“It is instrumental that we recognize MENA communities and address the compounded systemic inequities that we have historically faced and continue to face”, says Salma Mohamed of AAFSC via USA Today.
For decades, the Census and other federal programs have failed to represent the estimated 3.7 million Arab Americans living in the U.S., directly contributing to a lack of funding and resource allocation for programs such as those supporting community development, public health, education, and civic engagement. While some federal agencies have started using the MENA category, we are far from equitable recognition. You can read the full USA Today article, here.