Celebration of Mideast Food and Culture honors Arab American culture

Community members arrived at the FedEx Global Education Center on Friday to attend the inaugural Celebration of Mideast Food and Culture, a night honoring Arab American culture, traditions and cuisine.

Co-sponsored by the UNC Department of History, the UNC Arab Student Organization and the Institute for the Arts and Humanities, the celebration was the final event of a series of film screenings, academic lectures and culture nights commemorating Arab American Heritage Month, which has been nationally recognized since 2021.

Festivities at the event included panels with local Middle Eastern entrepreneurs, a traditional Dabke dance performance performed by the Triangle Lebanese-American Center and food provided by Mediterranean Deli and Asali Desserts & Cafe in Cary.

Micah Hughes, associate director for the Center of Middle East and Islamic Studies, said the event was designed to highlight individuals of Arab American descent and the impact of their culture and experiences in the United States. In Chapel Hill, he said Arab-run establishments like Mediterranean Deli have greatly benefited the UNC community.

“Arabs have been a part of the fabric of the United States since early on,” Hughes said. “We want to highlight and celebrate those aspects and contributions by letting the community know that UNC is here to celebrate with them.”

While Hughes is not an Arab American himself, he said Arab American culture is incredibly diverse, with differences in language dialects and religious expression in Christianity, Islam and Judaism.

“We’re talking about a very diverse group of people that are often reflected in news, media, movies and television in a very singular fashion,” Hughes said. “It's really important for us to work with community groups and to highlight the different expressions of what it means to be Arab or to be from the region.”

Abdul Basith Basheer, a graduate student specializing in Middle Eastern and Islamic history, said he thinks that there is a misconception that all Arabs appear to be the same, especially as someone having lived in both the Middle East and in the United States.

“I think events like this help push back against that notion that the Arab American community is homogeneous,” Basheer said. “It’s not. It’s definitely very diverse and heterogeneous.”

Basheer said he thinks the variety of Arab American culture and cuisine was showcased at the celebration. Foods served at the event included falafels, chicken shawarma, salads, hummus and desserts such as cheesecake and baklavas.

Owner of Asali Desserts and Cafe Hanadi Asad said food is important in illustrating the diversity of Arab American culture, especially through differences in food preparation, usage of spices and cooking methods. She said she has noticed a rise in Middle Eastern cuisine within the Triangle area, with restaurants now specializing in foods like Syrian and Egyptian dishes.

Asad, who was a panelist for Friday’s celebration, said one goal with her business was to bridge her traditional Middle Eastern dessert recipes in a more modern European setting. She said she hopes other people at UNC can be more open and well-rounded by trying different foods and cultures.

“The world is so big and there is so much out there that I think if you open yourself to trying different foods, you may want to travel to a certain area or maybe try and make stuff,” Asad said.

When considering current events and geopolitics, Basheer said events like the celebration are able to show to other people the richness of Arab history and culture. He added those traditions become lost without acknowledging them.

“I think events like this showcase the humanity of people and the fact that there are people who deserve to have their humanity highlighted and cherished,” Basheer said.

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