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Arab American and SWANA Heritage Month

This is a blue graphich with some design patterns and the following text: BUSD Honors Arab American & SWANA Heritage Month, april 2023

In April, BUSD celebrates Arab American & South West Asian North African (SWANA) Heritage Month, lifting up and honoring the contributions of Arab Americans and South West Asian North African (SWANA) Americans in our school community, our extended communities, and our country. BUSD’s Ethnic Studies Department provides family guides (found below), in English, Spanish, and Arabic, that encourage us to Listen, Learn, and Lift Up the experiences, histories, and the culture of Arab Americans and SWANA Americans in our community.

 

This is a graphic that says: Happy Arab American Heritage Month! Did you know that roughly 4 million Arab Americans reside in the United States and that California has the largest Arab American population in the country?

 

LISTEN
Listen to the Lived Experiences of Arab American People

  • VIDEO Fireworks at Sea: The Power of Yemeni American Women
  • VIDEO “Takalam! Oakland Arab Youth Speaking Up!”
  • PODCAST The Queer Arabs Podcast
  • VIDEO Arab, How You See Me

LEARN
Learn About Arab American History & Local Arab American Organizations

LIFT UP
Lift Up and Celebrate Arab American Culture With Your Family

  • VISIT the virtual gallery tours at the Arab American National Museum
  • WATCH videos of Zawaya, Arabic Arts organization ASWAT concerts
  • ENJOY videos of English and Arabic story time from the Arab American National Museum
  • MUSIC VIDEO “Love Them Anyway” by student activist, Faiza Almontaser (Sign up for a free account to access this powerful video)
  • ARABIC & FRENCH songs by Leila Milki
  • READ books with your family

Reading Lists

Berkeley Unified School District is proud to support Arab American Heritage Month with this reading list, organized by grade level. These reading lists represent recently published books by Arab American authors that are devoted to celebrating the culture and uplifting the valuable contributions of Arab Americans.

Click on each book to access the associated list.

This is an image of a book called Halal Hot Dogs with an image of a child holding a hot dog and text that explains it is the elementary school reading list. School Reading This is an image of a book cover with a young girl. The book is called Other Words from Home. It also says "Middle School" on top. This is an image of a book with a link the BUSD high school reading list. The book , which is titled "This is All Your Fault" shows an image of three high school age students.

Family Resources

Family Guide for Arab American History Month (English)

Family Guide for Arab American History Month (Arabic)

Family Guide for Arab American History Month (Spanish)

Educator Resources

TK-8 Teaching Guide

Lifting Up Arab American and SWANA Staff Voices

In celebration of our Arab American and SWANA community,  this year BUSD has introduced “Lifting Up Arab American and SWANA Staff Voices,” a campaign to share our Arab American and SWANA staff’s narratives with our students and community by creating posters featuring their stories and experiences. These posters will be displayed at schools, work sites, on the BUSD website, and in district publications. Sharing these narratives with our students will allow them to deepen connections with Arab American and SWANA staff across the district.

Please click on each image to see a full-sized poster.

This is an image of a poster created for a BUSD staff member with one current image of them and a childhood picture of them with a colorful background and border the pdf is accesible by clicking the image

Nagat Alwasim

This is an image of a poster created for a BUSD staff member with one current image of them and a childhood picture of them with a colorful background and border the pdf is accesible by clicking the image

Rebekka Dagher

This is an image of a poster created for a BUSD staff member with one current image of them and a childhood picture of them with a colorful background and border the pdf is accesible by clicking the image

Christina Harb

This is an image of a poster created for a BUSD staff member with one current image of them and a childhood picture of them with a colorful background and border the pdf is accesible by clicking the image

Najla Aldhaheri, Khadeja Obad, and Dhekra Mohammed

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Notification of Non-Discrimination Policy:

The Berkeley Unified School District is committed to providing equal opportunity for all individuals in district programs and activities. Accordingly, BUSD programs and activities shall be free from discrimination, harassment, intimidation and bullying based on actual or perceived ancestry, age, color, disability, gender, gender identity, gender expression; nationality, race or ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or association with a person or group with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics. The Board shall promote programs which ensure that discriminatory practices are eliminated in all district activities. (Board Policy 0410, Board Policy 1311, Board Policy 4030, Board Policy 5145.3, Board Policy 5145.7)

The Board also prohibits retaliation against any district employee or job applicant who complains, testifies or in any way participates in the district's complaint procedures instituted pursuant to this policy. (Board Policy 4030)

Complaint forms are available at school sites and on the district webpage at www.berkeleyschools.net/complaints.

For inquiries or concerns regarding BUSD nondiscrimination policy 5145.3 or the filing of discrimination complaints please contact:
Jasmina Viteskic, Title IX Coordinator/Compliance Officer
2020 Bonar Street Room 116, Berkeley, CA 94702
Phone: 510.486.9338     Email: nondiscrimination@berkeley.net
More information is available at www.berkeleyschools.net/non-discrimination/.
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