For National Arab American Heritage Month, NWOCC celebrates Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, a first-generation Palestinian American spearheading the resolution to recognize April as National Arab American Heritage Month.
Congresswoman Tlaib’s story as an irrepressible first-generation American is inspirational and may be familiar to other first-generation Americans. While helping to raise her siblings and navigating the language barrier for her family in Detroit, Congresswoman Tlaib pursued higher education relentlessly, culminating in a Juris Doctor from Cooley Law School.3
Never forgetting her roots or community, Congresswoman Tlaib became the first Muslim woman elected to Michigan’s State Legislature in 2008, followed by an admirable career as a nonprofit attorney providing free legal representation for workers.4 In 2019, Congresswoman Tlaib was elected to serve as the U.S. Representative for Michigan’s then-13th congressional district, becoming the first woman of Palestinian descent and one of the first two Muslim women in Congress.5 She is one of the four original members of “The Squad,” an informal group of young, womxn of color lawmakers within the U.S. House of Representatives known for their progressive stance in policy and representation of a younger generation’s political voice.6
Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That Congress—
(1) supports the designation of the month of April of each year as 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 serve National Arab American Heritage Month with appropriate programs and activities that recognize and celebrate the unique contributions of Arab Americans.9
By: Megan Lee
Vice President & COO
Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration, Proclamation 10539-Arab American Heritage Month, 2023, govinfo, (March 31, 2023), https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/DCPD-202300258.
National Arab American Demographics, Arab American Institute, https://www.aaiusa.org/demographics, (last visited, Apr. 16, 2023).
AAHM Spotlight Rashida Tlaib, Office of Global Michigan, https://www.michigan.gov/ogm/commissions/cmeaa/cmeaa-updates/aahm-spotlight-rashida-tlaib (last visited Apr. 16, 2023.)
Herndon, Astead W., Rashida Tlaib, with Primary Win, Is Poised to Become First Muslim Woman in Congress, The New York Times, Aug. 8, 2018, https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/08/us/politics/rashida-tlaib-congress-muslim.html.
Sullivan, Kate., Here Are the 4 Congresswomen Known as ‘the Squad’ Targeted by Trump’s Racist Tweets, CNN, July 15, 2019, https://edition.cnn.com/2019/07/15/politics/who-are-the-squad/index.html.
Text – H.Res.297 – 118th Congress (2023-2024): 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, H.Res.297, 118th Cong. (2023), https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-resolution/297/text/ih.