"For too long, MENA communities have been made invisible by our federal and state government's lack of data collection or lack of disaggregation. By not including categories for these various communities in the Census and not disaggregating the data in our state institutions, the needs of neighbors have been unaccounted for and ignored," stated González-Rojas.
"This legislation represents a significant step forward for representation. By ensuring that MENA individuals are recognized as distinct populations, we are giving them a voice and the ability to access resources that they have been denied," said state Senator Michael Gianaris.
Malikah, along with various organizations, led this coalition to advocate for MENA communities, highlighting the urgency of acknowledging their unique experiences and the disparities they face due to their misclassification as white in official documents.
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