Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1463867
Representation Maers April Is Arab American Heritage Month By Julian Peeples " R E P R E S E N T A T I O N M A T T E R S to me on an individual level because people like me have made a difference in this country," says Randa Wahbe, an English professor at Cypress College and member of United Faculty North Orange County Community College Dis- trict. " We've been erased from the history books of this country, so being rec- ognized is noteworthy." O f L e b a n e s e d e s c e n t , Wahbe is one of thousands of Arab American educa- tors making a difference in classrooms across the state and country. eir contri- butions and those of all Arab Americans past and present will be celebrated during Arab American Heritage Month in April. Observed in California since 2018, Arab American Heritage Month received federal recognition for the first time last year, with President Joe Biden penning a message to commemorate the occasion. " T h e A r a b A m e r i c a n c o m m u n i t y exemplifies so much of what our country stands for : hard work, resilience, com- passion and generosity," Biden wrote. "In nearly every arena of our society, Arab Americans bring dynamic energy, bound- less creativity, and a love of family and neighbors that have always defined who we are as Americans." C TA of f i c i a l ly re c o g - n i z e d A r a b A m e r i c a n He r i t a g e Mo n t h w i t h a u n a n i m o u s v o t e a t t h e J a n u a r y S t a t e C o u n c i l o f E d u c a t i o n m e e t i n g . Wahbe, who serves as vice president of the Commu- nity College Association (C C A ) a n d c h a i r of t h e CTA Communications Committee, says she was honored to introduce the proc- lamation at the meeting. " It w a s e xtrem ely p ow er ful for m e as an Arab American for my union to say 'I see you ,' " says Wahbe. "For CTA t o o f f i c i a l ly re c o g n i z e t h e m o n t h i s really empowering." Inclusion and diversity The celebration of Arab Americans and their contributions to science, literature, history and American society as a whole is an important piece to ending historic marginalization, says Nadine El-Awar, s e v e n t h g r a d e s c i e n c e t e a c h e r a n d member of United Teachers Los Angeles. She says the recognition of Arab Amer- ican Heritage Month is a symbolic step toward a more inclusive experience for all Arab Americans. " We're a highly stereotyped group of people, and it's often negative. We need to work toward changing this narrative by teaching and embracing the diversity of Arabs," says El-Awar, a Lebanese Amer- ican. "It's very damaging when there's a stereotyped image. By educating people and elevating the positive, we can counter the misconceptions and misinformation, and instead value the contributions of Arab Americans." "We're a highly stereotyped group of people, and it's often negative. We need to work toward changing this narrative by teaching and embracing the diversity of Arabs." —Nadine El-Awar, United Teachers Los Angeles Folsom Cordova Unified School District celebrated Arab American Heritage Month last year with a video. View it at bit.ly/3ti7QbO. 24 cta.org Feature Nadine El-Awar