During the month of April, Mount Holyoke College proudly celebrates SWANA (Southwest Asian and North African) Heritage Month. Aligned with National Arab American Heritage Month, which was officially recognized by the U.S. for the first time in 2023. Our campus commemorates this time by uplifting all members of the SWANA community — including our international students faculty, and staff — and honoring their rich heritage, history, culture and profound contributions to our society.

Coordinated by the Office of Community and Belonging and SWANACC in collaboration with various individuals, organizations, and departments across the Mount Holyoke community, our celebration features a diverse array of events. We aim to celebrate the hopes, achievements and lived experiences of our beautifully diverse community members who share in this heritage.

People of Southwest Asian and North African descent trace their roots to over 22 countries and represent a vast array of faiths, languages, professions, and historical perspectives. Acknowledging the international community at Mount Holyoke, we recognize that the SWANA community is not a monolith. Instead, it is composed of a multitude of voices, each uniquely shaped by distinct histories and cultural heritage.

This year, our campus celebration is guided by the national theme set by The Arab America Foundation: "Many Voices, One Community,” which emphasizes that this diversity is our greatest strength — one that deeply enriches our campus and collective story. This year's theme is an invitation to honor our individual differences while simultaneously affirming our unity as one community, bound together by shared values of family, resilience, belonging and contribution. This theme beautifully reflects the incredible breadth of SWANA identities while affirming the core values that unite us.