AL-BUSTAN NEWS

Covering Philadelphia’s Southwest Asian and North African Communities

Guest User 12/30/25 Guest User 12/30/25

An Area Couple Celebrates their Engagement with Iraqi Traditions — and Some New Ones (Video)

By Kenza Bousseloub

On December 19, Amani's and Lucio's families and friends came together for a one–of–a–kind North Philly engagement party.

Guest User 11/27/25 Guest User 11/27/25

Za’atar and Olive Oil: Fishtown Native Serves Flavors from His Childhood at The Olive Branch Pizzeria

By Ben Bennett

“It’s just a Palestinian’s addiction. You just know [when] you go to your parents’ house, you’ll have a couple big jugs of homemade olive oil.”

Guest User 11/17/25 Guest User 11/17/25

‘We Take Care of Each Other’: The Treasured Cafés of South Philly’s North African Community (Video)

By Kenza Bousseloub

At three cafés in South Philadelphia, North African men gather for coffee, company and Kabyle music.

Guest User 11/13/25 Guest User 11/13/25

Interactive | Mapping SWANA Philly

By Ben Bennett

The 2030 census will include a new racial category: ‘MENA’. Until then, these interactive maps, based on data from the Pew Research Center, show where some of Philadelphia’s SWANA communities have settled.

Guest User 10/21/25 Guest User 10/21/25

At Norristown Farm Park, a Garden Grows Health, Sustainability and Community

By Gawhara Abou-eid

The farm supports immigrant and refugee families in Norristown, as well as other residents, through hands-on agriculture, nutrition education and culturally relevant crop production.

Guest User 10/10/25 Guest User 10/10/25

‘English at School, Turkish at Home’: How Immigrant Families Balance Language, Culture and Community

By Gawhara Abou-eid

Maintaining heritage language fluency is not only a personal effort but also a community challenge. Limited language programming in schools and mosques means families often bear the burden alone. That’s where Bilingual Counseling Assistants become vital.

Have a story idea? We welcome pitches at news@albustanseeds.org.