Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1463867
For Michael Butros, education is key to a more inclusive and understanding society. A physics and math professor at Victor Valley College for 22 years, Butros grew up in hi s fath er 's native Jordan before coming to the United States. He says it was a different climate for Arab Americans when he arrived in the 1980s. "I had people ask me if I was a terror- ist. For someone who's new in the states, that leaves an impression," says Butros, a member of Victor Valley College Fac- ulty Association. "You have to break that cycle somehow, and education was how I tried to break it. I'm try- ing to make others better than I am." S a d ly, Butro s' e xp eri - ence is not uncommon in an America that has often b e e n a n u n s u p p o r t i v e home for Arab Americans. Th e st at e pro cl amation recognizing Arab Amer - i c a n H e r i t a g e M o n t h acknowledges: " The his- tor y of Arab Am eri can s i n A m e r i c a n l i f e o f t e n remains neglected or defaced by mis- understanding, bigotr y and anti-Arab hate." It notes that these transgressions continue today in the form of civil rights abuses, harmful stereotyping, harassment and bullying. Everyday life for many Arab Americans became particularly difficult after the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. Hate crimes against Arab and Muslim Amer- icans jumped more than 500 percent from 2000 to 2009, according to data from Brown University. Butros was teaching that day and recalls the difficult months that followed. "I know some Arab Americans who were a ssault ed in th e tow n I live in , stores that were vandalized," says Butros, a member of the CCA Board of Directors. "But I also remember good friends who called and asked if there was anything they could do. ere's always good." Fostering empathy Wahbe started at Cypress College just before Sept. 11. Soon after that day, she was approached by numer- ous students who asked for her help in starting a Mus- lim Student Association on campus. ough not Mus- lim herself, Wahbe agreed, serving as the club adviser for many years, facilitating forums on hate crimes, and helping create safe spaces for students. She also created a specialty literature course focused on Arabic literature trans- lated into English — the only such course Facts: Arab American Heritage Month The U.S. Department of State designated April as Arab American Heritage Month on April 1, 2021, the first such federal recognition in U.S. history. There are approximately 3.7 million Arab Americans in the United States. Arab Americans have ancestry in the world's 22 Arab nations, which are located from northern Africa to western Asia: Algeria, Bahrain, the Comoro Islands, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Morocco, Mauritania, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates, Lebanon and Yemen. More than two-thirds of Arab Americans live in just 10 states, with more than 373,000 living here in California, the largest population in any state. The majority of Arab Americans are native-born, and nearly 82 percent of Arabs in the U.S. are citizens. While the Arab American community traces its roots to every Arab country, the majority of Arab Americans have ancestral ties to Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, Egypt and Iraq. Source: Arab American Institute, aaiusa.org "It was extremely powerful for me as an Arab American for my union to say 'I see you.' For CTA to officially recognize the month is really empowering." —Randa Wahbe, Community College Association vice president taught at a community college outside of Connecticut. Wahbe says she created it as another way to humanize Arab Ameri- cans "and show we're just like you." "rough the reading of literature, we can become more empathetic," Wahbe says. "Arabs love and hope 25 A P R I L / M AY 2 0 2 2 Randa Wahbe