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Temecula proclaims April 2025 National Arab American Heritage Month
Summary
The Temecula Ready Commission marked April 2025 as National Arab American Heritage Month with a proclamation read during its meeting, accompanied by videos and remarks highlighting Arab American contributions and calls for broader recognition and data changes.
The Temecula Ready Commission read and adopted a proclamation declaring April 2025 as National Arab American Heritage Month and presented a short video and remarks recognizing Arab American contributions to science, the arts and public life.
The proclamation, read at the meeting by Chair Pastorian on behalf of Mayor Bridal Kalfas, states that “National Arab American Heritage Month celebrates the valuable contributions that Arab Americans make to every aspect of American society” and formally designates April 2025 for recognition in Temecula.
The proclamation followed a short recorded presentation that cited an estimated 4,000,000 Arab Americans nationally and noted historical contributions, and a video message from Riverside County Third District Supervisor Chuck Washington welcoming the recognition. Commissioner Lecters supplemented those materials with local- and national-level context, noting estimates ranging from about 3,700,000 to 4,000,000 people of Arab ancestry and outlining long-standing efforts to change federal data classification for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) population.
Tracy Termines and other staff noted a student presentation had been scheduled but the students were unable to participate; the proclamation will still be provided to them. The proclamation text cited materials from national organizations and presidential proclamations recognizing the month and encouraged community events and education.
Commissioners and staff framed the item as a community recognition rather than a policy change; no ordinance, budget action or regulatory change was proposed. Several commissioners used the occasion to highlight local Arab American businesses, community groups and school involvement and to encourage residents to attend related museum and community programming.
The commission closed the item without a separate public-comment period for this proclamation; public comment elsewhere during the meeting included a brief statement of support for equity and inclusion from a representative of the Centers for Spiritual Living of Temecula Valley.
The item did not create new legal obligations or allocate funds; it records the commission’s formal recognition of the month and urges community learning and programming.
Looking ahead, staff and commissioners said they will continue to promote related programming at the Temecula Valley Museum and in local schools and to distribute the proclamation to the student groups that were unable to present in person.
