Right now, Middle Eastern and North African individuals in the United States are counted as “white” and, in some instances, are systematically excluded.
Our communities have been negatively impacted as a result of not being counted. For example, during the pandemic, it was difficult to determine the ways in which the virus affected our community without the proper data.
The impact on MENA small business owners and entrepreneurs is another example of the negative effects of being uncounted. The lack of a MENA category creates barriers for our community to access minority-specific funding to help small business owners.
A MENA category will strengthen our democratic elections by ensuring that our community's voice is heard by elected officials who will take our communities' needs more seriously when we are able to demonstrate how many MENA individuals are showing up to the polls.
This is our chance to ensure that the government recognizes and meets the needs of MENA communities. This is our chance to change history.
If we are successful, this change would mean we would be getting closer to equitable health standards, greater education resources, political representation and support for small businesses in our communities.
Please join us in advocating for the US government to count MENA communities. Submit your comment here http://bit.ly/supportMENA, and please encourage your peers, family, friends and neighbors to do the same. We have created template comments, so it should only take you two minutes! Help us #CountMENAIn.
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