By Noor Abdullah, Staff Writer
The month of April marks the arrival of spring, the blooming of flowers, and Arab American Heritage Month. April was first designated as Arab American Heritage Month in 2017 across just a few states but it wasn’t until 2021 that President Biden nationally recognized the month.
Arabs are an ethnic group, originating in the Middle East, who are identified by their shared language, Arabic. With lots of misconceptions about the region and its people, Mills students with Arab heritage wish to share their culture, customs, and values with their peers. Mills’ Middle Eastern Club was founded to complete this purpose; it is open to everyone and strives to be a place for Middle Eastern students to practice different traditions and share them with their friends. From artistic henna to dabka dancing and potlucks, the club has been an enlightening place for all students to gather.
In efforts to introduce Mills students and staff to Arab culture, the Middle Eastern Club has held culture fests, sold regional foods at in-school food fairs, and performed in the Cultural Celebration Assembly. In November, the club co hosted a culture fest in collaboration with the FAA, exchanging different traditions with Filipino students. Students took a shot at dancing Filipino tinikling and dabka, a dance shared across many different ethnic groups in the Middle East. The word dabka means “stamping of the feet” in Levantine Arabic, the dance consists of linking hands and stepping to a pattern in a circle and is seen at all celebrations. Middle Eastern Club members brought popular Arab foods for others at the fest to try including falafel, hummus, kabsa and sweet basbousa for dessert.
Sala Alawdi (11) made the kabsa and basbousa. “I really enjoy cooking, especially for other people. I made kabsa, a spiced rice and chicken dish because it’s one of my favorite dinners at home, I wanted everyone to try it.”
Sharing food is a way to show respect and hospitality in Arab culture and the Middle Eastern Club has done so on many occasions. At the beginning of the year, the club held a potluck with a variety of different cultural foods, allowing everyone the chance to try something new. During school food fairs, the club has sold different types of shawarmas, which are meat wraps, and baklava, a sugary nut-based dessert.
At the cultural assembly on March 24th, students in the Middle Eastern Club performed dabka and showed off their traditional Arab thobes and keffiyehs. A thobe is a long dress worn by both men and women, women’s are covered in colorful embroidery while men’s are plain. Keffiyehs are scarves with checkered and netted patterns that are usually red and white or black and white and made of thin fabric perfect for fending off the Mediterranean sun. Palestinian club member, Nagham Masarweh (11) participated in the Cultural Celebration Assembly and presented the club in her black and red thobe. She shared, “I got this dress from the Middle East and I just thought this would be a good opportunity to wear it. I enjoy speaking about and showing off my culture, I feel like it’s something that needs to be done so other Arab students feel seen and supported.”
Jordanian student Andrea Rabahat (11) shared similar sentiments. She participated in the dabka performance at the Cultural Celebration Assembly and stated she also felt the need to do so in order to share the culture. “Dabka is just how we celebrate everything, there’s always music and dancing, and when your hands are linked with your friends and family it just feels very fun and sweet.”
Arabs are active participants in the Mills community, and from student-athletes to notable alumni, they have left legacies behind for future Arab students.
The Mills’ Middle Eastern Club invites all students and staff to join in future club activities and have a taste of Arab food, dancing, and art.
