(WDET) The National Network for Arab American Communities (NNAAC) is working to get the Middle Eastern and North African designation added to the federal Office of Management and Budget. NNAAC is an advocacy arm of Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services (ACCESS).
Rima Meroueh, director of NNAAC, says without the designation, black and brown communities are labeled as “white” on the Census, which excludes people from federal funds.
“When we get counted as white, our experiences are not reflected by the category that we are placed under,” says Meroueh. “And so we need to be able to have a better understanding of what impacts these communities so that we can really tackle those challenges.”
