California Makes History with MENA Inclusion Act, Recognizing 740,000 Middle Eastern and North African Residents
The MENA Inclusion Act received approval from Governor Gavin Newsom, who signed it into law on Monday, making it the first statewide initiative to collect demographic data on Middle Eastern and North African populations across all state agencies. The new law, which Assemblymember John Harabedian (D-Pasadena) created, will start its implementation on January 1, 2028, to address the long-standing statistical absence of California’s 740,000 MENA residents.
Breaking Down Barriers to Data Visibility
The North African populations, which include Afghan, Iranian, Lebanese, Egyptian, Armenian, and Assyrian groups, along with new laws, require state and local agencies to collect demographic information to establish distinct reporting sections for Middle Eastern and other ethnicities that were previously merged into the “White” category. The current federal data collection system fails to show specific difficulties of MENA communities because it prevents them from receiving suitable resources and culturally sensitive services.
Assemblymember Harabedian announced the MENA Inclusion Act as a crucial measure to achieve the goal of serving all Californians during the bill’s introduction. The MENA community requires specific recognition as a diverse group, as accurate data collection enables better policy decisions that address their unique challenges.
Addressing Community Disparities
The California MENA Civil Rights Coalition led the grassroots movement, which united more than 30 MENA-led organizations to advocate for the legislation through two years of community mobilization and engagement. The California Assembly voted unanimously to pass the bill, with 79-0 support, in June, before the Senate approved it in August.
The CA MENA Civil Rights Coalition praised the Senate for passing the bill, as state data collection has long ignored communities, resulting in denied access to essential resources, fair representation, and vital services. The coalition stated that proper demographic information helps policymakers identify gaps in healthcare, education, housing, and economic opportunities.
The Arab American Civic Council conducted research that shows current data collection systems fail to capture essential quality-of-life metrics for MENA communities, resulting in undercounting, inadequate resource allocation, and insufficient oversight of their education, health, and civil rights conditions. The new category enables better resource allocation and program development that addresses the specific needs of the community.
National Model for MENA Recognition
California has taken the lead in MENA data equity through its recent action, which will precede the Biden administration’s upcoming decision to add MENA as a separate category in the 2030 U.S. Census. The state of New York had already passed similar legislation, but California stands out as the most extensive MENA recognition initiative because it affects all state agencies.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations California (CAIR-CA) has worked for 25 years to improve demographic recognition for MENA communities through its statewide coordination of 70 organizations. The Assembly Appropriations Committee's approval of this bill received support from CAIR-CA, which stated that the new MENA demographic data standard will help communities achieve visibility and proper service delivery.