Senate Resolution No. 1887

BY: Senator BRISPORT

MEMORIALIZING Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim
April 2026, as Arab American Heritage Month in the
State of New York

WHEREAS, This Legislative Body is proud to memorialize Governor
Kathy Hochul to proclaim April 2026, as Arab American Heritage Month in
the State of New York, in conjunction with the observance of National
Arab American Heritage Month; and

WHEREAS, For more than a century, Arab Americans have been making
valuable contributions to every aspect of American society, such as in
medicine, law, business, technology, civic engagement, government, and
culture; and

WHEREAS, New York State is home to over 300,000 Arab Americans,
making it the third-most populated state of Arab Americans in the
country; and

WHEREAS, New York State is home to major Arab American communities
including Palestinian, Egyptian, Jordanian, Iraqi, Syrian, Moroccan,
Yemeni and Sudanese neighborhoods that have been woven into the fabric
of New York State's history and culture; and

WHEREAS, Arab Americans have brought with them to America their
resilient family values, community-oriented hospitality, solidarity with
the oppressed, dedication to education, and diversity in faith and creed
which has strengthened our democracy; and

WHEREAS, Many Arab Americans are unable to return to their
homelands, often leaving behind friends and family, under the threat of
war, occupation, and unrest; and

WHEREAS, Arabs and Arabic speaking individuals have been brought to
or have immigrated to America since the 1600s, and have been integral in
shaping the immigrant identity of New York State; and

WHEREAS, The first known Arabic speaker to come to North America,
Mustafa al-Zammouri, arrived as an enslaved person from Morocco in 1528
and was an important explorer of the present-day American Southwest; and
WHEREAS, Writer Ameen Rihani's 1911 masterpiece, "The Book of Khalid,"
the first Arab American novel, is an important record of Arab
immigration to the community of "Little Syria" in Lower Manhattan; and

WHEREAS, Lebanese-American poet Khalil Gibran's masterpiece, "The
Prophet," was a transformative piece of literature, with over 100
translations, making it one of the most translated books in history; and

WHEREAS, Palestinian-American academic Edward Said was a fixture of
New York intellectual life and the author of the landmark work
"Orientalism," a postcolonial study of Western imperialism in Asia,
North Africa, and the Middle East; and

WHEREAS, According to Census Bureau data, Arabic is one of the
fastest-growing languages in the United States; and

WHEREAS, There is a need for public education, awareness, and
policies that are culturally competent when describing, discussing, or
addressing the impacts of being Arab American in all aspects of American
society; and

WHEREAS, The incredible contributions and heritage of Arab Americans
have helped us build a better Nation; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
memorialize Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim April 2026, as Arab
American Heritage Month in the State of New York; and be it further

RESOLVED, That copies of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to the Honorable Kathy Hochul, Governor of the State of New
York; The Arab American Association of New York in Bayridge, Brooklyn;
The Arab American Institute in Washington, D.C.; and the American-Arab
Anti-Discrimination Committee in Washington, D.C.