April is Arab American Heritage Month. This month has been federally designated since 2021, but the push for formally recognizing the contributions of Arab Americans dates back to 2017 when Arab America and the Arab America Foundation launched their National Arab American Heritage Month initiative. In the letter first recognizing Arab American Heritage Month President Biden stated, “The Arab American community exemplifies so much of what our country stands for: hard work, resilience, compassion, and generosity.”
Each year during Arab American Heritage Month, Arab America Foundation selects a theme that is used to help guide celebrations across the nation. This year they have selected the theme “Arab American Heritage: Honoring the Past, Inspiring the Future.” The goal of this year’s theme is to reflect on the impact the Arab American community has already had while uplifting the next generation. The Arab America Foundation’s press release pays special attention to the contributions in the areas of “business, government, education, science, and the arts.”
In honor of this theme, the Michigan School of Psychology is sharing just one example of a way Arab Americans have impacted each of these areas and spotlighting one up-and-coming individual in each field.
Business
Honoring the Past
Joy Cone Co, the world’s largest ice cream cone company, was founded by Lebanese-American immigrant Albert George in 1918. The company is still 100% family-owned, with George’s grandson currently serving as the company’s CEO.
Inspiring the Future
Dr. Shihab Kuran a Jordanian-American is the CEO and co-founder of Power Edison. Power Edison is a leader in mobile energy storage and electric vehicle charging infrastructure.
Government
Honoring the Past
Lebanese-American James Abourezk became the first Arab American to serve in the United States Senate when he was elected to represent the state of South Dakota in 1972. Following his tenure in politics, Abourezk founded the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee.
Inspiring the Future
Rashida Tlaib, a Palestinian-American, became the first Muslim woman elected to the Michigan Legislature in 2008. She currently serves in the U.S. House of Representatives, where she represents Michigan’s 12th District, which encompasses much of Metro-Detroit.
Education
Honoring the Past
Donna Shalal, the granddaughter of Lebanese immigrants, was the first woman to oversee a Big 10 University. She served as the chancellor at the University of Wisconsin from 1988 to 1993, during which she focused on recruiting a diverse student body and workforce.
Inspiring the Future
Nada Kwaik is a PhD Student at the University of Illinois Chicago who is working to improve equity within higher education by studying the experiences of Arab American students.
Science
Honoring the Past
Dr. Michael Ellis DeBakey, a first-generation Lebanese American, is known as the father of modern cardiovascular surgery. In addition to being a phenomenal physician, Dr. DeBakey invented a number of tools that helped push the field forward including a continuous-flow roller pump that is used in blood transfusions and open-heart surgeries.
Inspiring the Future
Egyptian-American Dr. Taher Elgamal is a pioneer in cybersecurity. Elgamal’s work was key in the development of SSL and TLS protocols, which work to establish and encrypt links between network computers.
Art
Honoring the Past
Palestinian-American George Dibie was an Emmy Award-winning cinematographer. He was known for his work on multi-camera shows and his unconventional methods of using lighting to set the mood for scenes.
Inspiring the Future
Popular music artist Khaled Mohammed Khaled, more commonly known as DJ Khaled is the son of Palestinian immigrants. Kahled is a Grammy Award winner, New York Times Best Seller, and has often topped the Billboard charts.
