Resources

This Arab American Heritage Month, we celebrate the histories, cultures, and contributions of Arab Americans. We invite you to expand your knowledge and awareness of the experiences and histories of Arab Americans. From lesson plans to movie recommendations, our resource list can help get you started.

Articles 

1. American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) 
2. Arab American Heritage Month 2024 (History.com)   
3. Celebrating Arab American Heritage Month (Learning for Justice)  
4. Guide to Observing Arab American Heritage Month (San Diego Office of Education) 
5. How Teachers Can Support Arab-American Students (Cult of Pedagogy) 
6. National Arab American Heritage Month (Arab American Foundation) 
7. Resources for Addressing Religious Discrimination (MAEC)
8. “The Story of Arab & Muslim Students Is Often an Untold Story” (EdWeek) 
9. Supporting Arab American Students in the Classroom (Learning for Justice) 

Books 

1. A Map of Home, by Randa Jarrar   
2. Arab in America, by Toufic El Rassi  
3. Conditional Citizens: On Belonging in America, by Laila Lalami 
4. Crescent Moons and Pointed Minarets: A Muslim Book of Shapes, by Hena Khan and illustrated by Mehrdokht Amini 
5. The Girl in the Tangerine Scarf, by Mojha Kahf   
6. Refugee, by Alan Gratz – staff pick, Jenny Portillo 
7. The Turtle of Oman, by Naomi Shihab Nye 

Lesson Plans  

1. Arab American Heritage Month Resource Guide (TeachMideast-Middle East Policy Council)  
2. Arab American National Museum Lesson Plans (Arab American National Museum) – note: lesson plans are in the drop-down menu on the right side of the page 
3. Remembering Mahmoud Darwish (Zinn Education Project)  
4. Support for Immigrant and Refugee Students: Fostering a Safe and Inclusive Learning Environment in California’s PreK-12 Schools (Californians Together) 
5. Teaching Beyond September 11th (University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education) 
6. Women, Life, Freedom: Discussing #Mahsaamini and Feminist Movements in the Classroom (Johns Hopkins SAIS Rethinking Iran) 

Webinars & Videos 

1. The Arab American Experience (Comcast Newsmakers) 
2. Arab American Heritage Month Webinar: Immigrant to EL Instructor (TESOL International Association) 
3. Arab | How You See Me (Participant) 
4. Don’t Erase Me: The Modern Arab American (TEDxOhioStateUniversity) 
5. We’re Not White | Amer Zahr (TEDxDetroit) 
6. Why We Need Arab American Heritage Month (NowThis) 

Podcasts 

1. Arab American Café 
   • A podcast by Arab Americans about America and Arabs everywhere, bringing you a unique perspective, both in English & Arabic but mostly in “Arablish.”  
2. Citizens of Two Worlds 
   • Citizens of Two Worlds a limited podcast series, produced by Randa Samih Abdu, that looks to identity issues among first generation Arab-Americans in Tucson.   
3. The Queer Arabs 
   • The Queer Arabs podcast is a growing collection of dialogues surrounding the intersection of Middle Eastern/Southwest Asian + North African and LGBTQ identities.  
4. See Something Say Something  
   • See Something Say Something is an award-winning podcast that covers the social, cultural, and political experiences of American Muslims. Hosted by writer Ahmed Ali Akbar, the show discusses everything American Muslims are talking about, from jinns to representation in media. 
5. This Muslim Girl Podcast 
   • This Muslim Girl is an Arab American woman born in Yemen raised in the Central Valley of California sharing stories to empower women. 
6. True Talk by NPR 
   • True Talk focuses on the Middle East and the Muslim world. The show also discusses issues that Muslims face world wide, as well as for American Muslims who are seeking to live as peace-loving Americans in a nation that often has only seen stereotypical portrayals of Islam. 

American pop cultures that is inclusive of Arab American communities

Movies and TV shows can provide a window into the lives and cultures of the characters depicted in ways that can both dismantle and reinforce cultural stereotypes. When consuming movies and TVs shows that depict characters and cultures different from your own, be careful not to allow the dramatization to nurture harmful stereotypes. No cultural dramatization can fully represent the spectrum of human qualities, characteristics and cultures of any particular group of people. 

Movies & Documentaries  

1. American Arab (2013) NR
   • Usama Alshaibi, an Iraqi-American filmmaker, confronts the issues on identity and perception toward Arab-Americans in today’s society. Alshaibi conveys to the audience that Arab-Americans should not be put into one, big, identical group; rather the culture consists of a diverse group of identities and voices.  
2. Amreeka (2009) PG-13
   • A drama centered on the trials and tribulations of a proud Palestinian Christian immigrant single mother and her teenage son in small town Indiana. 
3. The Citizen (2012) PG-13
   • An Arab immigrant wins the American green card lottery, arriving in New York City on September 10, 2001.  
4. Celebrate Arab American Heritage Month (PBS)
   • This is a list of films and documentaries created by Arab American filmmakers about Arab American communities. 
5. Detroit Unleaded (2012) NR 
   • An ambitious Lebanese-American youth is forced to take over his family’s gas station after his father’s death.  
6. Marjoun and the Flying Headscarf (2019) 
   • A teenager in Arkansas searches for identity in the headscarf and a motorcycle in the aftermath of her father’s imprisonment. Set in 2006, the film explores the results of Arab and Muslim Americans being increasingly detained for “guilt by association.” 
7. Persepolis (2007) PG-13
   • A precocious and outspoken Iranian girl grows up during the Islamic Revolution. 

TV Shows 

1. American Eid (2021)  
   • Ameena, a homesick Muslim Pakistani immigrant, wakes up on Eid to find out she has to go to school. 
2. Arab American Stories (2012) 
   • Hosted by NPR’s Neda Ulaby, ARAB AMERICAN STORIES highlights the diversity of the Arab-American experience and traces the impact of this ethnic group on American institutions and public life. The documentary series profiles entrepreneurs, innovators, educators, artists, doctors, lawyers, executives and others making an impact in their communities, their professions, their families or the world at large, with each character-driven story highlighting universal themes and issues. 
3. Lady Parts (2021-present)
   • A look at the highs and lows of the band members that make up a Muslim female punk band, Lady Parts, as seen through the eyes of Amina Hussein, a geeky PhD student who is recruited to be their unlikely lead guitarist. 
4. Ramy (2019-present)
   • In New Jersey, Ramy, son of Egyptian immigrants, begins a spiritual journey, divided between his Muslim community, God and his friends who see endless possibilities.