SCR 123 by Sen. Newman Commemorates April as Arab American Heritage Month

Senate Concurrent Resolution (SCR) 123, authored by State Senator Josh Newman (D-Fullerton), was adopted by the California State Senate today with unanimous support. SCR 123 commemorates the month of April as “Arab American Heritage Month” in California and recognizes the important contributions of Arab Americans to our state.

“SCR 123 is part of a broader effort toward creating awareness and paying respect to California’s approximately 800,000 Arab American residents. In addition, SCR 123 celebrates the achievements of Arab American Californians and highlights their commitment and contributions to their communities,” said Senator Newman (D-Fullerton).

In addition to presenting SCR 123 on the Senate Floor today, Senator Newman also welcomed and introduced the following Arab American leaders in their respective regions:

• Rashad Al-Dabbagh, Executive Director, Arab American Civic Council
• Serge Bakalian, Founder and Executive Director, Arab Film and Media Institute
• Basim Elkarra, Executive Director, CAIR-Sacramento (Council on American Islamic Relations)
• Mirvette Judeh, Vice Chair, Arab American Civic Council
• Maria Khani, Founder and Director, A Country Called Syria

For well over a century, Arab Americans have been making valuable contributions to virtually every aspect of American society, to include leadership and groundbreaking contributions in medicine, law, business, technology, government, and culture.

Senate District 29, which Newman represents, has the highest concentration of Arab Americans in the state, in a region in Anaheim called “Little Arabia”. The State of California boasts the largest population of Arab Americans in the Country, with a population of approximately 800,000.

Senator Josh Newman represents the 29th Senate District, which includes cities across Orange, Los Angeles, and San Bernardino Counties.