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Pathbreakers of Arab America—Ernest Hamwi

This is the sixty-seventh of Arab America’s series on American pathbreakers of Arab descent. The series includes personalities from entertainment, business, sports, science, arts, academia, journalism, and politics, among other areas. Our sixty-seventh pathbreaker is Ernest Hamwi, a Syrian born Arab American businessman and entrepreneur. Born on November 18, 1883, in Damascus, Syria he is considered by some as the creator of the ice cream cone, which he purportedly conceived of while working as a concessionaire at the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis. Contributing writer, John Mason, informs us that there is much more information available on the ice cream cone than exists on Ernest himself. Nevertheless, this is his brief but eventful story.

Impact of Arab Culture in Language, Art, and Science

By: Fedal Hanoun / Arab America Contributing Writer Rich and varied, Arab culture has had a lasting impression on the world, impacting facets of daily life well beyond the Arab country’s boundaries. Arab culture has influenced a worldwide legacy through language, art, trade, and science, adding to a collective history of creative and intellectual accomplishments. … Continued

Mohamed Zakariya: American Master of Arabic Script Calligraphy

By: Arwa Almasaari / Arab America Contributing Writer Zakariya’s passion for calligraphy began when he noticed an elegant script while looking into the window display of a rug store on Wilshire Boulevard in Santa Monica. Captivated by its beauty, he stepped inside and asked the Armenian shopkeeper, “What is this?” The shopkeeper replied, “It’s a … Continued

Irshoof: A Taste of Jordan’s Winter Traditions

Yara Marei/Arab America contributing writer. On a cold winter evening inside a small, cozy kitchen, a family gathers around a simmering pot of Irshoof, eager to share a meal passed down through generations. Like many others in Jordan, this dish tells a story of tradition, community, and resourcefulness. With each bite, you taste the rich … Continued

Why Are Arab Americans Classified as White?

By: Arwa Almasaari / Arab America Contributing Writer The history of Arab American racialization is complex. It has changed over the decades to facilitate different agendas. The Arab identity is primarily linguistic and includes people of all skin tones. Early Arab immigrants to the U.S. faced a new classification system that determined their legal status. … Continued

Abraham Rihbany in New York’s Syrian Colony

By: Arwa Almasaari / Arab America Contributing Writer Abraham Rihbany arrived in New York on October 6, 1891, and quickly found refuge within the Syrian colony. Fellow Syrians promptly came to his aid, lending him the necessary funds to survive. Beyond financial support, the colony helped him secure shelter, employment, and a sense of community, … Continued

​​Salom Rizk’s Syrian Yankee: A Misfit in Arab American Literature?

By: Arwa Almasaari / Arab America Contributing Writer Salom Rizk’s Syrian Yankee (1943) has largely been avoided in Arab American literary discussions, not only due to its assimilationist rhetoric but also because of its promotion of problematic views, such as anti-Arab racism and Islamophobic tropes. However, understanding Rizk’s personal history and the historical context in … Continued

Al-Zahawi: Iraqi Anti-Establishment Poet

By Luke McMahan/ Arab America Contributing Writer Jamil Sidqi Al-Zahawi (جميل صدقي الزهاوي) was born in Baghdad in 1863 to a religiously conservative family, with his father serving as the Grand Mufti of an Iraqi Ottoman province. Although initially educated in classical Islamic disciplines, he developed an interest in modern natural sciences through the Arabic … Continued

South Yemen: Divisions before the Yemeni Civil War

By: Liam Nagle / Arab America Contributing Writer When one thinks about a divided Yemen, one might think about its ongoing, devastating, and complicated civil war. However, this wasn’t the first time Yemen was divided, as Yemen didn’t always exist as a single entity. Before 1990, it was two separate and distinct states—one based in … Continued

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