Friend,

By now you're likely noticing that during this 2021 Arab American Heritage Month, when we are all trying to preserve what we can of normal daily life, AAI has chosen to celebrate those who are preserving our community's culture, our stories, and our experiences. This week is no different.


While you likely know Arab American icon Ralph Nader because of his life-saving public advocacy work, he is also a very proud Arab American who loves to share the stories, traditions, and values he learned growing up in an Arab American household. As we celebrate the final days of Arab American Heritage month please know that I am grateful for all you do, and for your continued support of AAI.


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For the last 60 years, Arab American Ralph Nader has dedicated himself to public service. Nader was born in 1934 in Connecticut to Nathra and Rose Nader, both Lebanese immigrants. Nader would go on to attend Princeton University and Harvard law school.

In 1965, Nader wrote his first book Unsafe at Any Speed . The bestselling book advocated for seatbelts and other improvements in car safety. Nader’s work on this issue was so impactful that then Speaker of the House John McCormack attributed the passing of the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act to the “crusading spirit of one individual who believed he could do something: Ralph Nader.” This catapulted Nader into the public eye and started his long and distinguished career in consumer rights activism. In 1971, Nader founded Public Citizen a consumer rights activist organization which has advocated for government accountability. Nader was an important advocate for the creation of federal oversite agencies like the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Well before most of the general public and policymakers understood the importance of climate change and environmental justice, Nader was working to pass critical legislation for our collective well-being, including the Safe Drinking Water Act and the Clean Air Act. He also pushed for the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency.

In 2000, Nader ran for president receiving 2.8 million votes and enjoying strong support from the Arab American community. He would run two more campaigns, each time infusing the presidential race with discussion and debate of key issues that would most improve people’s lives. For his impact, Nader would be named one of the 100 most influential figures in American history by The Atlantic in 2006.

This is the Ralph Nader known to many Americans. For our community, we also know him as a proud Arab American whose public service is deeply rooted in his upbringing. He shared some of those lessons learned in his Arab American household in The Seventeen Traditions [[link removed]] . In his newest book, The Ralph Nader and Family Cookbook [[link removed]] , Nader celebrates his Arab heritage by sharing some of his family’s favorite recipes. His life’s work is something we are proud to celebrate during Arab American Heritage Month.




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