Arab-American Heritage Month celebrates the Arab-American heritage and culture and pays tribute to the contributions of Arab-Americans and Arabic-speaking Americans. Some individual states (such as the Commonwealth of Virginia) and 26 others observed April as Arab American Heritage Month early on before any federal recognition was proclaimed. It wasn't until April 19, 2021, that the first recognition on a federal level was issued, which was published as a White House letter from president Joe Biden recognizing April as the National Arab American Heritage Month, otherwise called NAAHM.