White or 'Other?' With no Census Category for 2020, Arab-Americans Debate which Box to Check
SOURCE: SCPR
BY: LESLIE BERESTEIN ROJAS
Until about a year ago, plans were moving forward to include a category in the 2020 census referred to as MENA, for “Middle Eastern or North African.” It would have allowed a more accurate count of Americans of Arabic, Persian and other Middle Eastern or North African descent, who are now counted only as “white.”
Last year, the Trump administration nixed that idea. Community advocates plan an outreach campaign to persuade people to self-identify as Middle Eastern and North African on census forms. But not everyone in that community agrees on which box they should check.
