Arab-American activists have been advocating for an "Arab" category for over 50 years, but had to settle for this compromise.

The MENA category will identify only four Arab nationalities - Lebanese, Syrian, Iraqi, and Egyptian.

This decision comes after Arab-American protests over President Biden's perceived lack of support regarding Israel's conflict with Gaza.

The MENA category will also include check boxes for "Israeli" and "Iranian." The US Census does not include an "Arab" category for self-identification, requiring Arab Americans from countries like Palestine and Jordan to write in their nationalities instead.

This exclusion is seen as a slight by many Arab Americans, who believe it caters to the pro-Israel community.

Anna Mustafa, a long-time advocate for the inclusion of an Arab category, expressed disappointment that all Arab countries were not recognized.

Mustafa worked with the census in the 1990s and 2000s but efforts were blocked.

The fastest growing Arab communities, such as the Yemeni community, are not represented in this category.

The Arab American community, including Palestinians and Jordanians, will be recognized as a separate category in the US census form for the first time.

This is seen as a step forward by some, but not what was originally desired.

The Arab American Institute's Executive Director, Maya Berry, praised the change as a major accomplishment, but expressed concern about the potential erasure of the MENA (Middle Eastern and North African) category and the possibility of continued undercounts.

Abed Ayoub, the national executive director of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, expressed excitement about the Arab-American community being included in the US census for the first time.

This inclusion is significant as it allows ethnic and national communities to qualify for federal funding and gain special status to prevent vote dilution in congressional districts.

Ayoub acknowledged that this is just a first step and more work is needed for full and accurate representation.

The Biden administration worked with Democrats to redraw several congressional districts in 2021.

In the 1990s, Illinois' 3rd Congressional District, which had the highest concentration of Palestinian-American voters, was divided into five districts, reducing their ability to elect a representative of their choice.

This happened after Hispanics were recognized as a distinct group in the census, leading to the creation of a district that increased their representation in Congress.

In the past, Arab Americans were categorized as "White" in the census and could only write in their national identity.

The Arab community was not eligible for federal grants or political representation in redrawn congressional districts due to being categorized as MENA (Middle Eastern and North African) in the US census, according to Mustafa.

The MENA category is distinct from the White category, acknowledged by census officials.

The census is managed by the Office of Management and Budget, which is part of the US government.

For more details, read the full report HERE.