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Arab Americans oppose “MENA” bill and urge “ARAB” be recognized as an MBE and in Census

Arab American leaders are pushing back against legislation that would designate the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) category for the Minority Business Enterprises (MBE) and the U.S. Census arguing that the MENA Category will only help fuel more marginalization of Arab Americans.

A coalition of Arab American organizations are urging the Illinois Senate to block a proposal for MENA and reconsider legislation already introduced by State Rep. Cyril Nicholes (D-32nd) that recognizes ARAB as a MBE designation.

“MENA already includes ’North Africans’ and all Americans who originate by heritage from anywhere in Africa, including in North Africa, are already identified in the Illinois MBE category and in the U.S. Census,” said Samir Khalil, former president and founder of the Arab American Democratic Club (AADC).

“We believe the issue of discrimination specifically targets Arabs and the MENA category dilutes that. Once passed, anyone identified as Arab will continue to be victimized by marginalization and exclusion because th MENA drive does not identify Arabs.”

State Rep. Cyril Nichols, Democrat 32nd District

Hassan Nijem, president of the American Arab Chamber of Commerce agreed, said that the original bill introduced by Nichols would give MBE and Census recognition to Arabs, both Christian and Muslim, who continue to be victims of bias and exclusion.

“It is the Arab community that has been victimized by discrimination and marginalization. No one understands and knows what MENA is. It is a hodgepodge of all kinds of ethnicities and groups that range from North African all the way into Asia,” Nijem said.

“We’re not saying to discriminate against others. We are saying that our leaders need to address the real issue, that Arab Americans are the major victims of discrimination, Muslim and Christian. And failing to directly address that category will not prevent that discrimination from taking place.”

Political Columnist and former Chicago City Hall political reporter Ray Hanania said that the MENA category is being pushed in order to satisfy the concerns of the widest array of ethnic groups and that failure to push for Arab equality in Illinois will only reinforce the discrimination that we face.

“No one ever called me a ‘dirty MENA’ but they have called me a ‘Dirty Arab’ because the anger and animosity isn’t against MENA. It is against Arabs who continue to suffer as a result of historic discrimination,” Hanania said.

“The groups pushing for MENA are doing so purely for political reasons. It began with Mayor Lori Lightfoot, whom the Arab community opposed in the last election, and has now been embracedby Gov. J.B. Pritzker who has a history of anti-Arab relationships. We are just asking that something be done to confront the anger and bias that exists against Arab Americans.”

Hanania, who authored the book Arabs of Chicagoland, said that despite the low-ball Census estimates of Arab Americans, an analysis of voter data shows that the Arab community is sizable in Chicagoland and is estimated to be around 450,000 in northern Illinois.