April 1 marked the beginning of Southwest Asia and North African (SWANA) Heritage Month at San Diego State. The intended purpose, according to SDSU, is “to increase awareness about the history, cultures, experiences, contributions and resiliency of the SWANA community.”
This event is put on as a collaboration between the Center for Intercultural Relations and the Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) Student Union.
“The executive board (MENA) along with the staff of CIR have worked tremendously hard to make sure that SDSU students will have the ability to immerse themselves in SWANA culture during the heritage month,” said MENA’s Cultural Coordinator, Ilias Benbatoul, a third-year political science major.
SDSU is hosting seven events through the course of the month, with comedy nights, conversations about cultural appropriation, SWANA related art events and others.
This month is in concurrence with the Arab American Heritage Month, in the year following Biden’s official presidential recognition. San Diego State alternatively chose to use the term SWANA.
The use of the term SWANA is a departure from the contested colonial “Middle Eastern” term or “Arab,” recognizing there are a multitude of identities and communities outside of Arabs in the region.
Students note a lack of inconsistency as there are groups that continue to use the term MENA that may lead to confusion. First-year civil engineering major, Mohammad Erakat, expressed indifference towards everchanging terms.
“I do not feel connection to broad terms because they are always changing and it is all just semantics,” said Erakat. “My identity just comes from my culture as a Palestinian and an Arab.”
The events shed a light on SWANA contributions in the United States, help educate students on the rich cultures prevalent in the region and inform attendees on issues the community commonly faces.
“(Events like these) ensure that our voices do not go silent. It is a way to embrace our culture and our achievements and be alone to be who we are proudly,” said Erakat. “Even if you do not have any particular interest it could be a learning opportunity to expand your perspective and learn about other cultures.”
More information on SWANA Heritage month and upcoming events can be found on the Associate Student’s website.
