"Reforming Census Categories: Empowering Underrepresented Communities"
The addition of a new Middle Eastern or North African category to the U.S. census will allow an estimated 8 million Americans to accurately identify their origins, shedding light on a community that has long been undercounted and underrepresented. While seen as a step in the right direction, experts caution that the category may not fully capture the diversity of the region, particularly for Afro-Arabs and Armenian Americans. Advocacy groups continue to push for better representation, emphasizing the importance of accurate data for policy decisions and community empowerment.