Budget Equity

NNAAC is dedicated to ensuring that Arab Americans receive equitable government funding in recognition of our substantial need for trauma-informed, culturally appropriate, and linguistically accessible services. NNAAC is committed to ending the systemic disinvestment in our communities by the federal government and is advocating for a fair share of government resources to foster the growth, development, and well-being of our communities.

Middle Eastern or North African (MENA) is not officially recognized as a separate racial or ethnic category by the federal government. As a result, Arab Americans are included under the white category and are, as a result, excluded from minority-targeted programs and dedicated funding. There is no official count of the population, making it difficult for Arab Americans and other MENA communities to be apportioned funding for services and programs from the government. We need to invest in MENA communities NOW. 

This year, NNAAC formulated 21 legislative provisions targeting the implementation of Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) racial and ethnic identity throughout an assortment of government legislation and programs for the Fiscal Year 2024 appropriations package, culminating in a comprehensive 28-page, 10,000-word document encompassing pertinent statutes, accounts, and justifications for each provision. Cumulatively, we executed 708 submissions to the House and Senate Appropriations Committee Members. 

SUBMIT A PUBLIC COMMENT TO THE OMB HERE
For information, contact Hussain Altamimi at [email protected].

Our Policy Recommendation

Federal 

  • Urge the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to update the 1997 Statistical Policy Directive No. 15: Standards for Maintaining, Collecting, and Presenting Federal Data on Race and Ethnicity (SPD 15) by including Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) as a distinct minimum reporting category. 
  • Amend the Public Health Service Act to include “Middle Eastern and North African” in the statutory definition of a “racial and ethnic minority group.” 
  • Urge the Small Business Administration (SBA) to add MENA to the list of presumptively socially disadvantaged individuals qualifying for the SBA(8)a program.