This Immigrant Entrepreneur Made History by Pushing The U.S. Department of State to Recognize April as the NAAHM
Pierre Subeh made history by advocating for April as the National Arab American Heritage Month in the United States
Celebrating the National Arab American Heritage Month: Today, there are nearly 4-million Arab Americans residing in the United States according to data from the Arab American Institute (AAI). In a time where inclusivity has never been more relevant and necessary — celebrating Middle Eastern heritage is critical in combatting post-9/11 anti-Arab sentiments and recognizing the social difficulties that Arab Americans face every day in their communities.
The Story Behind The Cause: Self-made entrepreneur Pierre Subeh, a Syrian immigrant who made it his life’s work to fight for equality and representation of his heritage in Western society took an oath to fight for social change using his business resources and influence in the digital marketing industry. This happened after Pierre was stopped for nearly 6-hours at Miami’s international airport when marked as a “threat” because he was born in Syria. Additionally, he claims that the Middle East as a prominent Muslim region, makes roughly 25% of the world population, yet they are barely represented in Western media, award shows, and literature work.
About The Man Behind The Cause: Pierre Subeh is an author, business expert, and award-winning executive producer. He is mostly known for advocating Middle-Eastern representation and pushing the U.S. Department of State to recognize April as the national Arab American Heritage Month. He has been featured for his business expertise on Forbes, The Washington Post, CNBC, and The New York Post. Early on in his career, he focused on studying the psychology of human behavior and the science behind efficient productivity. He is a natural leader when it comes to managing teams and creating successful ventures. Pierre was awarded as a young entrepreneur when he owned a 6-figure profitable business at age 17.
The Action Plan and National Impact: Pierre has put together a team of advocates and marketing/legal professionals to make immediate changes for this cause, we do not have any commercial or monetary motive. Furthermore, he has personally invested a significant amount of personal resources to launch a campaign of over 250 billboards across the country showcasing the rich Middle-Eastern culture and fighting for the heritage month to be recognized by the federal government. His campaign’s national impact is being done through ad campaigns, press coverage, local policy changes, and social media influencer marketing; All in hopes of educating and advocating communities and building the foundations for generations to come.
Accomplished Progress: Pierre’s campaign team has sent over a dozen letters to the United States Department of State and emailed them for the past 14-months prior to April 2021, to which they responded on April 1st with a video on their social media channels. Their spokesman Price has officially recognized April as the National Arab American Heritage Month! This is the beginning of much progress.
Here are some additional resources:
Beginning in the 1990s, Arab American heritage was celebrated sporadically in various states, primarily in school districts. It wasn’t until 2017 when Arab America began a national initiative to coordinate all states under National Arab American Heritage Month. In 2017, Arab America asked U.S. Congresswoman, Debbie Dingell (D-MI), to issue a congressional resolution proclaiming National Arab American Heritage Month. It was then introduced to the house on April 30th, 2019, and then referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Reform.
An identical bill was introduced in the House on May 1, 2020, to support the designation of an Arab American Heritage Month but it has not currently been passed.
Some individual states (such as the Commonwealth of Virginia) observe April as Arab American Heritage Month, however, as for now, National Arab American Heritage Month is not observed by the U.S. Federal Government.
