Heritage Months 

We encourage folks to program around these months & send in submissions to our office if you want to collaborate with us and talk about intersectionalities. To learn more about our Heritage Months, follow us on Instagram @ucdavismenasa. Every month, we will be posting on our Instagram Story to create awareness of these months.

This is a developing area, so feel free to share your thoughts and opinions with us on this form. There is also programming done by other centers for each of these months, so keep an eye out for information on these events. We want to recognize where South, Southwest Asian, & North African (SSWANA) -identifying people come from and the heritage months that they identify with.  

• February: Black History Month 

• What is Black History Month? 
  Black History Month was first proposed in February 1969 by Black educators and students at Kent State University. The first celebration of Black History Month took place at Kent State a year later, from January 2 to February 28, 1970. Six years later, Black History Month was being celebrated all across the country in educational institutions, centers of Black culture, and community centers, both great and small, when President Gerald Ford recognized Black History Month in 1976, during the celebration of the United States Bicentennial.
  
  Book Recommendations 
  -Becoming by Michelle Obama 
  -Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisis Coates
  -Punching the Air by Ibi Zaboi and Yusef Salaam
  
  Film Recommendations 
  -Hidden Figures
  -The Butler 
  -The Hate U Give 

• March: Women's History Month 

• What is Women's History Month? 
  Women’s History Month started in 1987 after being petitioned by the National Women’s History Project, which Congress passed to be held in March. State departments also began to encourage celebrations of Women's History Month as a way to promote equality among the sexes in the classroom. Within a few years, thousands of schools and communities began to celebrate Women's History Month. They planned engaging and stimulating programs about women's roles in history and society, with support and encouragement from governors, city councils, school boards, and the U.S. Congress.
  
  Book Recommendations 
  -Kololo Hill by Neema Shah 
  -Rebel of Fire and Flight by Aneesa Marufu 
  -Untold: Defining Moments of the Uprooted edited by Gabrielle Deonath, Kamini Ramdeen
  
  Film Recommendations 
  -India Sweets and Spices 
  -Queen of Katwe 
  -Wedding Season

• April: Arab American Heritage Month 

• What is Arab American Heritage Month?
  Arab American Heritage Month was first observed by the community in the 1990s. Through grassroots efforts, it was recognized in various counties and states before being initiated in 2019 in Congress, as a way of promoting more awareness towards the community. Arab American Heritage Month has grown federally and aims to further support individuals and bring recognition. 

  To learn more about the community, check out this resource: Arab Americans -History, Culture and Contributions by the Arab American National Museum with Randall Kayyali, PhD.

  
  Book Recommendations
  -Recommendations from UC Davis Researcher Services
  -Orientalism by Edward Said *Recommended by Affaf*
  -Between Two Moons by Aisha Abdel Gawad 

  
  Film Recommendations
  -Amreeka
  -Reel Bad Arabs: How Hollywood Vilifies a People
  -Four Daughters
  -Arab Women in the Arts Showcase by Arab Film Institute

   

  Artist Recommendations
  - Huda Fahmy 
  - Rania Matar
  - Jacqueline Reem Salloum

• May: Asian and Pacific Islander Month
• What is Asian and Pacific Islander Month?
  AAPI stands for Asian and Pacific Islander, which celebrates the achievements and contributions of AAPI-identifying people, as well as their cultures and diverse identities. The month of May was chosen to mark the arrival of the first Japanese immigrant to the United States on May 7, 1843, as well as the anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad on May 10, 1869.
  
  Book Recommendation 
  -Naturally Tan by Tan France 
  -When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon *Recommended by Shinal* 
  -Where Dreams Descend by Janella Angeles 
  
  Film Recommendation 
  -Always Be My Maybe 
  -Bend It Like Beckham *Recommended by Shinal* 
  -Slumdog Billionaire 
• May: Jewish American Heritage Month 

• What is Jewish American Heritage Month? 

  Jewish American Heritage Month was formally introduced by former President George W. Bush on April 20, 2006. May was selected for the Heritage Month following the 350th Anniversary of American Jewish History in May 2004. The anniversary sought to celebrate 350 years since the first communal settlement of Jews in North America. 

  Book Recommendations:
  -Sam by Allegra Goodman
  -The Color of Water by James McBride 
  -The Secret of Clouds by Alyson Richman 
  
  Film Recommendations: 
  -An American Tail
  -Funny Girl 
  -Prince of Egypt