From language to hospitality: UA students, faculty honor National Arab American Heritage Month

April is National Arab American Heritage Month, celebrating over 3.5 million Arab Americans in the U.S. with ancestry from 22 countries in the Middle East and North Africa. At the University of Arkansas, students and faculty reflect on their heritage and unite to share their culture.

The celebration began in 2017, with only a few states recognizing it, according to History.com. In 2021, former President Joe Biden issued a proclamation recognizing it as a national celebration.

Despite Biden's efforts, NPR reported that many Arab Americans felt abandoned by the administration’s support for Israel in the Palestine-Israel conflict, leading many to support President Donald Trump in the 2024 election. Following the election, many Arab Americans faced backlash from Democrats, with some blaming them for Trump’s victory, according to the Arab American Institute (AAI).

“Although for the past two decades [Arab Americans] voted for Democrats by a two-to-one margin, many found it difficult to support campaigns that ignored them and their pain,” AAI President James Zogby wrote on the AAI website. “They asked for gestures of support and got none.”

Mohja Kahf, a UA English professor who has a doctoral degree in comparative literature and an interest in teaching Arab literature, wrote in an email that she is concerned about Arab people’s freedoms disappearing.

“What it means to be Arab American in this moment is to be in agony over the humanitarian and other impacts of the ongoing genocide of Palestinians, and fraught with worry over the well-being of people in Syria,” Kahf wrote.  

While National Arab American Heritage Month highlights the challenges and contributions of the Arab American community, it also highlights ways people connect to their heritage through everyday experiences. 

Alex Rahal, a UA senior biochemistry and Arabic major, is the president of the UA Arab Student Association (ASA) and was born to Lebanese parents who immigrated to the U.S. before his birth. Growing up in Fort Smith, Arkansas, he said he did not know many Arab people, but this changed when he got to the UofA – the first place he said he had many Arab friends, allowing him to connect with his culture on a deeper level. 

At the university, Rahal said he has met people whose families come from Arab countries other than Lebanon who have exposed him to different Arabic dialects. Though these variations took time for him to understand, he said he sees language as a crucial part of Arab cultural identity.

“I think the biggest thing about culture is the language,” Rahal said. “If you can hold on to that, then for sure, you can preserve the culture.”

Rahal, who is Muslim but also acknowledged the presence of Arab Christians, said religion plays a significant role in Arab culture, alongside foods like kbeibat, sfouf, kebab, baklava, shawarma and dishes containing nuts, rice and olive oil. He often shares the food he makes with his friends, embracing hospitality, another key aspect of his culture.

In many cultures, Rahal said doing favors for someone or gift-giving is seen as a transactional exchange. Although he said this is not a bad thing, he appreciates that Arab culture has a deep appreciation for community and giving services to people without expecting anything in return. 

Leen, a UA student who chose to be referred to by first name only for her safety, was born in Fort Smith, but her family is originally from Palestine. Her grandparents moved to Syria during their pre-teen years after escaping Palestine due to the Nakba, the mass displacement and dispossession of Palestinian Arab people’s land, property and belongings during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war. Today, she has relatives who live in Palestine, Syria and Jordan.

Though Rahal and Leen’s families come from different places, both highlight food as an important cultural element.

“I think food is like a love language,” Leen said. “For instance, anytime that I'll be sitting studying, [my grandma] will come with a little plate of fruit. And I'm like, ‘I didn't ask for this,’ but she's like, ‘You need this, you’re studying.’ And even when you're at a family gathering, someone will keep adding food to your plate if you don't want it.”

Growing up, Leen said her parents insisted she speak Arabic at home. Though she was frustrated by her lack of fluency, she now values their persistence because it helped her improve.

Leen said people in the U.S. can learn more about Arab culture by visiting Middle Eastern restaurants, following Arab influencers on social media, attending events hosted by the Arab Student Association (ASA) and taking Middle East Studies and Arabic classes. These platforms offer valuable insights into Arab culture. For Arab Americans, maintaining close relationships with family and friends is essential to preserving and passing down cultural heritage.

“I feel like that all really makes a difference in making people feel comfortable in embracing their culture and maintaining the culture,” Leen said. “How good of a job we're doing? I think given our circumstances, we're doing really well.”