WHEREAS, In the period of mass migration from 1800 to 1924, over 20 million immigrants came to the United States of America, with approximately 95,000 of them from the Greater Syria region, known as today’s present day Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Palestine; and

WHEREAS, Historically, California has been a popular destination for immigrants from the Middle East, creating strong cultural fusions between the two regions; currently there are over 715,000 persons of Arab heritage living in California, making it the state with the largest number of Arab Americans. Large communities of Arab American backgrounds reside in areas like Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego and San Francisco; and

WHEREAS, The first Arab American immigrants who came to the United States, specifically New York, Michigan, and California, have brought along with them rich history and traditions that have fused beautifully with the American culture; and

WHEREAS, Arab Americans have made valuable contributions to every facet of American life, including medicine, education, the sciences, business and culture; and

WHEREAS, Arab Americans occupy positions of leadership and responsibility throughout our system of government, setting fine examples of public service at the local, state, and national levels; and

WHEREAS, Among the great Arab Americans who have contributed significantly to this country are: Candace Lightner, founder of Mothers Against Drunk Driving; Sam Moore, founder and president of Thomas Nelson Publishers, the largest worldwide distributor of the Bible; Hala Gorani, CNN Correspondent; Gibran Kahlil Gibran, a famous poet and author and member of the New York Pen League; Joseph Abboud, menswear fashion designer; Donna Shalala, United States Secretary of Health and Human Services from 1993 to 2001; and Edward Masry, lawyer who worked alongside Erin Brockovich on the water contamination case of Hinkley, California; and

WHEREAS, Arab Americans have truly made valuable and substantial contributions to every facet of California life including the entertainment industry, the most notable of whom are Casey Kasem, Salma Hayek, Alia Shawkat, and Moustapha Akkad; and

WHEREAS, In 2016, Anaheim and Garden Grove proclaimed the month of April as Arab American Heritage Month recognizing the achievements and contributions of Arab American individuals; now, therefore, be it