Arab American Heritage Month is a month-long celebration in the United States that occurs in April each year. It aims to recognize and celebrate the contributions, culture, and history of Arab Americans to American society. This month is an opportunity to educate and raise awareness about the diversity and complexity of Arab American identity and history, as well as to promote understanding and dialogue among different communities. It is also an opportunity to recognize the challenges and struggles faced by Arab Americans, including discrimination and anti-Arab sentiment, and to promote social justice and equality for all.
Arab Heritage Month at Northwestern was pioneered by the MENA Student Association in 2023 and also features collaborations with the MENA Studies Department, MENA Languages Department, and other student groups such as Students for Justice in Palestine & NUCHR.
2024 Events
No programming 4/1-4/10 in light of Ramadan***
Henna Workshop & Sweets
Thursday, April 11, 2024 | 6:00 PM - 9:00PM | Clark B01
Come enjoy some yummy MENA desserts while getting your henna done! Get some matching designs with a friend or even attempt to try doing henna yourself!
Sponsored by: MENA SA
Movie Night & Dinner
Friday April 12, 2024 | 6:00 PM - 9:00PM | Kresge 2435
Join us for dinner and a movie screening - an incredible community bonding event!
Sponsored by: MENA SA
MENA Monday | Water on Fire: A Memoir of War
Monday April 15, 2024 | 12:30 PM - 2:00PM | University Hall 201
Water on Fire tells a story of immigration that starts in a Beirut devastated by the Lebanese Civil War (1975–90), continues with experiences of displacement in Europe and Africa, moves to northeastern American towns battered by lake-effect snow and economic woes, and ends in New York City on 9/11. This story of loss, but also of evolution, models a kind of resilience inflected with humor, daring, and irreverence. Alternating between his perspective as a child and as an adult, Tarek El-Ariss explores how we live with trauma, poignantly illustrating the profound impact of war on our perception of the world, our fears and longings.
Sponsored by: MENA Studies Program
Calligraphy Workshop
Wednesday April 17, 2024 | 6:00 PM - 9:00PM | Kresge 2435
MENA SA wants to help you unlock the elegance and intricacies of Arabic calligraphy at our immersive workshop! Get ready to become an artist!
Sponsored by: MENA SA
MENA Monday | Transnational Palestine: Migration and the Right of Return Before 1948
Monday April 22, 2024 | 12:30 PM - 2:00PM | University Hall 201
Tens of thousands of Palestinians migrated to the Americas in the final decades of the nineteenth century and early decades of the twentieth. By 1936, an estimated 40,000 Palestinians lived outside geographic Palestine. Transnational Palestine is the first book to explore the history of Palestinian immigration to Latin America, the struggles Palestinian migrants faced to secure Palestinian citizenship in the interwar period, and the ways in which these challenges contributed to the formation of a Palestinian diaspora and to the emergence of Palestinian national consciousness.
Sponsored by: MENA Studies Program
AMH in the Dining Hall
Wednesday April 24, 2024 | 6:00 PM | Sargent Dining Hall
Come out to Sargent Dining Hall for a taste of the Arab world with a specifically MENA-oriented menu that day. NU Dining will also have games set up and a dabke performance! Don’t miss out!
Arab Expressions
Saturday, April 27, 2024 | 6:00 PM - 9:00PM | Guild Lounge
Arab Expressions a dynamic cultural showcase pioneered by the MENA Student Association that celebrates the rich and diverse traditions of the Arab world. This event features authentic Arab cuisine, live performances of traditional music on the oud and tabla, and a poetry reading by Arab members of the Northwestern community, including undergraduates, graduates, and faculty. 'Arab Expressions' is a vibrant celebration of the many contributions that Arab culture has made to our community, and an opportunity to promote cross-cultural understanding and appreciation.
Sponsored by: MENA SA
MENA Monday | Understanding Conflict in the Sudan
Monday April 29, 2024 | 12:30 PM - 2:00PM | University Hall 201
This event convenes experts on the Sudan, who will delve into the current conflict, its root causes, and Sudan's political dynamics. Nisrin Elamin is an Assistant Professor of Anthropology at the University of Toronto. Khalid Mustafa Medani is Associate Professor of Political Science and Islamic Studies at McGill University, where he is also the Director of the Institute of Islamic Studies and Chair of the African Studies Program. Azza Ahmed Abdel Aziz holds a PhD in Social Anthropology, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London.
Sponsored by: MENA Studies Program