Beyond the Checkbox: Why the MENA Category is Essential for Equity

Being classified as “White” on government forms is not a neutral administrative detail; it is an act of statistical erasure that has profound real-world consequences for Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) Texans. For decades, federal guidelines have forced millions of Americans of Arab, Iranian, Turkish, Kurdish, Amazigh, and other MENA backgrounds to check the “White” box, effectively rendering them invisible in data collections that drive policy, funding, and civil rights protections.

This misclassification obscures the unique experiences of MENA communities, particularly regarding Islamophobia and xenophobia. When MENA individuals are grouped with White populations, the specific disparities they face—in employment discrimination, housing bias, law enforcement profiling, and hate crimes—are diluted or entirely hidden. Policymakers cannot address what they cannot measure. By lumping MENA Texans into a category that does not reflect their lived reality of marginalization, the state fails to recognize the systemic barriers these communities navigate daily. Accurate data is the first step toward accountability and equitable treatment.

Beyond civil rights, this classification error imposes a significant economic penalty. Because MENA Americans are statistically categorized as White, they are largely ineligible for Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) certifications, disadvantaged business programs, and minority contracting preferences at the federal, state, and local levels. This exclusion bars thousands of MENA-owned businesses from competing for lucrative public contracts and grants designed to level the playing field for historically excluded groups. In major Texas hubs like Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, Austin, and San Antonio—home to some of the largest and fastest-growing MENA populations in the nation—this barrier stifles economic mobility and deprives the broader economy of diverse suppliers. Unlocking MBE status would allow MENA entrepreneurs to access vital resources, grow their businesses, and contribute more fully to Texas’s economic vitality.

While the Office of Management and Budget announced in 2024 that a separate MENA category will be added to the 2030 Census, waiting seven years is unacceptable for communities facing immediate inequities. The Texas Democratic Party must call on all Texas municipalities and counties to adopt the MENA category on local government forms immediately. Local governments can and should lead by example, ensuring that MENA residents and business owners can access minority contracting and grant programs now, rather than waiting for federal implementation. This proactive step would ensure accurate counting, equitable public investment, and fair economic opportunity for MENA Texans today.

Learn more about Resolution #2165 and the three other historic measures passed in Corpus Christi on our Our Impact: 2026 Historic Resolutions page.