Illinois has thousands of reasons to celebrate Arab American Heritage Month in April.

The state has more than 142,000 Arab Americans – the fifth most in the U.S. – according to the Arab American Institute. Arab Americans have roots in Middle East and North African countries like Lebanon, Syria, Egypt, Palestine, Morocco, Iraq, Jordan, Yemen, Bahrain, Tunisia, Algeria, Sudan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Although the idea of to recognize Arab American culture and the accomplishments of Arab Americans has been considered for many years, it wasn’t until April 2021 that President Joe Biden, the U.S. Department of State, a few members of Congress and more than 35 governors gave official support for the idea.

In 2022, Illinois, Oregon and Virginia passed legislation observing National Arab American Heritage Month, while six others considered similar legislation.

History of immigration

Arabs have been coming to live in the United States since the late 1800s when residents of the Ottoman Empire sought work and/or refuge from political conflict. Laws passed in the 1920s slowed the flow of Arab immigrants until the end of World War II brought some exceptions for doctors, scientists, engineers and other professionals. In the 1950s and 1960s, the U.S. accepted nearly 3,000 Palestinian families. In 1965, the U.S. officially ended its discriminatory quota system, and that increased immigrants from outside northern and western Europe.

Today, 3.7 million Arab Americans are spread across every state, but California, Michigan, Texas and New York have the four highest populations. Dearborn Michigan has the country’s largest percentage of Arab Americans.

Learn more through curiosity

In April, you can learn more about Arab American heritage by reading about some noteworthy Arab Americans. For example:

  • supermodel Gigi Hadid,
  • geologist Farouk El-Baz,
  • U.S. Rep. Darrell Issa of California,
  • Renowned poet and Dr. Fady Joudah,
  • U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Detroit,
  • actress Salma Hayek,
  • Today Show host Hoda Kotb,
  • scientist Ahmed Zewail,
  • former U.S. secretary of health and human services Donna Shalala became the first Lebanese American to serve in a U.S. Cabinet post,
  • Elias Zehouni a researcher and radiologist became the first immigrant to head the National Institutes of Health,
  • Michael DeBakey, world-renowned cardiac surgeon and inventor of the heart pump,
  • Entrepreneur/inventor Steve Jobs,
  • author Gibran Khalil Gibran,
  • actor Jamie Farr and
  • journalist Anthony Shadid.