This generation’s struggle to be counted

admin posted on April 06, 2010 10:35

Living the American Dream

My kids are third generation Arab American in the United States. Many generations of Arab Americans have been in the US since they started immigrating late in the 19^th century. They have brought their values and traditions along with their Falafel and Hummus recipes. Among what they value most is family and education, achieving higher educational standards. Along with fulfilling their dreams, they also have been fulfilling their civic duties, working and paying their taxes. Every year Arab Americans are growing significantly in numbers.

Understanding Arab Americans

Nevertheless, Arab Americans have never been recognized as an ethnic group or minority by the US government on the census form. Today’s census form recognizes about 20 races in question number 9 about the race. Not one of them is Arab American. Some of the races listed might represent a small island, while Arab Americans, coming from 25 Arabic speaking countries - their total size more than twice the size of Europe, are yet to be listed as an individual race category.

For most Americans Arab are mistakenly considered Asians or even Indians, as most actors who play Arab roles in Hollywood are. Arabs are white according to United States race classification. However Arab Americans have the same ethnic needs as Latinos, African Americans or any other ethnic group. They are bilingual, culturally defined and tend to protect their identities and heritage. But not yet considered a minority group or classified as Arab Americans by the government.

It’s all about sharing the American Pie

It is equally important for any ethnic group to be counted. Simply because of the $400 billion in Federal grants, thousands of government jobs, etc; all waiting to be shared by US citizens. How can Arab Americans find their place in America and how can they fit into this equation if they are not counted in the Census? I’d rather plan for a better future that meets the needs of my kids, than worrying about my kids inheriting this dilemma. Although I was involved in educating Arab American communities during the Census 2000 efforts to count Arab Americans, this struggle for identity with the Census Bureau has been going on since the 1980s. Generation after generation, Arab Americans started to lose hope and question the possibility that Arab will never be counted in the US. Thus some are boycotting the Census 2010 for the first time.

Being the Other race

Some feel lost being some other race in America. Arab American organizations and community groups are uniting their voices by refusing to mark White as their race in question number 9, they agreed to mark “some other race” category at the bottom of the question and write in “Arab”.

The Census

The 10 question 2010 Census form was sent by mail in mid-March and should be filled and returned in the mail. In April, a Census officer will be visiting those families who didn’t return their forms to help them in completing their forms.

Question 9 includes a list of about 20 races to choose from, but failed to include Arab on the form. Arab Americans left with no choice other than to write their race on the bottom of the category “some other race”. They may write Arab, but the Arab American Institute (AAI) encourages them to be more specific to their origins and write Jordanian Arab, Egyptian Arab, and so on.

Writing in “some other race” category might not be the right choice as it’s embarrassing for almost 6 million Arab Americans to be recognized as “Others”, but it might be the only choice to claim our identity and equal rights for federal funding.

Does “Others” counts?

In the end, when the Census Bureau will present their official totals to the President, the U.S. Congress, and the individual states, the “some other race” category will not be reported. How the Census Bureau will utilize this category is vague and unpredicted. One thing we know is that the Arab American Institute will be able to request a special tabulation of the Some Other Race responses to be able to study the extent to which Arab Americans used that category instead of, or in addition, to White.

The outcome of the “Some Other Race” category will only be effective if a majority of the Arab Americans responded in this category.

While it’s our civic duty to fill out the federal form, it is the only hope for Arab American to be counted. By raising their voices together, Arab American can demand this gap be filled by 2020.

Posted in: Amani Ghouleh

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This generation’s struggle to be counted

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