DEARBORN – Decades of efforts by organizations representing Arab American and North African communities are paying off, as the U.S. Census Bureau affirmed its support earlier this month for the possible addition of a category that counts residents of Arab and North African Origins (MENA) on the 2020 census.

Now that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has also begun accepting public comment until Oct. 30 from anyone regarding the MENA category addition, a coalition consisting of members of the Census Bureau’s National Advisory Committee on Racial, Ethnic and Other Populations says the campaign for better representation of Arab Americans on the demographic, political and economic map is close to becoming a reality.

One of those pressing for the MENA category has been Maya Berry, executive director of the Arab American Institute (AAI), whose organization has been involved in for decades. 

Berry, a coalition member, said she was part of the testing conducted by the Census Bureau, which released its official recommendation for the MENA classification last year.

She said the AAI has been working alongside other Arab American organizations for about 30 years, all of which have lobbied for an Arab American-specific category. 

The coalition includes communities representing 22 Arab League states, as well as from Iran, Turkey and Israel.

Following recent headway within the federal agency, Berry said it was becoming clear that was not going to pan out. So, they pivoted from that effort and formed a broader coalition, taking the “politically possible” route of introducing the Middle East and North Africa as geographical categories.

The proposal entails that within the geographic category on the census form, an individual could check off their ethnic background, such as Palestinian, Egyptian or Lebanese, among others. The nationalities would be subcategories under MENA.

Per the plan, an Iraqi could mark both the MENA and White categories. 

Berry warned of falling for misinformed reports about the MENA addition that the classification is racial and that the initiative was introduced by President Obama. 

Berry added that some Arabs Americans, fueled by damaged relationships between their community and the government, have criticized the category, saying a fuller picture of their number and where they live make it easier for federal agencies to surveil Arab households. 

She said, however, that these numbers were never a requirement for mass-spying on Arab American communities. 

The 2010 Census reports a little over 1 million Arab Americans nationwide, but the AAI estimates there about 3.7 million, based on a formula hinged on immigration and the foundation’s data.

According to AAI’s formula of the ethnic population’s distribution, Michigan’s Arab American community is 5 percent of the voting population. Ohio’s would make up 2 percent.

Aside from upholding the Census’ purpose of counting every individual in the country, lobbyists for MENA say accurate numbers of community members allow for equitable allocation of government services, improves education standards and provides English-as-second language programs, a must for accommodating a refugee influx.

ACCESS Executive Director Hassan Jaber, another member of the Census’ advisory board, said ACCESS has been spearheading efforts to place the Arab American category on the Census for 25 years, but positive momentum has only picked up in the last five years.

He said headway has been made because the advocacy organizations have made a “very convincing case that could make the Census live to up to its true mandate of counting everyone” and elevate much of the iceberg of Arabs in America to the surface.

Jaber said achieving that would enhance political representation and chances in electoral successes and earn Arab Americans a place and legitimacy in the economy.

He added that there was initial disapproval from Latino and African American organizations about whether the MENA addition would take away representation and diminish services to their communities.

Jaber said the fact the OMB is asking for public comment is a good sign, but Congress still needs to approve the MENA addition. The coalition then needs to prepare the proposal’s language by next year.