News & Events

The Significance of Arab-American Heritage Month

By Judge Nadia Jamil Keilani

In 2017, a group of Arab-American leaders began a campaign to have April recognized as Arab-American Heritage Month [AAHM]. Their vision was realized in 2021 when then President Biden issued a proclamation recognizing April as National AAHM. In 2023, California permanently recognized April as AAHM. The resolution marking the designation [here] noted not only that “[t]he Arab American community has a long and integral history in the United States; and … [t]he State of California is home to the largest Arab American population in the United States with approximately 715,000 people of Arab American descent in California…,” but also that “[t]he history of Arab Americans in the United States remains neglected or defaced by misconceptions, bigotry, and anti-Arab hate in the forms of crimes and speech.” 

Arab Americans and other peoples of the Middle East and North Africa have a long and rich history in the United States, a history which is often overlooked. Our presence in North America dates back to the 16th Century when Estevanico, also known as Mustafa Azemmouri, and Estevanico the Moor, an enslaved Arab from Morocco, was brought to the Americas where he eventually escaped bondage and embarked on an epic journey known as the Narváez expedition. Estevanico was one of only four of the expedition's original members to complete the journey, which began in Haiti and ended in Mexico City, making him and his three fellow travelers the first known non-Native Americans to see the Mississippi River and to enter the American west. 

In the nearly 500 years since Estevanico first set foot on America’s shores, immigration from the Middle East and North Africa has ebbed and flowed, depending on the circumstances in the region. Whereas the first wave was enslaved peoples brought by Spanish explorers, the next was predominantly those fleeing Ottoman rule around the turn of the 20th Century, be they Armenians escaping the genocide or Syrian, Iraqi, and Lebanese immigrants seeking religious freedoms. The next wave of immigration from the region began around the end of WWII and included diasporic Palestinians as well as those seeking economic opportunities. In more recent history, immigrants and refugees fleeing the Iranian revolution, the fallout of the first and second Gulf Wars, and the Somali and Syrian civil wars, have called the United States home.  

These immigrants have enriched and enhanced American culture. They have excelled in the arts, sciences, and politics. Some notable names are:

1.  Andre Agassi, world champion tennis player;

2.  Cher, award winning singer and actress;

3.  Christiane Amanpour, journalist and television news anchor;

4.  Amal Clooney, international human rights attorney;

5.  George Deukmejian, former Governor of California;

6.  Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple, Inc.;

7.  Casey Kasem, radio personality and co-founder of American Top 40;

8.  George Mitchell, former Senate Majority Leader and architect of the "Good Friday Agreement" between the warring factions of Northern Ireland;

9.  Ralph Nader, attorney and consumer advocate;

10.  Danny Thomas, Emmy Award-winning actor and founder of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

In 2023, a small group of California judges banded together to explore the possibility of forming an association of judges from the Middle East and North Africa, comprised primarily of judges of Arab, Armenian, and Iranian descent. We soon discovered that there was great excitement around the formation of such a group and thus the Middle Eastern & North African Judicial Officers of California (MENA-JOC) was born. Within months of our formation, we had dozens of members and by October of that year received recognition as an official CJA affiliate organization, one of only five such organizations. 

Statewide, numerous bar associations representing attorneys of MENA heritage have formed and thrived in recent years, signifying the growing number of MENA attorneys who proudly embrace their heritage. The formation of these associations has helped to create a pipeline for mentorship of law students and young attorneys, making their entry into the legal field a little less daunting. The hope is that this will lead to broader MENA growth in the legal field and, eventually, greater representation on the bench.

MENA-JOC is the embodiment of Governor Newsom’s statement that “[a]s the nation’s most diverse state, we are stronger and more vibrant because of our immigrant communities.” Likewise, our system of justice is stronger when its members reflect the communities that we serve.  

Your MENA colleagues come from varied backgrounds and experiences, but we have a common sense of pride and desire to share our rich culture. We hope to see you at our events, whether at the CJA conferences or local bar events.

Nadia Jamil Keilani

Vice President, MENA-JOC

San Diego Superior Court

CJA The VOICE, April 17, 2025, CJA Affiliate Spotlight (re-posted here with CJA permission)