Cultural Heritage Months

UT Dallas recognizes the rich cultural heritage present in our community and invites Comets to honor, commemorate and celebrate the cultural contributions that different groups have made to the United States and beyond.

These celebrations provide opportunities to appreciate and learn from others’ traditions and culture, and shape our history, present and future.

Our calendar of Cultural Heritage Months is a reference point and is not meant to be interpreted as an exhaustive list. We invite the campus community to share other cultural heritage months/celebrations for consideration. Email us now.  

  • Cultural Heritage Month: April

    Image by Gene Taylor from Pexels | Image by Daniel Ponomarev from Pexels

    In the month of April, we honor Scottish American Heritage Month and Arab American Heritage Month. We recognize and celebrate the contributions, achievements and historical impact of each of these cultural groups, and how they have shaped our history and worldview. 

    President George W. Bush issued a proclamation designating April 6 as “National Tartan Day” in April 2008 to honor the contributions and culture of Scottish Americans. This designation set a precedent for recognizing Scottish heritage during April, aligning with the national celebration of Tartan Day on April 6th, which commemorates the signing of the Declaration of Arbroath in 1320, a symbol of Scotland’s fight for independence. Similarly, Arab American Heritage Month was officially recognized in the United States by a proclamation from President Joe Biden Jr. in March 2023. While various communities had celebrated Arab American heritage during different times of the year, April was chosen as Arab American Heritage Month to coincide with the annual Kahlil Gibran Spirit of Humanity Awards that recognizes individuals, corporations, organizations and communities whose work, commitment and support make a difference in promoting co-existence in all walks of life.

    According to the 2020 Census, 8.4 million people in the United States identified as Scottish. The 2022 American Community Survey indicates that 2.2 million people in the United States reported having Arab ancestry. 

    Learn More 

    We invite you to celebrate these cultures through events and programs offered by UT Dallas organizations in partnership with Intercultural Programs and through off campus cultural festivals during the month of April.  

    Be Globally Engaged!    

Events

Upcoming Cultural Heritage Months

May

Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, Jewish American Heritage Month, Haitian Heritage Month

June

Caribbean American Heritage Month

July

French American Heritage Month, South Asian Heritage Month (July 17 – August 18)