, one of Palestinian poppy flower and the other of the Lebanese Cyclamen flower.

Arab American Heritage Month – April 2026

See some of our programs below and our Upcoming Events Page

Elementary School Educational Outreach Program

A photograph of elemenatry school children sitting on the floor of the school gym with three adults standing in front of them presenting and a screen on the wall that has the power point presentation.

What We offer:

UIC ArabAmCC Staff and Students will join your school to share our Arab American Heritage exhibition and presentation. This will include:

  • Artifacts, clothing and accessories, books, children’s books, crafts, woodwork, traditional games, textiles, art, kitchenware
  • Interactive presentation with images, historical information, maps, videos, music
  • Activities: folkdance, writing in Arabic, music, crafts-making, storytelling
  • Other possibilities could include inviting artists for specific demonstrations (music, calligraphy, dance, etc..) [which may require additional funds].

We are happy to work with you to figure out a format that works best for your school. Some suggestions include setting up in a large space (auditorium or gym) where different grade levels join us for a set period of time; moving from one class to another; large lecture hall with the whole school.

Why It’s Needed

We aim to inspire Arab-positive experiences and advance unbiased concepts about Arab Americans and, more broadly, people from the Arab World/ Middle East and North Africa. There is a long history of negative representation of Arabs, Muslims, and Middle Easterners in U.S. media and popular culture.  These ideas influence how Americans interact with one another and inform institutional and interpersonal racist practices and beliefs. Education is an important strategy to address racism and implicit biases to help create a more just and inclusive society.

  • The ArabAmCC will make the Arab and Middle Eastern, and North African cultures more accessible and better understood for students of diverse backgrounds.
  • This project will assist educators in acknowledging and embracing the diversity their classrooms offer.
  • It will highlight the rich diversity of the Arab/Middle East and North African region and community, countering negative stereotypes.
  • It will enable students of these backgrounds to feel honored and respected by their school and classmates.

Arab American Heritage Month April 2026 Programming

The Arab American Cultural Center is partnering with a diversity of institutions at UIC and outside to celebrate and educate about Arab American history, culture, diversity, joys, pains, and identities.

For details for specific events at UIC, please check our Upcoming Events page and our Social Media pages.

Green flier with darker green top and bottom banner with logos in white. Main body of flier has dispersed white leaves of different kinds of trees and a photograph in the center with an adult wearing a white headscarf and a smiling child wearing a blue jacket and holding a crayon sitting at a table with colorful tablecloth and crafting material.
Arab American Celebration with Forest Preserve
Join the Forest Preserves of Cook County, the Arab American Cultural Center, and the Arab American Family Services on April 12th in a day of celebration of Arab American Heritage and Culture.
Red flier with splashes of glitter and text in white and black. The center has a large advertising rectangular panel with light bulbs all around (as if announcing a Broadway show) with five stars on top decreasing in size from center to edge in gold and red. Few elliptical shapes have text in white or black with a QR code on the bottom right of the page.
Arab American Talent Show
Join the Arab American Cultural Center and the Arab Student Association in an evening showcasing student talent and celebrating our culture.
Photograph of a closed backgammon game made with wood and mother of pearls inlay.
National Arab American Heritage Month at Skokie Public Library
Games and Crafts by the Arab American Cultural Center at the Skokie Public Library on April 10 and 14 from 3-5pm.
several kids and parents sitting on the floor listening to and engaging with a story by an ArabAmCC staff member.
Story Time at the Field Museum
Arab American Cultural Center storytime and crafts at the Play Lab of the Field Museum on April 15th. This interactive, bilingual storytime session will feature books and crafts honoring Arab American Heritage Month.

Resources