Often, when I complete a questionnaire or application, I am unable to find an appropriate box to check that represents my ethnic and racial identity. The U.S. Census classifies me as “white,” but am I really “white?”
Growing up in Lebanon, I learned that I am either Lebanese or Arab, but after I moved to the U.S., I gained a new conceptualization of my ethnic identity perceived by the general American society and the U.S. Census Bureau.
A few identity labels used in the U.S. conflate different populations, confuse origins and present problems of invisibility. It is impossible to know the depth and impact on these communities and populations because of the widespread gross misunderstanding of ethnic identities.
What is undeniable is that since the Oct. 7 start of the Israel-Hamas war, the hypervisibility of Arabs through recurrent harmful stereotypes as terrorists and animals has resurfaced.
The 9/11 tragedy, war in Afghanistan and later in Iraq, and the siege in Gaza, are just more timely moments used for further stereotyping and demonizing Arabs, Middle Eastern people and Muslims.
Let’s cut through the misnomers and take a closer look at ethnic and racial identities:
Arab refers to individuals who are from one of the 22 Arabic-speaking countries, including Lebanon, Palestine, Egypt and Sudan. Arabs are diverse in terms of ethnic and religious backgrounds but have the Arabic language and its different dialects in common.
MENA refers to individuals who are from the Middle East/North Africa region, such as Syria, Saudi Arabia, Morocco and Iran. Most of the MENA countries are Arabic-speaking, but several are not, including Iran and Turkey. The countries that belong to this category depend largely on the MENA definition being used by, for example, the United Nations or the World Bank. MENA is a contested colonial, Eurocentric and Orientalist term that many activists, including myself, are pushing away from.
SWANA is a newer term and refers to individuals who are from the Southwest Asia/North Africa region that typically spreads from Morocco to Afghanistan (west to east). This term includes multiple ethnic identities and languages, such as Kurds, Nubians, Armenians, Arabs, Iranians, Assyrians, Chaldeans, Yazidis, Copts and Imazighen. It is considered a more inclusive and favorable term and has been advocated for by activist groups.
Muslim refers to individuals who identify with the religion Islam. According to Pew Research Center, the top five countries with the largest Muslim populations — Indonesia, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nigeria — are not Arabic-speaking countries. However, people in the U.S. often conflate Muslims with Arabs. There is obvious overlap between these identity labels but also unique differences, with some being exclusive including Arab or Muslim, and others more inclusive such as SWANA.
Census falls short
The classification of this population as “white” in the U.S. Census has created a form of systematic invisibility. For example, it is impossible to know the exact number of individuals in the U.S. who trace their ancestry to any of these countries. This means they cannot advocate for resources, funding and other opportunities for these communities because census results dictate the annual distribution of federal funds to different states and to different racial and ethnic minorities.
It is also impossible to document and track different health outcomes and health disparities, with the most recent example being COVID-19.
With the news rightfully dominated by the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza and its global impact, it is urgent to clearly understand the correct labels for a complicated region. And in the U.S., those labels are often inaccurate and difficult to claim.
In January, the Federal Interagency Technical Working Group on Race and Ethnicity Standards recommended adding MENA to the census and invited public comments. No final action to revise the 1997 Statistical Policy Directive No. 15 has been taken. However, on Aug. 4, 2023, Illinois became the first state in the U.S. to amend the Uniform Racial Classification Act and create a “Middle Eastern or North African” (MENA) category.
Many of us are still invisible, and our work is seen as insignificant. My research work in health equity with underrepresented populations is often questioned when I don’t provide prevalence data on health outcomes, such as rates of HIV/AIDS or depression, in these populations.
Everyone in these distinct racial and ethnic communities deserves to be seen, heard and counted — not hated. Policymakers need to act quickly. We matter.
Sarah Abboud is an assistant professor at the University of Illinois Chicago College of Nursing and a Public Voices Fellow at The OpEd Project.
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