Data Equity/Census

Late last week, AAI Executive Director Maya Berry spoke at a virtual briefing hosted by the Census Counts coalition. Subject-matter experts from various organizations joined and discussed the new Federal Race & Ethnicity Standards, their implications for different communities, and what the next steps are to ensure effective implementation. She was joined by Chanel Sherrod (The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights), Andrea Senteno (MALDEF), Dr. Jeanine Abrams McLean (Fair Count), Saundra Mitrovich (Native American Rights Fund), and Terry Ao Minnis (Asian Americans Advancing Justice). The panel discussed the new Race and Ethnicity Standards, including the new Middle Eastern North African (MENA) category on the census.

On March 28, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) announced revisions to the Standards for Maintaining, Collecting, and Presenting Federal Data on Race and Ethnicity, known as Directive 15. The revisions, the first since 1997, include the historic addition of a new “Middle Eastern or North African” (MENA) minimum reporting category, the use of a combined question format for collecting race and ethnicity, and the requirement of more detailed data collection by federal agencies beyond the minimum Standards in most situations to allow for greater data disaggregation. Join us for a webinar with leading experts to discuss what Arab Americans, as well as all racial, ethnic, and tribal populations, can expect from the new race and ethnicity standards, and how stakeholder organizations plan to address remaining gaps and implementation.

Washington, D.C. on September 21, 2023 - The Census Bureau released the Detailed Demographic and Housing Characteristics File A (Detailed DHC-A) today which, for the first time ever, includes disaggregated data on Arab Americans and other communities from the Middle East or North Africa (MENA).

The AAI team began 2020 with genuine excitement and planning for both the decennial census and the presidential election. Fate had other plans, but we were undeterred and remained focused on strengthening our democracy, protecting the civil rights and civil liberties of all, and standing for human rights.

With less than two days away from April 1st, i.e. “Census Day,” community advocates, faith leaders, comedians and celebrities from Middle Eastern, North African (MENA) communities are raising their voices to make sure their communities are counted in the 2020 Census.

Last week, over 1,100 people convened in Detroit to work towards realizing the “New American Dreams” of immigrants and refugees. Almost 200 speakers, including the Arab American Institute’s Suher Adi, spoke at the National Partnership for New Americans’ 12th National Immigrant Integration Conference (NIIC).