Middle Eastern or North African (MENA) Category to be Added to U.S. Census – Informing Over $2.8 Trillion Dollars in Federal Funding

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Middle Eastern or North African (MENA) Category to be Added to U.S. Census – Informing Over $2.8 Trillion Dollars in Federal Funding

In its recent revisions to its standards for maintaining, collecting, and presenting federal data on race and ethnicity in the U.S., the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) announced the addition of a MENA category on federal forms such as the U.S. Census!

The first of their kind in over two decades, these revisions will allow participants to choose from seven different race and ethnicity categories including the new MENA category. The MENA category will contain checkboxes for Iranian, Lebanese, Egyptian, Syrian, Iraqi, and Israeli subgroups, along with a write-in box for any other Middle Eastern or North African ethnicity.

Like other ethnic groups, the number of Iranian Americans in the United States has been historically underrepresented in Census data. This representation is vital as Census data alone informs over $2.8 trillion dollars in federal funding. It will also better Iranian American representation at all levels of government as Census data is used to determine the number of seats each state will have in Congress and is used to draw legislative districts.

Upon the 2030 Census, this development will further the interests and support of Iranian Americans.

Press Release & Filing

Read the OMB’s revisions in full here.