Arab American, Middle Eastern, and North African Heritage
April is National Arab American Heritage and Chaldean-American Month!
To be inclusive of the great ethnic, geographic, and religious diversity present, OMSE recognizes this month as Arab American/Chaldean-American/Middle Eastern and North African Heritage Month.
| Get Involved |
2024 Campus Events
Thursday, April 4 | 12:30 to 2 p.m.
Location: Bernath Auditorium
Join OMSE as we hear from Israeli Palestinian and Jewish leaders, Rula Daood and Itamar Avneri, part of the national leadership of Standing Together, a progressive grassroots movement, organizing Jewish and Palestinian citizens of Israel against the occupation, and for equality, peace, and social justice. Avneri and Daood will discuss how their movement is leading the fight on the ground for ceasefire and hostage deal.
Monday, April 15 | 10 a.m. to noon
Location: Student Center Multipurpose Room, 775
Come and enjoy a delightful selection of Arab and Middle Eastern North African teas with OMSE, where each sip carries the rich essence of tradition and culture.
Tuesday, April 16 | 6 to 7:30 p.m.
Location: Multipurpose Room, Student Center 775
The MENA Student Conversation Café is a safe space for undergraduate students who identify as Middle Eastern or North African to share their educational and personal experiences as a student at Wayne State. Through a series of guiding conversation questions, you'll be able to discuss concerns, challenges, and triumphs with OMSE and caring MENA WSU faculty and staff. Come share your insights and stories to help us make changes to improve the MENA student experience at Wayne State University.
Wednesday, April 17 | 11 a.m. to 12:45 p.m.
Location: Student Center Multipurpose Room, 775
Join OMSE for a game of Arabic Bingo and prizes!
Friday, April 26 | 5 to 7 p.m.
Location: Student Center Ballroom
We invite you to participate in the Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) Pre-Commencement Celebration, a special event dedicated to recognizing student graduates of Middle Eastern and North African descent during the 2023-24 academic year. Join us for a memorable occasion where we come together as a community to shine a spotlight on our MENA graduates' success! The MENA Pre-Commencement Celebration is not an alternative graduation, but rather a celebration of success and is open to people from all backgrounds and identities. The Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) Pre-Commencement Celebration is hosted by the WSU Middle Eastern North African+ (MENA+) Employee Association in partnership with the Office of Multicultural Student Engagement (OMSE) and the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (ODEI).
Diversify your Classes
Check out this link for a listing of Near Eastern Studies courses you might talk with your advisor about adding to your Fall 2024 schedule! Please note that not all classes may be offered.
2022 Campus Events
Thursday, April 14 | 4-5pm | Virtual
Save the date for a virtual discussion with Dr. Muhammad Al-Sharkawi on Arabic language and Civilizations in Asia and Africa!
Thursday, April 21 | 4-5pm | 212 Manoogian Hall
Join OMSE for a film screening and discussion on the film, American Eid.
Ameena, a Muslim Pakistani immigrant, wakes up on Eid to find out that she has to go to school. Homesick and heartbroken, she goes on a mission to make Eid a public-school holiday, and in the process, reconnects with her older sister, and embraces her new home, while her new home embraces her. Watch the trailer.
Tuesday, April 26 | 4-5pm | Virtual
Join OMSE and fellow WSU students for Arab American/Middle Eastern and North African trivia. Test your knowledge, learn new things!
Independent Study
Check out the Near Eastern Studies research guide or the Arabic Fairy Tales research guide curated by the WSU Libraries.
Written by acclaimed author and researcher Randa Kayyali with Arab American National Museum (AANM), this introductory-level, 52-page book offers an overview of Arab American immigration history, including the recent influx of immigrants, and touches on the themes of religion, cultural traditions and the impact of media stereotyping. It includes graphs, maps and historical images of the Arab American community, many never before published.
Community Events
April 7 - 17th
The Arab American National Museum (AANM), the Arab Film and Media Institute (AFMI), ArteEast, and Mizna proudly present the Arab Film Fest Collab (AFFC) from April 7-17, 2022. The AFFC is a collectively produced virtual film festival, screening independent Arab cinema for audiences across the United States.
With programs featuring films, panel discussions, and performances from Southwest Asia and North Africa (SWANA), the AFFC aims to capture the diverse narratives and complexity of the Arab world. Genres include drama, science-fiction, comedy and documentary, in both short-form and feature lengths. Screening the work of filmmakers from countries like Lebanon, Palestine, Yemen, Egypt, Sudan, Algeria, and Morocco, the AFFC exhibits all films in their original languages with English subtitles.
For questions, e-mail Dave Serio at dserio@accesscommunity.org.
Monday, April 11 | 6pm | Virtual
The Living Lines: History of the Art of Arabic/Islamic Calligraphy
Dr. Nihad Dukhan discusses the history, development, and styles of Arabic/Islamic calligraphy from the seventh century up to the Ottoman Empire. His lecture also touches on the philosophical aspect of it, and its intimate relationship to Qur'anic writing. A brief description of origins of the Arabic script is given. Aesthetic appreciation of the art and its intricate geometry, rhythm and visual impact. My original concept of "Calligraphy-Dominated Culture" is outlined. Special attention is given to three founding masters and the circle and rhombic dot measurement system. Training and the extraordinary master-pupil relationship, as well as the calligraphic Ijazah, are highlighted.
Ramadan is this Month!
Ramadan is a holy month of fasting, introspection and prayer for Muslims, the followers of Islam. It is celebrated as the month during which Muhammad received the initial revelations of the Quran, the holy book for Muslims. Fasting is one of the five fundamental principles of Islam. Each day during Ramadan, Muslims do not eat or drink from dawn to sunset. For more information on Ramadan, visit the following links:
- Supporting Students During Ramadan from the Office of Teaching and Learning
- This is America: Ramadan Brings Blessings of Loved Ones, Community Togetherness
- Ramadan: 9 Questions about the Muslim Holy Month You were Too Embarrassed to Ask
2021 Events
April 13th & 21th at 5:30 P.M.
The Arab American National Museum Yalla Eat! Instagram Takeover Chef Series features Arab American chefs demonstrating delectable recipes on our Instagram Stories. Tune in on Instagram to join in, and check out previous recipes on our Instagram highlights or the Chef Series archive.
National Arab American Medical Association NextGen WSU Chapter Student Organization
April 15th 5:30 6:00 P.M.
Guest speakers Psychiatrist Dr. Sablaban DO and Psychotherapist Zeinab Raishouni MA, LLPC will join us for a Mental Health Panel where they will discuss their expertise on mental health as well as the stigma and language around mental health.
April 20th from 1-2 P.M.
Join OMSE for a conversation about the experiences of Arab American and Middle Eastern staff and students at WSU. Read about the event here.
April 30th from 8-10 P.M..
Join OMSE for a virtual field trip to the Arab American National Museum for an online Open Mic Night! In celebration of Poetry Month and Arab American Heritage Month, they are creating a space for writers and musicians to continue sharing their work. Writers of poetry, prose, music and more are welcome to sign up to perform. Spots are available on a first come, first served basis!
Watch: Why We Need Arab American Heritage in 2020 [video 5:12]
2020 Events
Celebrate virtually with OMSE and the broader community by downloading our 2020 mini-zine (PDF).
