“It’s a shared experience where a lot of folks here don’t have their families around them, and really want that feeling of community,” Ettayebi says. “We hope to create that for them while creating it for ourselves.”

As spring approaches, Ettayebi is looking forward to hosting outdoor events, including hiking trips, picnics and bike rides or walks along the seawall. Events welcome both Arabic and non-Arabic speakers – encouraging friendships across linguistic and cultural differences.

Friendship as home

Born to a Moroccan father and a Palestinian mother, Ettayebi has lived in Morocco, the United States and Ontario, Canada. No stranger to cultural hybridity, she identifies as a “third culture kid” – a term referring to individuals raised in cultures different from their parents. It wasn’t until her move to Vancouver that she started to crave a deeper connection with her Arab heritage.

“I missed hearing Arabic being spoken. I missed being around the food, the jokes and the humour,” she shares. “And that’s when I started looking for community.”

The search brought her to ArabsVan – a group founded in 2019 by Salhi who sought to fulfill a similar desire. After meeting at one of the first events Salhi organized, the two began working together. They started to plan café hangouts or neighbourhood walks, drawing the attention of newcomers also in search for the feeling of home.

“Typically, people find us when they’re new to Vancouver, and then they develop their own friendships, either through the group or through other connections,” Ettayebi shares. “Then, they move on, and we get new folks who are looking for that connection.”

Jibreal then joined as an organizer in 2022. After eliciting feedback from members, the organizers realized that food and music brought people together. The events then evolved to partnerships with musicians, artists and businesses – all to showcase the diversity of Arab cultures. Last fall, they hosted a Tawla event (Arabic backgammon) with Syrian restaurant Tayybeh.

“Seeing people still be friends after they met in one of our events a couple years ago …is just really special,” Ettayebi reflects.

A cultural fusion

Two years ago, Ettayebi was recognized as one of Canadian Arab Institute’s 30 Under 30. The list honours young Arab individuals who have shown excellence, leadership and commitment to their heritage. For her, the honour highlights the need for more media coverage of the Arab community.

“I’m very humbled to have received the recognition, but I think there’s so many Arabs doing amazing things, and sometimes there isn’t that publicity,” she shares, adding her inclusion was only possible with the support of her ArabsVan community. “I think the real focus is just elevating Arab culture.”

Ettayebi has spent her career working on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. In a world where these initiatives can be interpreted as corporate tools, she sees DEI as foregrounding people and the communities they create.

“It’s about being nice to your neighbour, being nice to someone whose background is completely different than you, getting to know them more, being curious,” she explains.

ArabsVan exemplifies this openness to other cultures. In recent years, the group has developed larger community events, welcoming the attention and participation of non-Arabs. Ettayebi adds that participants have also included those who grew up in the Middle East but may not be of Arab heritage.

“A big part of that is just we realized the [Arab] population here isn’t huge compared to other parts of Canada, and so a lot of folks have never been exposed to Arab culture,” Ettayebi shares.

The group welcomes all those who are interested in learning about Arab cultures, regardless of their ethnic heritage. Their plans involve continuing to support the local Arab community, while broadening their reach to other communities – a move that Ettayebi sees as enriching the city’s cultural fabric.

“No two Arabs are the same; no Arab cultures are the same,” she shares. “There’s rich history, rich arts, the music, the language; there’s so much in it that I think goes unnoticed.”

April is Arab Heritage Month in Canada, and ArabsVan is one of many local organizations supporting B.C.’s Arab community.

For more information, see www.arabsvan.ca and www.instagram.com/arabsvan

For more information on Canadian Arab Institute’s 2023 30 Under 30 list, see www.canadianarabinstitute.org/30-under-30