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| 5 Ways to teach Arab children cultural pride by A Crafty Arab |
The Arab community is very large, encompassing
22 countries in the Middle East and North Africa, a region called MENA.
Each of these countries in MENA has its own traditional customs, clothing, and religion. Some have histories full of colonization, while others have had their fill of
dictators.
While MENA is full of beauty, intelligence, history, smells,
and people, what ties them all together is language.
The Arabic
language is one of the most beautiful to hear and speak. It not only binds us to each other but also to our grandparents, with the lands they loved so much.
Arabs
have always had wanderlust and have made many countries in the world
their homes. One of those is the United States of America, when an Arab first arrived in
1528.
In an election year, the American biased media has bombarded the public
with negative press about Arabs. Below are 5 ways to teach Arab children to be have cultural
pride in their heritage. This post does contain affiliate links.
The media loves to lump the Arabs with the
Islamic religion, no matter if they happen to be Christian, Jewish,
Buddhist or Bahá'í. If you were to believe the right wing television news, all Arabs are responsible for 9/11,
the conflict in Israel, creating Daesh, blah, blah, blah (three words
made famous by an
Arab). They are confused with the Sikhs, spoken to in Spanish when they are in California, and have GO HOME spray painted on their cars.
Show children this educational book on Arabs and their positive and long contribution to American
history.
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| 5 Ways to teach Arab children cultural pride by A Crafty Arab |
Years ago it would have been hard to imagine, but in today's politically charged reality,
children are becoming victims at school. Schools that should be safe places where children are taught tolerance and respect.
Enough, I say. Show children that it takes all kinds of people to make a society, just like it takes all kinds of
apples.
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| 5 Ways to teach Arab children cultural pride by A Crafty Arab |
I hope you enjoy the 5 ways that I wanted to show my daughters to be proud of about our community. I want to teach them that it's important to be proud of roots, because they ground you.
xxx
1. Arab Food
Hospitality is big to Arabs. Big.
It's common practice that you must refuse any food three times before your hostess leaves you alone.
Would you like another helping of couscous? No thank you. Would you like another helping of couscous? No thank you. Would you like another helping of couscous? No thank you.
Arab food is the best cuisine in the world. The MENA world is known for spices, grains, sauces, hummus (an Arabic word that means crushed chickpeas) and desserts.
On this blog, I've posted a number of Arab food recipes you can try with your own children.
BaklaWa Pops
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| 5 Ways to teach Arab children cultural pride by A Crafty Arab |
More can be found on
Yummy Arabic Food.
This is a favorite Arabic cookbook that is manageable with kids. The illustrations are eye pleasing and the font is easy for them to read.
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| 5 Ways to teach Arab children cultural pride by A Crafty Arab |
2. Arab Music
Most Arabs love music.
Arabic beat is characterized by an emphasis on melody and rhythm, as
opposed to harmony. I tell my daughters to compare it to
American jazz. Many first heard of MENA music when it hit main stream as Sting performed with Cheb
Mami, a raï performer from Algeria, in his song
Desert Rose.
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| 5 Ways to teach Arab children cultural pride by A Crafty Arab |
There are many more modern day Arab
musicians. Arab traditional music has been around since the times of the
crusades.
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| 5 Ways to teach Arab children cultural pride by A Crafty Arab |
Many musical instruments were first invented in the MENA. For example, the oud is the modern day ancestor of the guitar.
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| 5 Ways to teach Arab children cultural pride by A Crafty Arab |
While most Arabs are not fans of
bellydance, many Arab countries have traditional dance customs. In the North Africa, the
tahtib is performed, while in Levant it is the
dabke.
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| 5 Ways to teach Arab children cultural pride by A Crafty Arab |
A great way to introduce Arabic music to young children is
nursery rhymes.
I highly recommend
Layli Layli by Sana’ Mouasher
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| 5 Ways to teach Arab children cultural pride by A Crafty Arab |
3. Arab Education
Arab's dedication to education spans centuries, having been the inventors of
universities and papyrus, a predecessor to paper.
Enter most Arab homes and you will find books in every room. Among the minority groups in American, Arabs tend to be the highest
educated.
You can find 99 books for children to learn more about the Arabs in the MENA on this
list.
My company produced an Arabic Alphabet Animals
poster that would be a welcome addition to any nursery or children's playroom. The animals and letters are fun, colorful and playful, giving children a sense of joy to look at them. This past year a new Arabic
colors poster also debuted.
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| 5 Ways to teach Arab children cultural pride by A Crafty Arab |
4. Arab Crafts
Creating a craft together is a great way to learn about a new country. Check out these
Arab League countries crafts.
Arabs have been crafting together for thousands of years. Pick up these books to read about the painted walls of
Sa’dah, Yemen or the intricate delicate details of
embroidery in Palestine.
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| 5 Ways to teach Arab children cultural pride by A Crafty Arab |
Check out
Crafty Arab printables that celebrate the MENA culture, including coloring pages in Arabic.
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| 5 Ways to teach Arab children cultural pride by A Crafty Arab |
5. Arab Art
There are so many amazing Arab artists in the MENA history. Check out a few
Crafty Arab Artists.
Arab men and
women have always felt the need to document their experiences in paint, clay, illustrations, fabric, bronze, and hundreds of other mediums. In 1994, the National Museum of Women put out a beautiful catalog to go with the
ground breaking Forces Of Change exhibit
that focused on contemporary Arab art.
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| 5 Ways to teach Arab children cultural pride by A Crafty Arab |
Museum walls can be great inspiration of our past. But if you want to teach children how to think outside the box, check out this
book on Arab Spring graffiti to show them how to look for art in the world around them.
Have some fun with children by creating art using Arabic letters. Start with this fun tutorial on
Arabic Initial String Art.
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| 5 Ways to teach Arab children cultural pride by A Crafty Arab |
xxx
Arab children should be taught self love,
and how to take
pride in the language that binds them to history. This pride will help manifest as an umbrella to deflect the negativity that is raining around them.
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| 5 Ways to teach Arab children cultural pride by A Crafty Arab |
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Pinterest for updates on the MENA culture.
