001Marhaba is a warm Arabic word that means hello and welcome. My mom is Libyan-American and my dad is Irish. I love celebrating my family and learning fun things about my mom's culture. It makes me super proud. Arab-American Heritage Month is very important to me because it showcases the Arab history, what we've gone through, all the important stuff that's happened to us. And I plan to celebrate it by inviting all my Arab friends and eating Arab foods that are associated with different countries. It's really my whole identity and I think the culture that comes with it and the traditions really help identify every person that is Arab. It's a time where people who are just like me are noticed and they're just a great addition to the community. Having a special part of you and being
002different in many different ways. And just the idea of being unique is what people really need to recognize. Being Arab is having a family that I can go back to and having roots that I can embrace while exploring different aspects of my life. Arab-American Heritage Month means a lot to me because it's a time to recognize and celebrate our culture, history, and the impact Arab-Americans have made. I love my culture for what it means to me um in terms of family, and food, and music. I'm an avid student of Middle Eastern music and dance. And um I love hearing stories from my aunts and my uncles um about their country and their history. So, girls, it's Arab-American Heritage Month. What does that mean to you, and how do you plan on celebrating? Enjoying beautiful Palestinian
003art like this. And reading interesting books in Arabic. Or reading about Arabs in English. And wearing beautiful Arab traditional dresses. Dancing to traditional Arab music. And playing it. Eating delicious food like mansaf. Eating grape leaves. And delicious maqluba. Yum. Delicious. Of course, eating Arabic sweets. Ma'a salama.